First off, I would like to congratulate the new communications graduates. As a recent grad of Seneca’s Corporate Communications program myself, I can attest to the euphoric feeling that slowly develops when you attend your last class or submit your last paper. There is an even greater feeling of accomplishment when you wear your gown and walk up to the podium to accept your certificate in front of your family and friends.
However, this is just the beginning of your career in PR. Searching for your first job, will likely be more challenging than your last school assignment. You will invest dozens (maybe even hundreds) of hours researching, writing, editing, pitching and following up on prospective job opportunities. But unlike a school assignment, you won’t always get a grade to validate your efforts. But, don’t despair, along the way, you will continue to learn, grow and connect with other PR professionals. As you embark on this exciting, new chapter, you may want to pause and reflect on why you chose this career path in the first place.
In my personal experience of conducting informational interviews and formal interviews with seasoned communications professionals, they have asked me ‘what does public relations mean to you?’
Believe me when I say that since I have started learning about the public relations and what it encompasses, my passion for public relations has grown with each passing day. I yearn to learn more and increase my knowledge of best in class public relations practices. However, the first time I was asked that question, it took me a minute or so to come up with an answer. Since then, I tasked myself to reflect and recite what public relations means to me.
So, what does public relations mean to me?
To me, PR is more than establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with a client and its publics. Public relations creates, isolates and develops ideas that elicits either a behavior or attitude. Public relations takes a complex situation/story from the brand’s point of view and interprets it to the target public’s understanding. As the father of public relations, Edward Bernays wrote in his book, Crystallizing Public Opinion, “Public Relations is crystallizing the obscure tendencies of the public mind before they have reached definite expression.”
As I seek new opportunities to explore this world of public relations, I know it will continue to evolve. But, I’m excited to put into practice what I’ve learned along the way and see how it helps me define who I am, as a PR professional.
Fellow student members, you should be proud of your hard work. Now the real work begins! And, as you embark on your new journey, ask yourself, ‘What does public relations mean to me?’
Tomi Akinyede
Graduate of the Corporate Communications program at Seneca College and a CPRS member