publicrelations101

Seriously…why is it so hard to find a job. This is getting to be really depressing. I have been done my placement and school since August 8, and have been looking for a job since then, and so far nothing. Not even an interview…and I know I have a good resume and my cover letters are pretty good too, so what the hell is the problem?I better find something soon, even just some crappy restaurant job or something, because quite honestly I cannot live on the street. I have too many clothes and shoes and this area of the city isn’t exactly the nicest/friendliest area. It’s a little scary in fact sometimes. But hey, there are always cops around…still don’t know if that’s a good thing or not…hmm…mom what do you think? LOL… 

Yeah so I haven’t written in a few days…my bad…anyway I got a letter yesterday from my former college telling me that “On the basis of your excellent results this past semester, your name will be placed on the College Honor Roll.” This news has apparently come as quite a shock to some people, since the general response to them finding out was along the lines of “what the hell?” and “how the hell did that happen?” oh and my favorite response comes from my sister…”it must be an error”…thanks guys..LOL…nah…I was the one that started with what the hells and how the hell did that happens, so it’s all good…a little surprising, but whatever. I’m guessing it has to do with my summer internship, since it does refer to “this past semester” and the internship was technically a semester (paid tuition and all)…and I know for a fact that I did an awesome job this summer…people were very happy with the work I did and I did great on my evaluation, so it’s all good. 

I was trying to figure out what I was going to write about today and not having much luck coming up with a topic. I suppose once I get a job it will be considerably easier to think up topics, but alas I am still jobless so yeah. Anyway, had I actually been following the news lately I might have some opinions about current PR issues to write about. I used to follow the news–it was an unofficial requirement in my classes and reading the paper was one way to pass the hour long bus trip to and from school during the year and during the summer on my way to placement. But now, since I don’t take the bus very often anymore I rarely have time to read the paper (and yes I know mom, I’m not working so I should have lots of time) but we don’t get the paper delivered and it’s a pain in the ass to go and get one.Guess it’s time I smarten up and at least start watching the news on T.V. It won’t kill me to start following the news and with access to the Internet too I really have no excuse huh? Okay off I go to do some research…perhaps I’ll have something more interesting to write about tomorrow. 

My original plan was to have this yesterday, but was too tired to blog yesterday, so it obviously didn’t happen… Anyway, the first installment of “What Were They Thinking” is a story about group work. Last year (school year), one of my classes was an event planning class. Our big project for the class was to work in groups and plan a mock gala event for the Gemini Awards. My friends Tori and Steph and I were working together and that was great, however we were also working with one of the girls in that class that NO ONE ever wants to work with…she’s a pain in the ass and thinks that she knows everything. Tori and I were skeptical about working with her, since we had worked with her on projects before and Tori was currently working on another project with her for another class, so we both knew how stressful it was to work with her. So we started planning the project–who would do the research for what section, when we wanted to have the research done by so we could meet up and put together everything and whatnot. Erin decided to give herself the biggest section to do, and while we were hesitant to go along with it, we decided not to fight with her over it (we must have known we would have to “gang up” against her in the near future or something. A few weeks into the project, Erin called a group meeting to go over what everyone had done to date and to see if there were any problems or anything that we needed to work out. It was at this meeting that Erin decided to tell us, that Tori needed to look into renting/borrowing LIVE swans to have walking around the ballroom during the gala event. This twat seriously thought it would be an awesome and fantastic idea to have the swans walking around with celebrities and various other important people (in their formal wear). Seriously? Did she not know that swans can be effing vicious creatures? Trust me…I know…I’ve been attacked by a frigging swan…not cool. Tori, Steph and I argued with her for quite awhile about this freaking fantastic idea of hers. We all thought it was an absolute ridiculous idea and just asking for trouble. We asked her “how was she going to ensure that the swans wouldn’t attack someone? and How could she keep them from CRAPPING everywhere?   And yes, I realize it was a mock event and actually wasn’t going to be taking place, however due to the nature of the project we had to look at, and plan for everything as if it were actually going to be taking place. We would lose marks otherwise and that would not be good and besides knowing the teacher, the three of us knew quite well that she would not be happy with the swan plan and would think it was a ridiculous idea.  After much arguing (over about a week or so) Tori and finally decided that Tori would inform Erin that she had talked to people about securing the swans for the event and that it was in no way allowed. Tori told her she had spoken to some businesses about getting the swans and that she had also spoken to the contact at the hotel (since we were required to actually get quotes and real information from a number of companies/businesses) and that the contact had basically told her no way, no how.Erin continued to argue, but finally dropped it when we told her that we would speak to Lynn about it if she wanted to see what Lynn’s opinion on that matter was.Seriously, this girl was a freak..and What Was She Thinking? Clearly, she wasn’t…LOL 

Classes have started again and I have to say that after 5 years of college (plus all those years spent in elementary and high school) it is REALLY weird not to be in school anymore. I’ve been on campus a bunch of times in the past week and I ran into some friends who are still in school and I walked over to where my old classroom is and I have to admit it is very strange to know that I am all done and that I don’t ever have to go back to school, unless of course I choose too later.

Now all I have to do is get a job, pay off my student loans and all that. Easier said than done right now it seems like.  

Now that I’m finished school (hell it actually started awhile ago, but for the sake of argument) it’s time for me to “Find a real job and be a productive member of society” and to that I reply :P~~~ and MAKE ME…LOL…kidding…save your breath mom… Looking for a job and actually finding a job are completely different. You don’t make money by looking (and if you have I haven’t figure that one out yet)…I have gotten to the point where I am applying not only to actual PR jobs, but also to jobs that are less than the PR I went to school for three years to learn (Tim Horton’s, Zellers, McDonald’s etc)…those places would be all fine and whatnot if I weren’t too “over-qualified” for said jobs…yeah, so because I’m newly finished college and have (will have) a diploma in Public Relations, most places don’t believe that I will stay in their minimum wage paying jobs and blah blah blah. Trust me people, I like have money but whatever. I will find something because I always do. So it’s not that easy for me to find a job in a place that I would/could have worked in high school or hell even college, but it’s even harder (or so it seems) for me to find an actual PR job (doing more than say folding clothes or serving food, because yes I know mother it’s all PR, but I DID NOT GO TO SCHOOL FOR THREE YEARS (in the PR program I mean) AND I DID NOT SINK MYSELF FURTHER AND FURTHER IN OSAP LOANS TO LEARN PUBLIC RELATIONS TO PUT IT TO USE AT A FREAKING TIM HORTON’S)…okay that part of the rant is over…LOL…I am finding tons of PR, Marketing & Communications, Publicity, etc jobs, but most places want a minimum of like 1-2 years experience in a similar position…yeah totally don’t have that, so it’s a matter of finding the jobs that do want someone right out of school or at least finding the ones that seem like a perfect (or as close to perfect as you can get) and applying for them anyway. Something will come along soon…hopefully…please?    Continue Reading »

As of next month (October 16) I will have officially graduated college! Only took me five years, three programs and two different colleges…in my defense I didn’t exactly know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’ve known for while that I wanted to do something with people, because I have been told I can be a people-person and that I’m good at the whole customer service thing, so it was kind of a given that I would do something in that general field.  After two years (and two programs…General Arts & Science and Executive Office Admin) I decided to completely start over… I moved to a new city, switched colleges and switched programs. I chose Public Relations and to be honest, going into the program I didn’t have a complete understanding of what it was, what it entailed and just how much work really went into it. I did of course did do some research about it before my first class, so I did kinda have an idea, but it wasn’t until actually starting classes that I really got it. It does, for the most part seem like a good career choice for me, however there are the days when I think I must be nuts to be do this. Three loooong years later I have completed all my classes, two placements and all that’s left is the actual graduation ceremony. Now comes the fun part. Trying to find a job!Oh it’s just so much fun. NOT!