On Wednesday, November 11, The
Mohawk PR program was given the opportunity to visit Toronto and tour some PR
agencies. Since the program is dedicated to mostly in-class learning, this trip gave
us the opportunity to see what some of our lives in the real world would be
like. It was intimidating.
Hill and Knowlton Strategies is
one of Canada’s leading communications consultancies. They focus on delivering
their expertise in public relations, public affairs, digital communications and
social media, engagement strategies, content marketing and research. That was a
mouthful.
As our second agency of the day,
HK Strategies was much different from the boutique agency, Maverick. While
Maverick housed about 20 employees, HK Toronto boasted more than double. HK was also located in an office building
with a much more formal vibe while Maverick’s home was a Victorian style
heritage home near downtown.
When we arrived at HK, it was a
little intimidating. We entered into a tall Toronto office building with
professionals coming and leaving to business meetings, pitches, interviews, and
other adult responsibilities. We jumped into the elevator and were welcomed on
the 8th floor by a very open concept office and directed into a
presentation room. We were very lucky to hear Boyd Neil, senior vice president,
discuss what he does on a daily basis and the most important aspects about
working in PR.
What stood out about HK
Strategies was the professionalism by which they carried themselves. After
coming from the trendy Maverick agency, HK was like a completely different
world of business suits and sensible shoes.
While it was definitely
interesting to get a little peak into the life at a PR agency, HK taught me
that I do not want to work the agency life. Yes it is exciting; you’re doing
new tasks every day, meeting new people, and helping new clients. However,
working for one client you can understand inside and out and build a strong
relationship with sounds more appealing to me.
I am extremely thankful we got
the opportunity to go on this trip as a class. We’ve been told what to expect
going in to certain fields, but you will never fully understand until you get
to experience it first hand. Getting a glimpse into what our lives will be like
after graduation, if we choose the agency life, opened my eyes. It has helped
me become more specific in my job search and relieved a little stress from my
life.
Thanks for reading!
Simone Mekli
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