To quote Charles Darwin; “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” So, the time has come for me to say with mixed feelings that I am leaving my position with Thornley Fallis.

I have learnt so much in the year I have been a part of this office and organization, about my career but also about myself. I want to keep this short and sweet, so here are just a few of the lessons I’ll take away.

• Be honest, with others and with yourself. Even when it’s hard to stand up and take accountability, it goes far in this world and will be recognized by the people who count.
• Never be afraid to admit when you are wrong or that you need help. None of us has the answer to everything, and being part of a team means sharing and exchanging strengths.
• Laugh. Life is about making connections and enjoying yourself. Take the time to get to know your coworkers, and share a smile once in a while. Even if it means someone completely covers your office with candies when you are away as a joke.

You can follow my exploits at www.BoardroomBlogette.ca, or JennOuellette on Twitter.

I suppose there is nothing left to say, so, play me out Shirley!

Jennifer

Note: Things have been really hectic, and PR Girlz has been a bit neglected. (Okay, a lot neglected!) We have some great new additions to the team who will be contributing to the blog soon, but until then I thought I would cross-post an entry from my blog – boardroomblogette.ca. It’s a lot more of a “Casual Friday” post.

I wrote the post pulling together lessons learnt from many PR Girls alumni including Jennifer Nebesky, Kerri Birtch, Marissa Lukaitis, Sarah Laister and Karen Nussbaum as well as ladies I am still learning from – Jennifer Gordon and many others.
—

When I first started in PR, I knew this was not your average 9-5 job (do those even exist anymore?). And as all ambitious career girls do, I want it all.

We can try to find that ideal work-life balance but eventually need to accept that it just won’t be perfect. Sometimes, I have to change plans with friends or cancel going out of town because there is a big project that just came up or work has piled up (again). That’s just life. But what has helped is the advice of some incredible mentors and PR women who have given me tips on how they balance it all. This post is for them.

Stationary

A few months into my career I really started missing my friends and family and was feeling a bit disconnected from them. Facebook and email just aren’t the same and can lack a certain personal feel. A colleague told me that it helps to pick up the phone once in a while or send a card when you can’t manage face time. It lets people know they are never far from your mind. I went over to The Paper Place on Queen and stocked up on cards – I now have a stack of pre-stamped envelopes on standby. Everyone loves getting mail when it’s not bills, and it’s a trend I’m loving.

Get organized

One of the best things I bought recently is the “Wonder Hanger”. Yes, that thing from the TV infomercials – don’t laugh! They collapse and drastically reduce closet space, but what I then did is hang complete outfits together – accessories and all. It makes running late in the morning or changing after work that much easier. Especially if you are like me and have a packed closet yet amazingly – “nothing to wear!”

Don’t skip meals

It’s so easy to miss lunch or breakfast, and not to sound like my mother but it’s really not good for you. I now keep a granola bar or meal replacement at all times in my purse and desk – you never know when you’ll need it. I’m also a new convert to Kashi bars. Apparently, they’re healthy and stuff!

Take time for yourself

Life will always be hectic; we all end up fitting in as much as we can to our days and weeks to try to get the most out of it. But for the sake of sanity, find a few things you absolutely love doing and take some “personal time” once in a while. For me, this involves a glass of red wine and a bath with LUSH goodies – my weekly indulgence. Taking time out to catch up with friends over drinks and dinner  is also a great for easing any stressful, hair pulling days you may have.

What are some of your tips?

(Note: This post has been edited and cross-posted from my personal blog.)

It’s been three month’s since I dove head first into PR agency life, and I have to say it turns out I’m a pretty good swimmer! There is some good, some bad, but nothing sums it up better than slightly misquoting one of my favorite films; “Thornley Fallis, I think that this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

One of the things I have had to get used to is learning to negotiate a new work/life balance. I rarely leave at 5:00pm, and when I do I usually take home work with me or access it remotely. I’ve become a bit of a hermit, and have had more than one phone call/email/tweet from friends asking where I am and if I am still alive. But on the flip side, I have really started to appreciate that time I do spend with people I care about, something as simple as going to see a movie becomes so much more enjoyable than before when I had a lot more free time and took it for granted.

I think that as long as you are doing something you love and that interests you everything else will fall into place. I get invited out to some pretty nifty Toronto events such as Thirsty Thursdays and Third Tuesday, and have been able to coordinate some really great media interviews and press coverage for some of our clients to date. It’s a great feeling, and I can’t wait to see where I am in another three months, let alone after a few years of their mentoring combined with trial by fire opportunities for me to prove myself!

To all you account coordinators out there, I hope you’re having as great a time as I am!
(And remember, when a good book and a bubble bath fails to calm you after a long stressful day a glass of dry red wine might just do the trick…)

It’s what you learn after you know it all, that counts.
– John Wooden, Hall of Fame Basketball coach.

Time flies when you’re having fun! It’s been a whole year since my first day with Thornley Fallis, and what a year it’s been: Fantastic clients, great colleagues, a world of new connections and one heck of a learning curve. So, instead of offering a boring recap of my year, I’d like to offer up a few key-learning points I’ve picked up during my last 12 months as an Account Coordinator at TF:

1)     Whatever you think you know, you’re wrong. Okay, maybe not completely, but in some cases, we may think we know a lot – but don’t have the experience to back it up yet. When I began at TF, I thought I knew quite a bit. I thought it would be an easy transition. But it was harder than I thought, and as soon as I realized how much I didn’t know, that’s when I really started learn.

2) Always be open to constructive feedback. Sometimes it’s tough just starting a career. Like I said, you might think you know quite a bit already. It’s easy to get anxious about receiving what you perceive to be negative feedback. The key thing to remember is that more often than not, it actually isn’t negative – it’s meant to be constructive. Always try to look for the learning opportunities in the feedback you’re given.

3) Ask questions. The only way you’re going to really gain knowledge and experience is by asking how to do things better. If you think something is good and ask a senior colleague to look at it only to receive it bleeding all over the page, ask for an explanation why so that you can do better next time.

4) Don’t be afraid. Okay, I think this is a really difficult one for all young professionals and I know personally I’ve struggled with it too, but it’s a key learning opportunity. In public relations and especially in social media, there are times when decisions need to be made, responses need to be drafted and approvals given in a very short time frame. Look at it as an opportunity to offer your opinions, show your talent, and try your best. Right or wrong, your efforts will be noticed and you’ll learn from it one way or the other.

5) Hard work does not go unnoticed. In the agency world, we put in long hours sometimes. We juggle various clients from all different industries with varying levels of involvement. Commitment to your clients and to your colleagues is incredibly important. By instilling a sense of pride in the work that you produce and the time you put into it, others will notice and show their appreciation as well.

So there you have it, my top 5 learning points after one whole year with Thornley Fallis. Now, please don’t assume I’m saying that I’ve mastered all of these points. I’m not totally there yet, but I think recognizing the need to learn them is a step in the right direction. I whole-heartedly admit that I still have a lot to learn – and I’m looking forward to it!

In a slight shift from my posts where I have been talking about starting my career in PR, I wanted in light of recent events to talk a bit about Public Relations as an industry. Specifically, headlines such as Sunday’s Toronto Star; “Spinning in the First Week of Michael Bryant’s New Life” and today’s Globe and Mail article; “Michael Bryant’s political strategy: PR 2.0”.

Both articles discuss PR in relation to Michael Bryant’s case, and from my reading of it and as someone working in PR I was a bit put off.  To pull a few quotes from the Star article; “It helps to have friends in PR”, “Look, the headline of this story should be: ‘Navigator, changing your perceptions without you even knowing it” and “He refers, of course, to Navigator Limited, the smooth public relations firm hired by Bryant (when exactly is unclear) to massage the message”. The article then continues to a full page analysis of the inner working of the messaging surrounding this tragic incident. The Globe article takes a look at Navigator’s use of social media (Twitter, Blog and Facebook) in relation to their client.

Personally, I resent the fact that PR is often tied to “spin”, deception and manipulation. I do not feel that reflects the work that I do, or the many other professionals who are passionate about communication and social media. However I did find it very interesting that the article pulls into the spotlight a PR firm, whereas usually the agency stays in the background.

I want to make it very clear that I am not choosing sides and making statements about Michael Bryant’s guilt or innocence.  I feel this is a very tragic situation for both sides. Lives have been changed forever. But facing these serious charges and the media onslaught, I can sympathize with Michael Bryant for enlisting the services of Navigator just as I respect the work they are doing on behalf of someone who will be forever affected by this moment in time. PR does not change “the facts”.  A strong team of media savvy professionals helping in the face of any crisis can provide advice, support and direction.

What do you think of the role PR plays in image management issues when a crime or tragedy has occurred?

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?

On behalf of our General Manager, Jennifer Nebesky:

To all our fellow colleagues in Toronto Health PR we are looking for you! TFC is busy working on and developing interesting projects for our health clients every day and are looking for another senior person to join the team and help work and develop new business.  The TFC health care team stands out in the crowded market – we are creative and continue to demonstrate our expertise to our long standing clients. We deliver targeted, creative, thought-provoking and comprehensive communications programs and counsel to our clients. From product launch to stakeholder relations and effective long-term post-launch public relations we work with our clients to develop unique plans that meet their communications and business goals and to top it off – we have lots of fun! We truly do enjoy working together and we believe we have some of the best clients an agency person could ask for!! If you are interested in joining a smart, fun, strategic team please email me at nebesky@thornleyfallis.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

A Day In the Life…

Okay, so I know the title of this post is “A day in the life”… but honestly each day here can be so different. In PR you have to expect the unexpected. Working on the agency side, you have to do some serious juggling because different clients want different things…usually all at the same time!
But wait, there’s good news! Because before you know it you can go from an inexperienced graduate… to balancing the demands of the job…to showing someone else the ropes!

And with that as a lead-in, here is a quick rundown of some of the things I have done in my first 8 months as a PR Account Coordinator.

Media Monitoring: Something that is a constant in my day. I use things like FPInfomart, Cision and Google News to see if there were mentions of our clients, and sometimes their competitors, in the media.

Media Lists: Another staple in my Account Coordinator life. Oh media lists! Having a running list of targeted journalists, editors and reporters is a necessity for pitching.  That said, creating a media list is not the most exciting of tasks, and sometimes they can take a while, but they are definitely important.

Podcast Production: Once a week, I get to do my own little project. I produce a podcast and vidcast for one of our clients.  I take an audio or video file, add in music to the right places, edit it, cut out the mistakes, adjust the audio levels and just make it sound great.  I then upload it online and enter in all the important information and finally, publish it. I really look forward to this because I get to pop on my headphones and create something, all on my own, from start to finish.

Pitching: Pitching, for those who don’t know, is basically calling up a news publication and (gently) persuading them to run a story on one of our clients. This is something I have mentioned in previous entries and it is something that I have just started to get comfortable with.  I don’t do it very often, but when I do, even though it can be nerve-wracking, it can also be very rewarding. It’s a great feeling knowing you were the one who got a client in the paper.

Brainstorming Sessions:  I really like these sessions because 1) You get to see how creative and intelligent the people you work with are and 2) You get to contribute ideas of your own to new projects.  As an account coordinator, a lot of time is spent working at a computer, so this is a time when you really get to let loose, bond with coworkers and express your opinions….even if you’re the smallest one on the company totem pole!

There are, of course, other things I have gotten to do, like participate in a video shoot and help out with a contest, but generally, the things I mentioned above are what my days usually consist of.

As a student and job-seeker my main goal was to find out what a typical day looked like working at an agency. But the answers I always got were “PR is not a 9-5 job” and “There is no typical day in PR”.
I could not agree more.
I think a lot of people see PR as something that is exciting and non-stop 24/7. It’s not, but really, what is?  In the end though, it’s the less exciting periods that help you realize how lucky you are when you do finally get to do the exciting stuff that’s worth writing home (or…just blogging) about. When you win a new client, get a story in the paper, when your event comes to fruition or when that small contribution you made to a project you thought didn’t matter at all gained you so much appreciation from your coworkers, that’s when you know it’s worth it.

My First Impressions of PR and Social Media

Many of you have asked me some really great questions on Public Relations and social media from the perspective of a new PR practitioner. I will try and answer them now as best I can and give some insight into my first impressions of the PR world.

The transition from school to the workforce

I totally understand the fear of leaving school and entering the PR workforce. I was especially nervous making this transition because my background wasn’t even in PR and I had not had any experience with social media. The biggest thing I found was that there is truly nothing more valuable than actual hands-on experience. Even though you may have a degree, that doesn’t mean that you have learned everything there is to know about working in PR, or any field for that matter. I also found that people are always willing to help, which makes the transition a lot easier. And it doesn’t hurt that I work with some of the most creative and intelligent people in the industry! Yes, being a psychology student and then transitioning to working as an Account Coordinator at a PR firm was a little tricky. But I wouldn’t worry too much about the transition because I think you’ll find that if you have the right attitude and are willing to dive in head-first and learn everything there is to know, the transition will be a much easier one.

What I’ve found the toughest so far and how I’ve overcome it

Throughout the learning process that was starting this job, I have found a couple things to be a bit challenging. But I think the biggest thing that I struggled with and still struggle with is media pitching. This was something I didn’t start until recently because it honestly made me a little nervous! Even after my first couple attempts I still felt pretty lost. Right now I am actually in the process of resolving this issue. I decided to talk to someone about it. I asked if maybe I could sit in with someone and watch them pitch or perhaps have a colleague set up a work shop on the subject. There are a lot of things you might find difficult in your first PR job and the point is to ALWAYS ask questions and think of ways to make things easier on yourself. I’m sure that by having a workshop on pitching and seeing how another person does it, I will improve my skills and I’ll feel a lot more comfortable.

My thoughts on all this social media stuff

Social media was something that I never thought I would be interested in. However, a couple weeks into my job when I found myself passionately discussing it while out for dinner one night, I realized I might be slightly fascinated by it. It may seem overwhelming because there are so many ways to engage in the social media world… maybe too many! For some people, they are able to participate in many forms of social media easily and effectively. For me, I have chosen a couple tools to focus on. Social media started out as something I participated in as a job requirement but then quickly grew into a major part of my daily life. Reading and commenting on blogs and podcasts that you find interesting is a great way to start interacting with others in the PR and social media worlds (if you’d like some suggestions let me know).  Also, you don’t have to have your own blog, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts are a good step in creating your online presence, not to mention they are easy to create and maintain. In terms of staying engaged with twitter, I post things about my daily life, PR specific stuff or simply things I find interesting. The point of social media is to share and discuss, so find the tools you like best and contribute as much as you can to them.  And if you really feel like you don’t know anything about social media, I suggest going over to Common Craft and watching their videos .They discuss everything from Wiki’s to RSS to Twitter, all “in plain English”.

So those are my first impressions of PR and social media. I’d love to hear your thoughts! And for any other newcomers to PR and social media, what have your first impressions been?

Well, I thought since so many PR students are popping up and asking questions, it might be a good time to offer a little advice about getting noticed by employers. Janna mentioned her experience in her last post and I recently engaged in a similar conversation over on Martin Waxman’s blog.

While I will not claim to be an expert by any means, I did work as a student employment counselor for a few years, so I think I can likely offer some sound advice – mostly generic, but I think it’s easily applicable to looking for a job in public relations. If you’re looking for more information about job searching in the PR industry, my personal favorite blog resource is Lindsay Olson.

1)    Do your research. This is two fold –

• Know who to address your application to. Do not address it Dear Sir/Madame, or To Whom It May Concern. I was always told – it concerns no one. Make the phone call and find out who it needs to be sent to. WORST case scenario: For a large corporation with a big, fancy HR department, try Dear Hiring Manager.

• Research the company in depth – the more you know the better. It can be beneficial to be able to name some clients they work with, the number of employees in the company, or how long they’ve been operating. You never know when you might be able to drop an interesting comment into an interview question response.

2)    Be just a little bit different. Make yourself stand out -  having been on the job seeker and the hiring side, I think it’s important to show your creativity and professionalism. Create your own personal logo for your cover letters, make your own business cards and make sure you’re noticeable online. Google yourself – employers will too.

3)    Have an online presence. I’m not suggesting you run out and start a blog if you’re not interested in that kind of thing. But consider setting up a LinkedIn profile, start a Twitter account (follow me @kerribirtch) and either clean up or update the settings on your Facebook page. Oh, and jobseeker101 tip – create an email address that is just your name – Qtpie03@hotmail.com might have been ‘cute’ in high school, but remember that you’re a professional now.

4)    Make connections. This is probably the biggest, most important thing of all. There is statistic out there that says 85% of all jobs are not advertised. This means you need to be visible and be vocal. Get to know people in the industry you want to be in – attend networking and professional development events and actually talk to people. Don’t be shy, but have something to say. Here are a few suggestions from Workopolis.com on networking. If you’re looking at an agency that is into social media, read blogs AND comment, follow them on Twitter. If they keep seeing you and hearing from you (in a non-harassing way of course) they’ll remember you when they see your resume.

So that’s my two cents – what do you think? Any more suggestions – I’m sure there are lots out there!