After graduating university, looking toward post-graduate options was a pretty simple decision for me. Another year to figure out which career path is the right fit and more importantly another year to hold off on the infamous dreaded career search I had been hearing all about!
When beginning the Mohawk post-graduate Public Relations program I thought
that I would come to class, learn all that I needed to know about public relations,
graduate…AND THEN begin my
networking and career search. After about the first two days I quickly realized
that networking, career specific internships and volunteer experience should be
a number one priority starting yesterday!Now being the type of individual that always has a volunteer project on the go and loves attending events I figured I would be quite capable of handling this added pressure, but still an overwhelming sense of panic flooded over me. I was only a few days into my post-grad program and had no clue where to start. That was until our class was introduced to the idea of joining professional organizations.
Two major associations we discuss within the first term and are fortunate enough to have guest speakers from both are the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). The professional organization that intrigued me the most was that of the IABC. Although I find both the IABC and CPRS to be equally beneficial and intriguing, having a university degree in communications influenced me to join the IABC and also the fact that this association is an international one appealed to my passion for travel.
After joining the IABC I have looked into what the student benefits are and
compiled this quick list of my top three
ways student members can utilize the association :
o
A blog for students – I have noticed that this
is a great blog to learn the ways in which other students internationally are
getting involved in both the IABC and outside as well. It is a good way to
start brainstorming on how you are able to apply these to your own life.
2. CW (Communications World) Magazine
o
This is
a bi-monthly magazine that all members receive. It has a ton of really
interesting articles and provides advice from senior members of the
association. An interesting article I found in the most recent publication was
called, “Picture Perfect” written by IABC fellow, Shel Holtz. It discusses the
use of ‘Pinterest’ as a business tool and whether or not it is effective. This
article and many others within this month’s publication were of interest to me
because they take topics and trends that are popular and relate them to issues we focus on in the PR program.
3. Job and Internship postings
o
Checking job postings has become an obsession
for me since I have joined the IABC. Just looking at the possibilities and locations of job openings has really
opened up my mind and also given me an idea as to the area of work I would like
to go into.
(There are many other uses for joining professional association – this list is just a small outline of what I have found useful so far being a new student
member and I am looking forward to discovering more!)
So, whether it be the CPRS or the IABC make sure you take advantage of the
highly discounted student memberships available to you and be prepared to
network and career search from the get go. Now that I am prepared and in the
right mind frame I am looking forward to using these resources for all they are
worth!
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