Hello from the newest PR Girl…well, sorta
Posted by PRGirlz Alumni on January 21st, 2009
Ok, I have been putting this off for way too long!
Since starting at Thornley Fallis, I’ve wanted to participate in the PR Girlz blog. I had never done any sort of blogging before, so I thought I would give myself maybe 2 months to settle in and then go to it.
But I kept putting it off because I was too nervous or too busy, but then my 6 month mark rolled around and the new year had come and gone and I decided (with a friendly nudge from my colleague Dave Fleet) to actually do this.
So I’m going to give Kerri a little help reviving the PR Girlz blog and attempt to become a regular contributor on here!
I guess I should start by introducing myself. My name is Janna Guberman, I am an Account Coordinator at Thornley Fallis, and have been working here, as I said, for about 6 months.
For the last 4 years I attended McGill University in Montreal and for 3 of those years I studied Psychology and Behavioral Science. I decided a long time ago that I wanted to be a Psychologist. However, after re-evaluating some things in my last year at McGill, I decided to change directions. I took on a Marketing minor and decided that what I really wanted was to work in the Communications field. Fast forward a year and here I am at Thornley Fallis!
When I started at TFC, I was totally new to social media. But now, I’ve written my first blog entry, edited and produced quite a number of podcasts and vidcasts, subscribed to my fair share of blogs and even have my own Twitter account. I’m still discovering so many new things, but I think it’s pretty neat what I’ve learned in 6 short months.
I’m really looking forward to sharing my thoughts on the PR Girlz blog. But more importantly, as a new person in the workforce, the PR world and specifically in the blogsphere, I really want to know what other people would like to hear from me. I’m still finding my way here and I would welcome your insight, but I promise I will get the hang of this!
For now though, what would you like to hear from me as a newcomer to the world of PR?
Posted to Introductions
January 21st, 2009 » 3:23 pm
[...] This week’s episode was produced by Janna Guberman. [...]
January 21st, 2009 » 7:31 pm
Great to see you writing for PR Girlz, Janna!
Personally, I would love to hear your first impressions of life in PR; what you’ve found toughest so far and how you’ve overcome that; and the biggest things you’ve learned from agency life in your first six months.
Oh, and maybe if you could go into how awesome your colleagues are too… (kidding!)
January 21st, 2009 » 8:51 pm
I think it would be interesting if you were to do a weekly post on the practical skills that you were called on to use. This would be useful to PR students trying to figure out why their PR education is important.
Another interesting weekly post could be themed “my career progress” or “working my way to the top.” What are you doing that people value most? What are you learning on the job? How are people coaching you and helping you? This would provide us all with insight into consulting life.
It’s great that you’re posting. I’m looking forward to reading many, many more posts and tweets from you.
January 22nd, 2009 » 9:50 am
Yay Janna! You did it! I’m so glad. I’m looking forward to reading your posts.
January 23rd, 2009 » 1:42 pm
Thanks for the encouragement.
I definitely plan to write a post about my first impressions of PR and maybe a “day in the life” post of a new PR person.
January 23rd, 2009 » 3:51 pm
Hi Janna,
I am a PR graduate student at Humber College. Last semester, we had the honour of having Mr. Thornley present a seminar to our class regarding social media. We greatly enjoyed it, and have all begun to “tweet” frequently!
I would also love to hear about your first impressions of PR. Mr. Thornley made a wonderful comment; as a PR student, I’d love to know how the skills I’ve learned will be tested and developed as I begin my career.
I too have been apprehensive about blogging; why would someone want to read my thoughts and opinions? Thanks to Mr. Thornley, my social media eyes have been opened. I’d love to read about your thoughts, opinions and experiences as a new PR Girl. I may even be inspired to blog myself!
Keep up the great work!
January 26th, 2009 » 10:13 am
Hi Melissa,
Thanks so much for your comment.
As I said, I am definitely planning to write about my first impressions of PR. I know when I was in school and looking for jobs, I would have loved to know a newcomers thoughts!
And hopefully it does inspire you to blog as well!
January 28th, 2009 » 5:44 pm
[...] This week’s episode was produced by Janna Guberman. [...]
January 31st, 2009 » 2:28 pm
Hi Janna,
Congratulations on joining PR Girlz! There’s nothing wrong with taking baby-steps when it comes to joining the world of social media and blogging! I’m in a similar boat as you. I’m in the second semester of my PR certificate and I have yet to be bitten by the social media bug!
…until now…
Like Melissa (who I *think* is my classmate), I had the pleasure of having Mr.Thornley present a fantastic seminar about social media to my class. During his presentation I confessed to him and my entire class that I’m just not into following blogs. That’s when Mr.Thornley’s expertise kicked in – social media 101 – he told me to simply look for a blog that caters to my personal interests.
That being said, I’m really happy that I’ve found your blog! As a budding PR practitioner I am definitely interested to know what a blossoming PR practitioner has to say. Already, with your very first blog post you have proven to me the power of social media and how effective it is to communicate to audiences and create positive relationships.
Can’t wait for your future posts! I’d love to read how your worlds of PR and social media collide and how you put your skills into action.
Keep it up!
-Laura
February 3rd, 2009 » 6:25 pm
Hi Janna,
I am an undergraduate York University student currently in my second year. I would love to hear about how you gained experience and what volunteer positions you were involved in to learn and develop skills that will work towards the PR field. At this time, I am currently trying to find volunteer/internship positions that will help me improve on my skills that will become useful in the PR field.
Congratulations on your success and I cant wait to read more of your posts.
February 4th, 2009 » 12:15 am
[...] This week’s episode was produced by Janna Guberman. [...]
February 4th, 2009 » 12:23 pm
Thanks for the great comments Laura and Julie, it’s great to hear the feedback!
I’m really looking forward to sharing my experiences so far (hopefully on Friday or Monday) and continuing the conversation!
February 8th, 2009 » 12:49 pm
Hi Janna!
I am in my last semester of a post-graduate certificate in public relations and like you, I also have an undergraduate degree in psychology. I am currently in the process of applying for an internship and as I seek out the opportunities that are available to me, a number of questions come to mind. The one that I have not had the chance to ask any other PR professional is this: has your psychology background helped you in your role at Thornley Fallis and if so, how? Furthermore, do you think this academic background is advantageous to a PR role in general?
I am also curious to know what you think about the increasing popularity of social media in public relations and whether it is vital that a newcomer have a full understanding of Twitter and other similar websites. My understanding of online communities and blogging is very limited and I fear that this will really hinder my job perspectives. My hesitance to get involved is really just a result of feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. How did you get started? Was it a job requirement or simply a matter of personal interest?
I really enjoy reading your blog and look forward to future posts.
Take care.
February 10th, 2009 » 9:33 pm
Hi Janna,
First off, I want to say that your post was the main reason I began subscribing to PR Girlz. I find social media quite overwhelming, but seeing as you learned how to do it in six months, I feel as if I can follow suit. I look forward to reading about your experiences.
My questions is, how did you find your transition from university, studying psychology and behavioural science, to public relations? I graduated from university last year (also McGill!) and I am a bit nervous about entering the workforce. Most of my university education was so theoretical that I am worried that the transition into such an applied career will be extreme. Have you found this to be the case? Like many others who have already posted, I am currently enrolled in a post-grad public relations program. Even so, I still find it hard to turn off my university brain and turn on my public relations brain.
I look forward to hearing your insight and to reading more of your posts.
Thanks!
Rebecca
February 11th, 2009 » 12:18 am
[...] This week’s episode was produced by Janna Guberman. [...]
February 11th, 2009 » 12:31 pm
Jessica – Thanks for the comment! I definitely think that Psychology and pr/marketing go hand in hand. In this industry it’s important to know how people think and how to interact with them. I did a Psyc major and a marketing minor so I got a bit of both worlds, but, if anything, having a Psyc background can’t hurt!
Rebecca – Thanks, that’s great to hear (especially from a fellow McGill grad!). Social media is definitely a bit overwhelming at first, as is transitioning from school into the work force – but my quick answer to both of those things is – they’re scarier than they seem and it gets easier! And hopefully i can answer you questions in more detail in my next post.
February 12th, 2009 » 8:59 am
Hello Janna,
I too am in the second semester of a post-graduate PR program. Jessica I can totally relate with your experiences of having hesitance towards jumping into the social media world. Being in this program we hear about social media on a daily basis. I am going to be honest – I had no idea what social media was in September.
This program has completely opened my eyes to this new realm; however I still find myself wary about where to even start. I feel so overwhelmed by the whole social media situation. Janna you have inspired me to continue following this blog! It is refreshing to know that I am not alone in my situation with the way I am feeling. Janna by seeing you step out on a limb to contribute to prgirlz has inspired me to get involved and put myself out there in regards to social media.
Thank you for the inspiration!
February 12th, 2009 » 10:58 am
Hi Janna!
First, I think it is very useful to have someone who is new to the PR field shed light on the challenges faced in this industry. I am currently completing the second semester of the PR certificate program at Humber College. Like many of my classmates, I have dabbled with different forms of social media including Twitter, Digg and Delicious. It’s simple to sign up for these accounts, but I have struggled to stay engaged with these tools much beyond the starting point. As someone who is also experimenting with different social media yourself, how do you recommend using these tools effectively? It would be helpful if you could post tips on how to establish an online presence with such a wide variety of options available to us today. It is better to just pick one to focus on or is it smart to participate in many?
I look forward to your insight!
Isabella
November 15th, 2009 » 2:51 pm
Hi There!
I’m currently working full time and really want to enroll in the PR Program at Humber. I have a BA in phsychology from UWO. Graduated a while ago working for various companies but I would really like to get into PR.
My Queestion is,will I still be able to keep my full time job and complete the PR postgrad program at Humber and how long will this take me?
Thanks!! I look forward to hearing back.
November 16th, 2009 » 6:11 pm
Hi Thao,
Thanks for your comment. This is really a question better suited for a representative from the Humber Continuing Education program, but that said, from what I’ve seen, most continuing education programs take about 2 years to complete if you’re only taking part-time courses. It really depends how much time you have, but those programs are geared towards people who work full time already.
Good luck.
-Kerri