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: 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!

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?

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!

As Kerri mentioned in her latest post, last week was Third Tuesday Toronto. For those of you who don’t know, Third Tuesday is a free monthly meetup for people interested in new trends in and applications of social media in business. It usually includes a guest speaker who comes and talks about their experiences with social media and communications in their business. At each Third Tuesday I have attended I have certainly learned a lot from each of these speakers.

Beyond the speakers, there is another element to theses meetups — a HUGE opportunity to connect and network with the other attendees. Joscelyn, a former PR Girl, wrote a post about networking 2 years ago, and I think it is about time this topic was brought to the forefront again.

Networking has always been a bit of a scary word for me.  Like Jos, most people who meet me would consider me to be a shy person (but change their mind after they get to know me ). That said, being on the more timid side, I find it a lot easier to stick with the people I know rather than make the effort to meet new people. It’s not that I don’t want to network and meet new people, I do! It’s just that I find it incredibly intimidating; especially in a “work” type setting.

Something that really got me thinking was Alex Milroy’s comment on Jos’s post. She made a couple suggestions, one of which was to approach the person who is standing alone.
My first instinct was to think “I would be too nervous to do that!” But on the same note, it made me realize that I am always hoping someone will approach me!

So, what are your thoughts on networking? I for one, am determined to get out there and start to meet all the interesting people at these events! Any tips for a shy gal such as myself?

I cannot believe it’s been nearly 6 months since I started as an Account Coordinator with Thornley Fallis. But since there hasn’t been any rift in the time/space continuum that I know of, I must accept that it is so. Normally, I wouldn’t even remember such milestones, except here are TFC, we are required to have a 6 month review. There are some forms to complete and I will need to have a chat with my supervisor: the lovely and talented, social media ‘guru’, and British import extrodinaire – Dave Fleet. (Yes, I’m kissing up   The basis of our chat will be about my goals.

Goals, uh…

I have to say, after a fair bit of personal reflection the past few months, I realize that I have very few goals at this time in my life. If I think of goals I used to have, I realize that I’ve actually met quite a few of them: Graduate university, get accepted to a Master’s program, get a job in the communications field, learn more about social media and the list goes on. While this has been extremely rewarding and I’m pleased with my accomplishments, I’m starting to wonder though, what do I do now?

I feel as though I’m at a very interesting point in my career. I need to start thinking about what do I want to accomplish in the long term.  To be honest, I have never really been a person who looked at things long-term, and well, the mindset of a student doesn’t always allow for long term goals. Most of the time it was: Complete assignment next week, pass exams at the end of the term, get a summer job, move back to TO and do it all over again. But now that I haven’t been a student for a few years, I’m thinking it might be time to start taking myself seriously as a young professional. After all, it’s difficult to achieve your goals if you don’t sit down and figure out what it is you want.

But how exactly do I do that?

Suggestions are more than welcome here! I’m pretty sure I’m not the only young professional out there who is feeling some pressure to become more goal-oriented. How do you define your goals? Please feel free to share your thoughts.

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!

While I didn’t take much time off (Christmas Eve Day), the convenient placement of Christmas and Boxing Day preceding the weekend was quite enough. Enough time in fact, to actually sit down and read a book. Sometimes, this takes a while, but in this case, Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers had me picking it up every chance I got. I’d recommend it to anyone and even talked about it so much my mom asked if she could read it (Mom doesn’t normally have time for reading and usually prefers to watch Oprah if she has spare time).

Anyway, in Outliers, Gladwell discusses all of the factors he feels contributes to a person’s success in life. I’ll let you read the book to find out all of the factors, but the gist is that all of the factors combined, often equal success – although not always.

So with the New Year approaching, I started thinking about the factors that have led to my success (let’s not forget that success is relative to each individual – I’m merely looking at my accomplishments compared to my goals). As I really started thinking about how I got where I am, it occurred to me that it is a result of one long and twisty web of circumstances. In short, one opportunity led to another. Or, in some cases, I wanted something and I created my own opportunities.

In my time since graduating high school alone, I have been involved in student politics and leadership development, worked as an Employment Counsellor/Workshop facilitator, freelance writer and a Marketing Coordinator. Now I’m a PR Account Coordinator. It’s quite the mish-mash of experiences, but I have to say each and every one helped me get where I am today. That, and a little bit of interest in social media which came completely out of the blue.

So, after reading Outliers, and considering my own path, I’ve come to the conclusion that success is a combination of personal drive, opportunity and coincidence.

Am I wrong?

What’s your success story?