CPRS Mentorship Program

For the past few months I have been participating in the Canadian Public Relations Society’s mentorship program. This has been a truly invaluable experience as I have been able to connect with and meet so many new people, both seasoned industry professionals as well as those just entering the field.  The program runs until April which include six group events, of which we are required to attend five, as well as meetings between the mentors and mentees.

The first event that I went to was a speed-mentoring event in which we had about five minutes to meet with the different mentors, going around the room, in hopes that we would find someone we genuinely connected with to be matched up for the program. This was a great experience getting to talk with various professionals in the field, learning how the got into public relations as well as the roles they have as professional communicators. This event not only allowed us to meet with potential mentors but also to meet and engage with our peers who were also participating in the program.

Speed Mentoring Event

The next event, which the CPRS Mentorship program held, was mock-interviews and resume critiques. I was unfortunately unable to attend the event, however the program coordinators, as well as my own mentor, made sure that I had all the information that was presented at the event so that I didn’t miss out. Although I was unable to attend I felt like I was really a part of the mentorship community when people went out of their way to make sure I was getting the very best out of this experience.

In terms of creating a sense of community for this group, the CPRS has a LinkedIn group, which you must be invited to join, but even here I have found many beneficial connections, information, and discussions going on between both the mentors and the mentees. Anyone can start a discussion, but mentors and mentees are required to start at least one discussion together which I think is an interesting and good way to get the groups talking about current and relevant issues in the public relations field.

Outside of the various events the mentorship program holds, we are required to meet with our mentor on a semi-regular basis. This has also been a great experience as I get to discuss what is going on in the PR industry as well as talking to an industry professional about what I am learning in the classroom and applying it to real-life situations.

I am very happy I applied to be apart of this program as I am already learning so much and I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the program brings!