Step 2: Sharpen Your Pencils & Choose Postgraduate Studies

After choosing a career, and entering your final year of university, you may come across some other tough decisions. In the fall of my fourth year of undergrad, when I finally knew what I wanted to do with my life, I started sharing my thoughts with others who were interested to know more about the next step in my life. Something every upcoming or recent grad can tell you about.

I think people expected me to just enter the job market and they were more than willing to give me advice on how to do so. Little did they know that in the back of my mind I was completely unsure about that dive head first approach. I remember feeling anxious and sometimes so nervous I would get nauseous and overwhelmed when people even brought the future up, despite that, few people knew this. I had to ponder why I would have these negative feelings, and I realized it was because I wasn’t ready for the next step. The thought of working full-time was unappealing, and I wanted to continue being a student.

Maybe at first it was for silly reasons. I didn’t want to let go of the student life. During this semester I developed “graduation glasses” (think How I Met Your Mother) and I started feeling sentimental about everything Western (UWO) and London, I even started getting teary-eyed at the thought of not having to walk in the pouring rain across campus or having to take the LTC as my method of transportation. These unpleasant instances became treasures to me that I didn’t want to let go of. I was not ready to let go.

That all changed after my first two days of classes in second semester when something inside me imploded and I realized, “I am over it!” I grew frustrated with my classes and motivation dwindled. I was ready to get this year done and over with so I could move on to the next step in my life. Thankfully at this point I had already made the decision to apply to postgraduate PR programs at the end of my first semester, another important decision for me!

I applied to PR programs at Western, McMaster and Mohawk. I remember the mixed reactions I got when I told people I was going to continue my education. Even to this day some people tell me I have too much education. “What? Is that even possible?” The answer is no; in my opinion you can never be over-educated, but that is another topic in itself. So my parents’ reaction was sort of agreeable, they figured in this day and age it was inevitable to continue education after education, after education.

After much deliberation in February 2012, I decided I would go to Mohawk College for my PR program. It came down to the idea of gaining employable skills; and everyone knows that colleges are known for teaching skills more than theory. I was ready to move away from theory and the huge and pricey textbooks that lead to endless nights of readings and memorization.

I think people were confused by my decision and a lot of the responses I got were that I was “going backwards”. In my mind, with education you can never go backwards as long as you are using the education for a purpose and future goal. Not to mention post-graduate programs often build on the knowledge you gained in your university degree. After months I finally managed to convince my mom of this, and I became excited to start this chapter in my life. Back to Hamilton for a year, and back to school. Sometimes, when you are not ready to tackle the world, school is there to pick you up off the ground and give your life new direction.

Mohawk has a PR blog as well, where you can check out what me and my classmates are blogging about regards to the program.

P.S. I am a nerd, so I love school and I love PR.

 

The Art of Creativity - Cupcakes!

Today's theme is creativity and its many forms. Creativity is the it factor when it comes to PR. PR firms are always seeking out creative individuals, and to be honest showing your creativity is a difficult thing to do in a resume. Where do you draw the line between professional and creative? That is why recently I updated my entire resume and cover letter template, and made myself a letterhead. It seemed the best way to remain professional while showing some creative flare.

Another way I like to be creative is in my interests and hobbies, which is definitely something I like to share about myself during interviews and when meeting people. I love art! I love to draw, paint, do calligraphy, origami, and make stuff, whether its jewellery, out of wood, DIY projects for decor or sewing on my sewing machine. I also love cooking and baking. These are all ways for me to let out my creativity.

Just recently my friend and fellow baker (and Western alumnus) had a baking session that was super creative, and fun to say the least. We baked cupcakes, which is a favourite past-time of ours. We made some awesome cupcakes (not to make you hungry but they were vanilla confetti, with strawberry whipped cream filling and chocolate buttercream all made with wholesome ingredients and much love as homemade goodies usually are). And well in honour of our creativity and the Halloween season we decorated them as spiders!

Here they are!

I had so much fun that I just had to share this on this blog. This really is only one way that I like to be creative, and if these awesome cupcakes don't impress future employers of mine then I don't know what will.



 

P.S. I love cupcakes as much as I love PR.

Step 1: Choosing a Career in PR

Choose a Career You Absolutely Love

Choosing a career is a difficult task, especially when we are expected to do so at such a young age. And an added challenge is that we get it right the first time as people tend to frown on those who make bad career choices. This is why I was adamant on not making a specific choice until I felt truly ready. Those who know me know that I am driven and goal-oriented. Yet for the longest time I put off deciding on a career, because I wasn’t mature enough to make that commitment. When you wait until you know more about yourself the decision comes more naturally, because it is less forced by the pressure others push on you and ultimately, you feel better about the decision. My decision was a long time in the making. 

Even after high school, deciding a direction seemed a challenge. I knew I wanted to go to university, but I also didn’t want to pigeon-hole myself into a stream that I would later regret. That was why I chose two majors (business management and linguistics) that were as interdisciplinary and broad as possible, though also useful. 

The problem was, people wanted to know the specifics, and they expected me to give them answers. This problem is even more complex when you think about how narrow-minded people can be when considering potential career options. I got things like accountant or translator thrown at me by people assuming I wanted obvious career paths based on one of my majors. I would tell people I was a business student and they would ask me, “What do you want to do in business?” And my answer was always, “I’m not sure, but I know that regardless of what I do, I want to end up in management level.” Despite the truth behind this answer, it never seemed good enough for people. What really made this problem personal was when it didn’t seem good enough for me. 

That was why at the end of my third year of university I decided to sit down and have a sincere talk with my inner self, and decide what I wanted to focus on for my future career. Six years prior to this fated conversation I was in high school, a time that seems so long ago. In grade 10 we take a careers class in the hopes that it will help us figure out what we want to make of ourselves. Many think this is a ridiculous and unsuccessful approach. Maybe that is the case for most, but somehow when I reflect back on it all these years later; it seems it was successful to some degree in influencing the direction of my career decision.

We took plenty of career aptitude tests and maybe it’s just me, but I took those things pretty seriously. And you know what… this may be why out of all my classmates, I got answers that I actually liked! I didn’t get any results telling me to be a garbage collector, or a librarian (not to disrespect those professions) or any other career that wouldn’t have suited my personality. I got answers that I was pleased with like writer, editor or publisher. These were things I could see myself doing. Another result I got was public relations manager. Glancing over that I was like, “What is that?” I didn’t have the faintest idea, but even then it sounded good. So I stored these ideas like seeds in my head, where with time and nourishment they would grow and one would take hold.

Now I return to third year university when I finally learned what PR actually was in a marketing course. And let me tell you, I liked the sounds of it right off the bat. It was a great option that suited my strengths and it looked fun too. The only thing that held me back right there and then, was that I also wanted to work in publishing. I saw myself as Sandra Bullock in The Proposal, editor-in-chief of some important publishing company. 

Why couldn’t I just have two careers and do several things? I see myself doing so many things, and I just couldn’t figure out why I had to choose one. That brings me back to that conversation with myself; I had to choose to move forward. 

At this point it is obvious that I chose PR, but I took the decision between PR and publishing very seriously. I remember researching, making lists and doing pros and cons. The moment I finally pushed through the clutter of my mind I realized PR was what was best for me I was elated. I literally was jumping up and down with excitement! This moment of pure joy is what makes me confident that I had made the right decision.

The best part is I can still use my good old management goal, because now I have a focus to guide it. I want to ultimately work my way up to a management level in public relations. Finally when people ask what I want to do, I have a straight answer. Nothing could be simpler… Or so I thought. Which brings me to when I discover things do get more complicated, but that is for a later post.

P.S. It may have been a long and winding road, but I love PR!

Check out some career aptitude tests!

Aptitude Test from Oprah.com

What Career is Right For Me

Career Explorer

Tip: Most post secondary schools (college or university) offer career services and often provide free MBTI tests and career aptitude tests to its students.