"Hi, I'm the new intern"

Remember me?

I'm ashamed the last time I posted on my blog was in March. Now that I'm working 70 hours a week at two different jobs there isn't much spare time for blogging.

As many of you already know, I've been spending my weeks as an intern at a PR agency called MSLGROUP. Let me tell you, it has only been just over three weeks and I have already learned so much. There really isn't anything quite like jumping into something feet first.

My first day as an intern shoes.

A few days ago, us CCPR interns were asked to go back to the school to give a presentation on our internship experience thus far. I was surprised to see a ton of new faces in the classroom and quickly realized we were presenting in front of the new crop of CCPR students, not just our classmates. I had already decided I was going to improvise my presentation (I present 100 times better without pre-planned notes), and was aware of a few key points I wanted to make. I thought about what would be helpful for these people who were where I was a few months ago, when I was stressed and terrified about choosing and internship.

I gave the audience a few words of advice.

1. Don't focus on the $$$. Internships have been in the news a lot lately about whether or not it should be legal to have unpaid interns. We will see how this unfolds, but for now, it is legal and very popular. Especially in the PR, fashion and entertainment industries. Most internships are 8 - 16 weeks (maybe longer), but regardless, whether its an honorarium, minimum wage or completely unpaid, that sum of money will not make or break you in the long run. If you have to work on weekends, do it, that's what I'm doing, serving Saturdays and Sundays. It is worth a lot more than $10.25 an hour to get amazing experience, network and work somewhere you're passionate about. So choose your internship carefully, but please don't base this around the small amount of money you may be paid.

2. It's scary. Do it anyway. When I was hired at my agency, I had no clue what accounts I would be working on. As my start date got closer I was given an idea. I was going to be a Corporate/Digital intern, areas which I didn't have a lot of experience. My already bad nerves got worse, worried I wouldn't have enough knowledge in the areas to succeed. However, after being there a few weeks, I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to gain experience in areas I wasn't comfortable in and become a more well-rounded PR professional (okay so I wouldn't call myself a PR professional yet... but soon.) If someone throws something at you that makes you want to pee yourself and crawl into a corner, go for it, you will probably really amaze yourself.

3. Always be prepared. A big question we had during our internship processes were about portfolios. Do I need one? What if I have nothing to put in it? What do I put in it? Should I bring it to my interviews? My portfolio isn't lengthy or full of amazing work I've done in the field, but you bet I still made one and gathered whatever writing samples and accomplishments I could find to fill it with. Many people weren't asked for portfolios and they stayed tucked away in their bags. However, I was asked, and I was happy to show it off during my interview. I would much rather be over prepared then appear unprepared or uninterested in the position. If you question whether or not you should bring something, bring it anyway. Who cares if your purse is a little heavier because of it?

- JS (the intern)

Interviewing & not becoming a robot...

With two interviews down and a few more to go, I thought it was ample time to write a blog post on interviews. My CCPR classmates and I are going on tons of interviews trying to score a great internship.


The night before my first interview I spent hours trying to prep myself for any question they might throw my way. I practiced my answers for questions like "How do you deal with conflict?" and "Tell me about a time you took initiative." After talking to myself for a few hours, I started to get really frustrated with my answers. I sounded like a robot, regurgitating planned answers based on what I thought they would want to hear.

My answers were contrived and forced. As I focused intently on how I could answer the question to best show my skills, I was losing my personality. Of course it is important to answer questions in the best way possible, but I also think it is really important to let your personality shine through. I'm sure interviewers get sick of hearing typical answers, memorized in the hopes of attaining the job.

I think if you give someone a taste of who you really are, this will capture them more than any answer searched on google. If they don't appreciate it, chances are it wasn't the right job for you anyway.

I'm not saying tell your interviewer about the party you went to on the weekend, or the new shoes you just bought. Keep it professional, just don't focus so much on the words you're saying that you forget who you are and the traits which make you a great candidate for the job.

Let's give interviewers a little more than robot clones.

- JS

Phony Party: My One True Love

I have been seriously slacking when it comes to my blog. Between my event, school and work I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I thought I should probably let you know how the event went, especially for those who weren't in Toronto and couldn't make it.

Let's start from the beginning.

One of my Phony Party teammates! 

We spent the entire day at our venue, LoftRaum, getting ready for the event. We fill swag bags, set up prizes, organized the layout of the room and ran around picking up everything from ice to henna for tattoos.

We were preparing until the second before people started arriving. Dressed in our "Phony Party" t-shirts, we were ready to host the event we had put our blood, sweat and tears into.

We stuck with a blue theme for our decor, since blue is Kids Help Phone's colour. Our signature cocktails were blue, as well as the lighting all around the event space.

LoftRaum is a "raw event space" so we literally built the event from the ground up. We rented tables, glassware and created the bar. Even though this was a challenge, it makes me that much more proud of what we pulled together.

We filled the space with a tarot card reader, henna tattoo artist, caricaturist and a "Phony" photo booth with lots of props. Guests also bid on tons of silent auction items and tried their luck in our raffle.

When we were first told we had to plan a charity event with NO budget, my stomach dropped. How were we going to pull off an amazing event with zero dollars?!

The Phony Party team with our event management teacher and program co-ordinator!

We were so lucky to get some amazing sponsors like Iceberg Vodka, Wellington Brewery, Quiksilver, Goodlife and many more. Their generosity means the world to us.

The event exceeded my expectations and we were the ones who planned it! Standing in the room filled with our family, friends and classmates who were there to support us was surreal. Even with all the stress and pressure, I would do it ten times over.

- JS

Life lessons from my mother #1

Remember when you were growing up and you'd roll your eyes every time your parents would start lecturing you or giving you advice? As much as my bratty teenage self thought I didn't have time to listen to what my mom had to say, as I go through life I realize more and more how right she was.

As some of you have probably seen all over my Facebook, I am working my butt off to plan a charity event with some of my classmates as one of our assignments. I don't know if it should be called an assignment, it is worth 60% of our grade. More like a major project.

When we were first told we had to throw a charity event with ... wait for it... ZERO dollars. I panicked. However, the choice is to sink or swim, I decided, along with my group, to swim for my life and turn this into something great.

Sneak peek at our event space,
thanks to the amazing Craig at LoftRaum.

Ever since we started the planning process, I have spent countless hours calling and emailing everyone I can think of to ask for sponsorship. I have to sell our party like it is a great investment for them and they should want to get onboard as a great business move.

The problem with me is I might commit too much. I now think about this event pretty much from the time I wake up till the time I go to sleep. If you know me, you know I don't even think about my relationships nearly that much. It isn't even the grade that pushes me, it is the fact that our school's name, as well as our charity's name, will be associated with this event and I want to do them both proud.

Back to my mother. The way I treat this event, reminds me of something that was always drilled into my head growing up.

"If you are going to do something, you do it properly. If you're not going to do it properly, don't do it at all." 

These words capture how I live my life and I think it's important to remind yourself of this on a daily basis. If you are going to half-ass something, save yourself the time and trouble and just don't do it at all. If you are going to do it, do it the best you can.

Our event, which we are holding on Nov. 18, for anyone in the Toronto area (sorry I had to!) will be amazing if it's the last thing I do. Even if I have to get down on my hands and knees and beg people to sponsor us and believe in our cause.

If you would like to come support me and Kids Help Phone, you can buy tickets at https://phonyparty.eventbrite.ca/.

- JS

I see your 'True Colours' shining through...

Ever meet someone and wonder "why do they act like that?" or "why can't they just be more like this?". Whether it's my parents, colleagues, or EX- boyfriends (especially this one) it is hard for me to fully understand people who behave differently than me. I think we get so stuck in our own ways that it is hard to understand other peoples' way of doing things.

After a short two hours with Doug from iLearn2, and the "True Colours" workshop, I could place those people in my life in one of four different colour groups. By understanding a person's colour, you can understand what makes them tick.

True Colours is a personality test which groups you into one of four colour groups. After you finish the test you are given a ranking of your colours from the most prominent to least prominent. We are all a combination of the four colours, they just appear in unique levels in each person.

I wasn't surprised when my test revealed I was orange. Oranges are driven by the need to show skill and are master negotiators. They also love attention... no, me?! I knew I belonged in orange, but there was one group I really envied, the golds. The golds were sparse in our class, however there is a lot I could learn from them. Golds are known to be very organized... definitely not one of my strong suits. I try to accomplish so much that organization takes a backseat, I  feel my time is better spent actually getting things done than planning how to do them. However, I think my sanity would benefit greatly if I could take a few lessons from golds.

My other oranges... I made them pose like the Real Housewives of Orange County.

Doug from iLearn2 did an excellent job of making the content engaging and easy to understand. The workshop was given to us at 8:30am and when we all arrived half asleep. Doug managed to wake us all up and keep us entertained with his outgoing personality and anecdotes.

It surprised me that the workshop really stuck with me. I've done other similar tests but they tend to seem useless and don't fully explain the complexities of personality. However, by giving you a ranking of colours instead of confining you into one single bin, it allows you to understand yourself and others in a more complete way. Many workshops leave you thinking for the day but by the next day you've completely forgotten what it was about. Our CCPR class still refers to the workshop and people's colours... two weeks later.

After the workshop I can see how peoples' colours affect how they work and live. Groups in class which are dominated by a certain colour, green for example, will act very differently than a group dominated by orange. In groups, I feel it is essential to have a variety of colours, each colour brings its own unique contributions to the table. As an orange with a low gold & green, I always want a gold and green in any of my professional or academic groups. Greens ensure they do things in the most efficient way possible and have the research to back up any of their decisions. Not bad as a team member right?

However, it won't always be possible to have a variety of colours in groups or teams. If you end up with a group with mainly one colour, the project and its tasks need to be tailored towards that colour's strengths. It also may be necessary to bring in outside help of other colours for small tasks. This makes having a network of many colours very important.

If our True Colours workshop was a movie, it would be a comedy. Not just a silly comedy that can make you laugh but nothing else, one that still makes you think. Not only did Doug make us laugh so hard we couldn't breathe (seriously), he taught us very useful ways of relating to others, something which isn't always the easiest. This movie would get two thumbs up in my books.

If you ever have the opportunity to take the "True Colours" workshop, embrace it completely. I know this totally sounds like a promotion but it's NOT. I was truly so impressed with the concept and presentation.

Your favourite ORANGE,

JS

All "True Colours" information taken from iLearn2 - http://www.ilearn2.com/

I've been "networking" since I came out of the womb...A few tips & tricks!

I have a million friends who can't stand networking. Not only my friends but also my entire family. I'm not sure how I ended up the way I am with a mother who tells me she rather jump off a bridge than do the majority of things I do... PR, serving, events, etc.

Networking has become second nature to me and I do it without even realizing. I think this is partly because since a very young age my mom (who was working as well as doing her PhD) put me into summer camps for almost every week of every summer. I didn't know any of these other kids but nobody wants to be the loner at summer camp, so I quickly learned to play nice and make friends, lots of them.

You do not need to be at a fancy event to network, you can do it all day everyday. At the coffee shop, grocery store, on the subway. Making connections will never hurt you, only help you.

Networking is a full time job for CCPR students like us!

I realize situations like that are most peoples' worse nightmare, and I don't blame you. Being thrown into a new situation is nerve-wracking for everyone. I'm sure as a little kid my stomach tossed and turned walking into a day camp full of strange kids. However, I have come to learn a few tips and tricks which I think everyone can use when going into these situations, whether it's a party, new school or new job.

1. Always smile. Even if you feel uncomfortable as hell, put a smile on your face. Smiling makes you approachable and there are probably lots of other people in the room feeling the same way you do. Seeing someone smile will let them know you're open to chatting and building a relationship.

2. Look presentable. I don't think ugh needs to be said about this point. Please don't wear sweatpants and a hoodie if you are trying to impress people.

3. Connect with people. Connecting can be done through finding similar interests or mutual friends. The more you listen to what people are saying, the more likely you will find something you can relate to. Through relating to them you not only begin to form a relationship with them but they also have something to remember you by... "Oh yes, you're the girl who loves that japanese restaurant by my house".

4. Act interested. If you are busy scanning the room while someone is having a conversation with you, you appear completely disengaged and uninterested in what they are saying. Nothing is more of a turn off than talking to someone who seems like they could care less about what you have to say. If you need to excuse yourself do so, but do not scan the room like you're looking for someone else better to talk to.

5. Follow up. After you meet people, don't be afraid to send them an email, text or even tweet saying how nice it was to meet them. People love to feel important, don't ever forget that.

Hopefully this will make some people less nervous when they're put in networking situations. I think I'm going to email this blog post over to my mother....

- JS

Why PR... and what is it?

People always ask what I'm taking in school. When I tell them public relations, a puzzled look comes over their faces. People have said "I'm not sure what that is..." or "what exactly does that entail?" As cheesy as this sounds, I can't help but smile while I explain it. 

In simple terms, PR is all about being the middleman, or in this case, middle(wo)man. You are the person relating your client to the public and vice versa. You are the person not only your client, but the public, turns to for honest and accurate information. People don't always have the most positive perceptions when it comes to PR, but I think they have a (typically) undeserved bad reputation. I fully accept the challenge to attempt to alter people's opinions about PR once I have a spot in the industry. 

I first heard about PR sitting in my first year journalism class, and my professor referred to it as the "dark side." When she went on to explain what PR was exactly, I thought that seemed much more appealing than journalism (oops... sorry to any journalists out there). That moment is stuck in my mind, I had a good feeling about this "dark side". 

Communications degree in hand,

I was ready for the next step.

Two years later, I dropped my journalism major to focus solely on communications. I took every class related to PR and had a feeling that it was something I would love to do and could do well. 

I love communicating: in my personal life, in school, at work, really wherever I am. My roommate once asked me if I ever stopped talking... the answer is no. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories. As a server, I'm constantly in contact with so many different types of people, it keeps things exciting. PR has the same kind of environment.

I'm also a social media junkie. Social media has become huge for PR, giving PR practitioners the ability to reach their audience directly on behalf of their clients, without the help of traditional media. Social media is something I've become very accustomed to using in my personal life but I could easily transfer those skills to a business environment. Currently, as well as in the future, social media will prove to be one of the most useful platforms for PR and I look forward to capitalizing on it for my clients. The only challenges I see facing the industry is maintaining PR as its own separate division. We are not advertising or marketing but a sector on its own.

As for my career in PR, I'm not exactly sure where I'm headed. The options of working in an agency or for a corporation each have their own benefits. I'm leaning towards working for a corporation and being their director of PR, or VP of communications. I know, I shoot high. As for what type of company, I would be thrilled to work in the health & beauty sector. But I'm not tied down to any one idea.

For now, I don't want to worry about that. My intensive CCPR (corporate communications + PR) program at Centennial College is enough to keep me busy. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when I enrolled in the program, but I couldn't be any happier with my choice. Centennial was the clear choice after talking to a previous grad of the program who couldn't say enough amazing things about her experience. College is very different from the university setting, but I love that I am learning concrete practical skills instead of writing essays on topics I will never remember in a year. 

One of the lessons I've learned, especially during the past four years, is to trust your gut feeling. As I sat down in class on the first day I had the feeling that this was going to be one amazing year. Let's trust that. 

- JS