Early September
marked the beginning of a whole new career path. I was starting the Public
Relations Graduate Certificate Program at Mohawk College. We were introduced to several organizations (both
real and fictional) that needed greater public awareness strategies. I could
clearly envision several tactics to solve those problems for each, and was so
excited to “get into the real world” and apply these methods.
As part of our course requirement, all
students in the program must complete a 105 hour internship. I sought a
nonprofit placement in order to experience a broad range of duties in the field
while making a difference in the community. This was where my grand ideas
finally got a much- needed reality check.
In the nonprofit
sector, and in many other industries in this economy, the breadths of one
person’s duties have expanded. Where an entire department may have been
responsible for a role in the past relies on one sole person. There are simply
not enough hours in the day to add another task to someone’s plate.
When creating a
communications plan, we are taught the SMART formula. Specific, measurable,
analysis, realistic, and time bound. In my opinion, realistic is the most
important. There are so many things to consider when making a communications
plan that is appropriate for your client. Who would do this? When would it be
done? And, more importantly, which task must they give up in order to do it?
Everything must
be evaluated against the benefits of your new tactic in comparison to the other
work that individual may have completed instead. These considerations are
especially important in the nonprofit industry, where individuals truly rely on
these services in order to receive their everyday needs.
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