It’s been a little over one month since my first day working at TFC, and so I thought it would be a great chance to reflect on my impression of agency life so far.

I was pleasantly surprised (and a bit overwhelmed) at how fast I was thrown into working on projects. My first day felt like; here is your office, here is the kitchen, here are your supplies and this is how we track time (that’s another matter in itself). And then, I basically got straight to work! This past month I have had the opportunity to do a number of different tasks;

• Writing pitches
• Doing research into locations for upcoming venues
• Working on media lists
• Media monitoring

Since I work on consumer, health and food clients there has been a fairly good variety and I’m really enjoying it.

I don’t think I would be able to manage all of the different tasks and files on my desk if I wasn’t an organized and structured person who loves a bit of chaos thrown into her life. I stay organized by keeping a spreadsheet where I list tasks that need to be done, and the deadline I need to have it completed by. This way I can start my morning by planning my day based on what deadlines are quickly creeping up on me. (And trust me, they can creep up quickly!)

In all, I’m very happy with my experience so far. I think the best part is that I feel like I’m a part of a great team, and am really looking forward to continuing to learn and grow in my role here.

Any advice on what I should look out for in the coming months?

(…Or in my case, just reading and writing.)

I thought that I would make my first official post about education, since I have just finished my degree at York University.  Just remember, this is only my experience and there are lots of different ways to get where you want in PR.

My degree was in Communications Studies, and I took English as a minor. I think that writing, close reading and research skills are very important to a job in PR and that taking English classes was a great way to practice and develop these abilities. (Especially when you are writing a few 15-25 page research papers in your final year.)

But before that I took a year off from school to work abroad, which was great experience and a chance to meet people while working in another country (England). I did a number of general office tasks, but also worked specifically on proposals for new business as a part of a marketing team. This is where my research, writing and computer formatting skills came into play.

Near the end of my degree I volunteered with Walk Now for Autism, and it was another great experience. Some of the responsibilities I had were helping with donation mail out letters, and assisting with fundraising events. I had never realized before how much attention to detail and organization went into planning one event! Organization was very important to keep track of large lists of contacts and people who had previously donated. Then there was around this time a brief stint as a freelance fashion writer, where I did store reviews and spotlights. My passion for writing was a great asset, and I was able to add to my portfolio this way at my own pace.

During my first actual PR job, I worked to promote baseball clinics on behalf of Kelly Gruber. The clinics were being held in St. John’s Newfoundland, but I was working out of Toronto. So the time difference and making contacts over there was a challenge, but I learnt a lot and had a great mentor throughout the entire process. I think with any learning experience, having great people to support and teach you are invaluable.

When I graduated I looked into the course offered by Seneca and considered it, but for me personally I felt fairly prepared by my course work and experience to date to try working firsthand in an agency. Of course, internships and specialized courses are a great way to gain experience and I think they are worth exploring. And that’s about sums up how I came to work with Thornley Fallis!

So, what are your plans for a future in PR?

Or, if you currently work in PR, how did you get into the field?

Hello from the newest PR Girl at Thornley Fallis! I’m excited to be a part of the team here at the Toronto office, and even though from what I’ve seen most introductory posts were made after a few months, I’m being tossed to the wolves on my third week.

I’m no stranger to writing, and have been blogging on and off for well over five years now. It began innocently enough with a Livejournal, and then evolved onto Myspace. Today I contribute sporadic entries on my Facebook page as well as write on my most recent Blogger account “PR Musings” (which due to my hectic post-graduation schedule is sadly lacking in the musings department).

However, I’m excited that I’m being invited by the team to contribute to PR Girlz as an Account Coordinator and recent graduate.  It was from the gentle nudge given to me by our CEO Joe Thornley combined with resident PR Girl Kerri Birtch and the other ladies here at TFC that I am going to (hopefully) become a weekly contributor. For now I plan to give honest feedback and advice to students and recent graduates.

But first, a bit about me…

I’m originally from Sudbury, Ontario (yes, we have a rather large nickel statue) where I attended Laurentian University for two years until I decided (for a number of reasons) to transfer to York University in Toronto. I love English and writing, so I supplemented my Communications degree with a minor in English. Before I graduated, I jumped at an opportunity to work abroad in England for a year, and was an office temp (very unglamorous) until I landed a job in the “Strategic Marketing” department of Fair Isaac (FICO). Then, after a few pints and tearful goodbyes at the year’s end, I came back to Toronto to finish my degree.

I wanted to grow my portfolio, so I began to look for opportunities. I networked, made contacts and worked briefly as a freelance fashion writer, volunteered for Walk Now for Autism and was the only PR person to promote Kelly Gruber’s 2009 baseball clinics (where I learnt a great deal via “trial by fire”).

I love to write (especially when people are so inclined to read it), and so I hope to give you food for thought through my entries on PR Girlz. Even if during some hectic weeks, it turns out to only be an appetizer.

If there is anything you would like to ask me about, feel free to write it in the comments section and it may just turn into a post!