Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Posted by Jennifer Ouellette on August 13th, 2009
(…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?
August 14th, 2009 » 9:39 am
I find it SO interesting how people get into this field. I’ve realized that there are two types of PR people: those who went through post-grad school for it and got in as interns and those who fell into it because they are natural PR people (kind of like you and me).
I was working in TV and people kept telling me I was in the wrong field, only they didn’t ever tell me where they thought I should go. It wasn’t until someone connected the dots for me (ie. I love to talk and meet people which =’s PR) that I was on my way.
I also looked at Seneca and Humber, but being a bit older, I felt like time was ticking. So, I picked up the phone and cold called agencies. And I got in. It was a miracle, but proof that if you’re good at something, someone up above works things out for you.
August 14th, 2009 » 4:26 pm
Hi Sarah, thanks for letting me know a bit about yourself and how you ended up working in PR! I find it interesting as well, and that’s why I wanted to bring up the subject. Hopefully we can generate some discussion with other people about their backgrounds to demonstrate the many ways people get into this field.
And I’m sure it wasn’t a miracle or blind luck that you were snapped up, as there are so many transferable skills and you likely possessed a great background (especially from working in television) that made you an excellent candidate for PR. Don’t sell yourself short!
August 14th, 2009 » 5:56 pm
Excellent post, Jennifer!
Mine is a completely different story! I come from a social psychology background, so I thought I would naturally go into graduate school to further my education in psychology. However, I stumbled upon a part time marketing opportunity (eventually became full time) at my university which I completely fell in love with. It actually intertwined what I was learning in school and the impact it had in what I was doing at my workplace. For example; I was able to understand why certain product strategies are vital to a certain demographic, etc. I was able to write my thesis on brand management and university women
So why interested in PR? Couple of years ago, I started writing about PR events, product reviews, fashion on a couple of blogs as a hobby. Although I didn’t major in English, I found that I enjoyed writing for fun. Like I mentioned before, I was also interested in marketing because of the creativity which is why I’ve started to transition into the field.
Since I don’t have a degree in communications or English, I’m looking to go into post graduate programs related to the field. There are a couple of programs I’m interested in: Communications, Marketing, Brand Management post graduate programs at Seneca and George Brown. I believe they all have co-op opportunities! I’m also currently looking to volunteer at an agency so I can gain experience.
What’s your take on these programs? Would you recommend volunteering/interning at an agency?
August 17th, 2009 » 9:39 am
Thank you Sumaya. I enjoyed reading about your background, but I don’t think our stories are completely different! My position in England was in Marketing, and I did fashion writing as well.
As for my take on the programs, I can’t really say since I didn’t take the Seneca post graduate. When I looked into it, many of the classes taught what I had already done in my undergraduate. I think if you didn’t take Communications and feel that it would benefit you I would consider it. But in the meantime, I would suggest working on a portfolio.
I volunteered, but it was for non-profit and not for an agency. There are a lot of opportunities to volunteer your time and promote local charities, and it would be a great learning experience to add to your resume and portfolio.
Let me know what you end up doing!