I am the principal and owner of padma media and marketing a full-service marketing communications firm. We create strategic marketing and communications initiatives that target ethnic consumers, including bilingual and bicultural Hispanics and South Asians.

EDUCATION | BA in Marketing.

HOW TO GET STARTED | I highly recommend that professionals seeking to begin a PR career take on internships. Whether paid or not, internships help build a portfolio and valuable work experience. A degree combined with a strong resume that includes PR writing samples, event planning and a large business network, makes you a better candidate.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | You have to be willing to work hard. PR pro's have to be flexible, able to adapt to different circumstances, be resourceful and have strong writing skills. PR is not a nine-to-five job. Expect to work late hours and weekends when a special project or assignment requires it.

how I got started | I started padma media & marketing as a result of my previous work experience and a series of circumstances that led me to take on the new venture. To be honest, I never planned to start my own company, but it happened quite naturally after a job lay-off.

why this job?| The creativity and fast-pace of the industry was initially a major appeal to begin my career in public relations. As my career grew, so did my passion to creatively enhance my clients image in the media.

why I love this job!| I love that padma is a limitless forum where we encourage creative brainstorming and develop strategic ideas to brand our clients on a daily basis.

my typical day| There is no typical day in PR: You're always working with various clients and on various projects for them. At our agency, everything's customized for each client-we don't recycle our work. We continually create and adapt new strategies and tactics to best reach our target market.

what they are | Although it's rewarding to introduce the value of reaching both the Hispanic and South Asian consumer markets, it can be challenging to "convince" (some) companies to incorporate multicultural marketing in their overall branding and communication strategies.

all about growth | Professionals that stay current with emerging communications trends will always be relevant to the various PR job opportunities presented to them.

my website| www.padma-media-marketing.com