If there is one thing I love, it is change. Not the “move to LA with a new name” kind of change, but the type of change that forces you to grow and learn without even questioning it. Big changes in my life have always been the most challenging and the most rewarding experiences. Being the first female on both sides of my family to attend University – change. Moving into a house with 6 completely different people – change. Indulging myself in a career so fast-paced and different that I fear my head might fall off at any moment – big change. Big, beautiful change.
So, why did I choose PR?
So, why did I choose PR?
Let’s go back to my youth. I was the kid that sat with their dad watching the Discovery and History channels. I knew every song on the radio and every music video. I read all our old novels and begged my Mom to buy every copy of J-14 magazine (and not because of the *NSYNC posters inside…well partly). I would sit and listen to how my parents socialized; my Dad could talk to strangers as if they had been best friends since birth. It was all fascinating to me. Because of this, I never liked the idea of “sticking to what you know”. It limits my ability to explore, learn and what I am able to do. Why would I stick to doing math when I could watch documentaries on space and dinosaurs, or attempt to understand Canadian politics? Why be fixed to one field of study when you could embrace diversity and knowledge?
Fast-forward to final year university. It’s January. I’m panicking. I have just spent the last four years of my life striving towards a degree that is setting me up to work in healthcare, a laboratory or research facility. Me? Stuck in a lab for the rest of my life? Oh boy. Cue sleepless nights. This is when I realized having honest friends and good relationships may save you. I asked them, “Guys, I can’t do this. Help. If you had to describe me in a few words…” Nervous as I awaited their scary answers, they threw them at me.
Problem-solver.
Approachable and extremely social.
Leadership and control.
Great. So I should be a dog trainer. Thanks for the help guys. That didn't go as planned.
I started looking at myself critically. If these are the qualities I am recognized for, what would let me use my abilities for the rest of my life? If I love dynamic workloads and being around people, why wouldn't I go for something that fully embraces that? Thus, I found my calling in PR. Hopefully.
For the next 8 months I waited to start CCPR at Centennial College, and spent my time trying to explain to everyone I knew why that $20,000 piece of paper wasn't going to be the main focus of my career. I kept hearing the same questions being repeated. The ones that you swallow hard and let fuel your determination. You know, “why did you come into PR if you have a science degree?”, and, “How is science in any way related to PR?” The constant look of doubt from people because I made a drastic change and am in a Public Relations program is something I’m determined to change, and fast. What they don’t understand is that the degree was and remains a stepping stone. A backbone to my skill development and character. I wouldn't give up the university experience for the world.
This program is flying by. It has been busy, stressful, educational and most importantly, fun. All the issues I worried about regarding my ability to succeed in PR have slowly been diminishing. I am honestly amazed at how much I love every aspect of this program and this industry. What makes this experience great is the range of personalities I am exposed to. It makes someone like me, who loves people, really excited to start working in this field.
Also, now that I am in a career driven by social media, I don’t feel so bad for all that time in University I procrastinated on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. “Mom, I’m not procrastinating, I’m practicing for Media Relations! I’m LEARNING.”
What do I want to get out of the profession and what should the profession get out of me? I want the experience of a lifetime. I want a job that keeps me constantly learning and reflecting. I want a career that makes a significant impact on current structures, and I want to change things. If I could retire and say I made one person’s life easier, I would be satisfied. I want the profession to experience my ideas. In an industry super-saturated with journalism and English students, a mind dictated by the sciences with a passion for art may prove to be a fresh quality in the PR industry. A nice change, if you may.
Time to take the PR world by storm.
Fast-forward to final year university. It’s January. I’m panicking. I have just spent the last four years of my life striving towards a degree that is setting me up to work in healthcare, a laboratory or research facility. Me? Stuck in a lab for the rest of my life? Oh boy. Cue sleepless nights. This is when I realized having honest friends and good relationships may save you. I asked them, “Guys, I can’t do this. Help. If you had to describe me in a few words…” Nervous as I awaited their scary answers, they threw them at me.
Problem-solver.
Approachable and extremely social.
Leadership and control.
Great. So I should be a dog trainer. Thanks for the help guys. That didn't go as planned.
I started looking at myself critically. If these are the qualities I am recognized for, what would let me use my abilities for the rest of my life? If I love dynamic workloads and being around people, why wouldn't I go for something that fully embraces that? Thus, I found my calling in PR. Hopefully.
For the next 8 months I waited to start CCPR at Centennial College, and spent my time trying to explain to everyone I knew why that $20,000 piece of paper wasn't going to be the main focus of my career. I kept hearing the same questions being repeated. The ones that you swallow hard and let fuel your determination. You know, “why did you come into PR if you have a science degree?”, and, “How is science in any way related to PR?” The constant look of doubt from people because I made a drastic change and am in a Public Relations program is something I’m determined to change, and fast. What they don’t understand is that the degree was and remains a stepping stone. A backbone to my skill development and character. I wouldn't give up the university experience for the world.
This program is flying by. It has been busy, stressful, educational and most importantly, fun. All the issues I worried about regarding my ability to succeed in PR have slowly been diminishing. I am honestly amazed at how much I love every aspect of this program and this industry. What makes this experience great is the range of personalities I am exposed to. It makes someone like me, who loves people, really excited to start working in this field.
Also, now that I am in a career driven by social media, I don’t feel so bad for all that time in University I procrastinated on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. “Mom, I’m not procrastinating, I’m practicing for Media Relations! I’m LEARNING.”
What do I want to get out of the profession and what should the profession get out of me? I want the experience of a lifetime. I want a job that keeps me constantly learning and reflecting. I want a career that makes a significant impact on current structures, and I want to change things. If I could retire and say I made one person’s life easier, I would be satisfied. I want the profession to experience my ideas. In an industry super-saturated with journalism and English students, a mind dictated by the sciences with a passion for art may prove to be a fresh quality in the PR industry. A nice change, if you may.
Time to take the PR world by storm.