By Miranda Germani
A Beatles’ top award was accidentally used as a doorstop for 30 years* (intrigued? See footnote below), but in a not-so-literal sense, awards can truly open many doors to a young PR professional.
Matt Juniper, winner of the CPRS Toronto Young Public Relations Professional of the Year Award in 2012, realized the impact of the recognition almost immediately.
“Receiving my ACE Award was an extremely rewarding experience,” Matt said. “To be honoured for my work in front of some of the most successful public relations practitioners in Toronto was a memorable and rewarding experience.”
In just a year, the award has made a difference to Matt’s career.
“The award has been not only an excellent addition to my resume, it’s given me stronger name recognition in the Toronto public relations industry. I’ve been invited to multiple conferences as a panelist, I’m frequently asked to contribute as a guest writer on public relations blogs and my colleagues in the industry have greater awareness of who I am. In an industry where networking is so crucial, this added name recognition has been invaluable.”
Matt encourages all PR professionals to consider nominating a young PR professional that they know for this award. “Not only will the award open doors for that individual, nominators will be helping pay tribute to younger professionals in the field. In an industry that moves and changes so quickly, young public relations professionals are a valuable asset and I believe it is important to recognize them.”
Tempted to apply and not sure what to include?
Matt thinks a diverse submission made him stand out, giving these tips:
- A successful award submission shows balance between work and other experience, like volunteering
- Highlight many areas of experience – Matt has been involved in corporate, political and not-for-profit communications campaigns through his volunteer work
- Staying informed and involved in industry trends like social media, and other emerging communications trends
But that’s just Matt’s experience – the judges are looking for you to put your personal stamp on your submission.
The CPRS Toronto Leadership Awards recognizes individuals who have achieved excellence in their careers or made significant contributions to the field of public relations. In addition to the CPRS Toronto Young Public Relations Professional of the Year Award, there are also award categories for Public Relations Student of the Year Leadership Award, Public Relations Professional of the Year, Mentor of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
More information is available on the CPRS Toronto Leadership Awards page.
The nominations deadline has been EXTENDED to Thursday, March 7, 2013. This is your last chance to nominate yourself or someone else.
The Leadership Awards will be presented at the ACE Awards Gala on Wednesday, April 24, 2013.
* The Beatles’ top gong, a prestigious Ivor Novello award, was given to them after Yellow Submarine sold 1.2 million copies. A woman found it in a derelict London office building in the early 1980s, took it home, and used it to prop open a door for three decades. The now-elderly woman apparently didn’t realize what she had found for 30 years, but found out and sold the award last year at auction.
