Get Paid to Create Attractive Personas

Garima Upadhyay Rawat

First impressions last long and image consultants ensure that these remain as fresh as ever. Most people you meet try to determine your personality by your code of conduct which encompasses everything from looks to wardrobe and words to attitude. They help build a persona around you.

From appearance to behavior, imaging professionals take stock of everything that relates to your image and projects what you are. So, from suggesting hairstyles to strategizing your moves, image consultants help create your niche.

Image consultants painstakingly create a personality out of you. They help you in developing a signature style which is unique to you. They guide you on your conduct at various social dos and manage your profile. Says Sonia Mohindra, director, Blue Apple Image Consultants, “Image consultant help identify your attributes and make them work to your advantage. Consultants help maximise their own potential for them. When a client comes to us, we follow a standard pattern which helps us understand who they are, their background, likes, dislikes and aspirations. It is only after we have answers to these questions that we devise an image plan for them.”

Image management consulting industry is in an exciting growth phase, particularly in India. With more mobility and people getting conscious about their public image, this is a great time to explore this industry. Below Sonia Mohindra and Mehak Chowdhary, directors at Blue Apple Image Consulting, talk about the profession, industry and more…

A day in the life of an Image Consultant

A day of an image consultant is not fixed and varies depending on the work schedules of a certain day. As Sonia Mohindra put it, “a lot of interaction happens in the first half. The day typically starts early and since image consultants need to be around the person as well, a lot on of planning should be over in the mornings. Consultants have to manage the prime time slots for TV channels and other media interactions. Their day is flexible because people we deal with have busy routines and our schedules are determined by their working ways. Be prepared for long work hours.”

For image consultants, every day is different depending on your work schedules. Advance planning is extremely important. An average day would pan out like this:

8am: Start the day in office with checking the schedule

9am: Research on a particular subject, event that’s to happen

10am: Prepare for an upcoming event/ interview/ coordinate meetings with clients

11am: Internal review meetings

Noon: Client meetings

4pm: Media meetings

6pm: Meetings

7pm: Leave for home

Payoff:

A trainee can expect anything between Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 10,000 a month. An executive may make anything between Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 25,000 a month.

As one progresses on to the managerial level, one can expect to draw Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 45,000 a month. As a senior image manager/ consultant, one can be paid anything between Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 70,000 a month. As your experience grows, you can expect upwards of Rs. 1 lakh a month.

Skills:

• Patience is virtue. You should be extremely patient with your clients to understand their requirements well
• Flexibility of thought and working pattern is essential. You should be able to adapt yourself to situations, people, things etc.
• Good communication skills are essential (verbal and written)
• Good interpersonal skills help forge relations that may last a lifetime
• Ability to multitask various things
• Tactical and strategic planning
• Creative aptitude to look at things
• Adaptability and a never say die attitude is a must

Making a career in it:

A journalism or mass communications degree can help you get into the industry. You can start by interning at one of the image consultancy firms and learn the ropes of the industry. At Blue Apple, we hire people with a background in journalism. Though there are some institutes offering courses in image consultancy, but it largely remains theoretical in nature. The schools don’t teach you how to manage a difficult situation, managing on the go are some of the things that you learn on the job,” adds Mehak Chowhary, director Blue Apple Image Consultants.

Since the industry has not matured a lot one can’t expect the courses to be very sound. “They acquaint students with theory but it is only after working in an organization that you understand the nitty-gritty’s of the profession,” says Mohindra

Study image consulting (in no particular order)

Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai
www.xaviercomm.org 
Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
www.simc.edu 
Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad
www.mica-india.net 
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi with three branches
 www.iimc.nic.in
Image Consulting Business Institute, Mumbai 
 www.imageconsultinginstitute.com

Pros and Cons!

You hobnob with the who’s who among the elite

Your clients may be sports stars, politicians, celebrities

Good returns and growth prospects

You get to travel the world for work

Other interesting reads

- Your career in Event Management

- Will looks win you friends?