I’m not an expert at building a professional network or even have the largest, but I’ve had the chance to meet amazing practitioners in the communications/public relations industry, who are part of mine.
Since my first year as a public relations student I’ve taken advantage of every perk my membership with the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) provided. From event discounts, mentorships to volunteer opportunities, you would find me at every event that CPRS hosted. I have contributed blogs for the CPRS website, volunteered at the Achieving Communications Excellence Awards four years in a row and was also part of the Student Steering Committee’s executive team. As an Associate member I’ve been able to honour my contributions and look forward to enhancing the network for the industry’s next generation.
In some ways, I owe my professional growth to the people I’ve met through CPRS’ Toronto Chapter, and my career path also reflects that. In my journey from student to professional there was one reoccurring theme: the public relations industry is very small, which in my perspective is a great thing. Once you meet a colleague or mentor they in turn could introduce you to your next manager or client. Maintaining my membership past student through to Associate membership, allowed me to preserve and enhance these valuable connections. This is what I love about the industry and what I appreciate the most from my experience with CPRS.
How you make career decisions depends on your evolving interests and skills, so why not take the same approach with your network. I believe the same effort you put in building your network amounts to the rewards you receive. What I mean by rewards is the people you meet, the knowledge you gain and the opportunities that materialize.
Take it from a practitioner who is still early on in her career and has a lot more people to meet and learn from in the industry. My career has just begun but I believe it’s vital to extend your networking efforts no matter what stage you are in your career – whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in the industry for 20+ years.
Written by: Charzie Abendanio, Public Relations Specialist at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charzieabendanio/