How I Got Here

Wow!  I am so thrilled to have received such great feedback on my very first blog post.  Thanks to everyone who commented! I was so nervous to start blogging and all of you have reassured me that it was DEFINITELY the right thing to do.

Before I begin my post I just wanted to wish fellow PR Girl Kerri a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Now on to the post. I’m really excited about sharing my thoughts and experiences, but I wanted to do it properly, so I thought I would do a 3 part “series”  about how I got here, my first impressions of PR and social media, and what I do day to day.

So, here’s How I got here:

As I said in my last post, in my third year of studying psychology and behavioural science, I decided to make the switch into marketing.

That summer I was lucky enough to get an internship in the marketing department of a financial planning and corporate finance company and at the beginning of the school year, I made the switch into marketing.

The internship was good work experience, but I felt like I didn’t get a chance to learn about the industry. It was only after a couple weeks in classes that I really knew I was in the right field. I loved my classes, I loved the work we got to do and I loved that I was actually good at it!

I thought about it, but I didn’t apply to any post-graduate programs. I decided I would jump right into the working world, get some experience and then perhaps, later in my career explore the option of doing a Masters.

Although I applied to both advertising and PR companies, I was always more drawn to Public Relations.

I knew that a lot of people were simply sending out resumes and cover letters, but I wanted to do something more to stand out. I decided to make a website for myself highlighting my experience, background and school accomplishments.  It worked! I was offered an interview at Thornley Fallis. Even though I had no idea what social media was, they liked that I had done something different that showed I was in tune with the idea of supplementing traditional communications with online channels.

So, in my case, I didn’t have any PR experience, nor did I know what social media was.

That said, although all PR agencies are different and some do not focus quite as much on social media, I do think it’s important to have at least some social media knowledge as a PR student. You don’t have to have your own blog or 500 followers on twitter, but having an online presence (that isn’t just facebook), can only be an asset to you.

And the fact that you’re reading this blog means you’re already ahead of the game!

I definitely want to talk more about social media tools and establishing an online presence… and I will in my next post on my first impressions of PR and social media.

And keep the questions coming!