Written by Sarah Lasagna
Before CPRS Toronto’s virtual career development event on July 22, I sat down with guest speaker Nina Kalos EVP and General Manager at Veritas Communications, to gain insight into her career history, lessons learned and what advice she has for PR professionals searching for their dream job.
After completing a Bachelor of Business Administration from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2007, Nina pursued a master’s degree in International Public Relations at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK. 
Armed with a strong educational background in public relations, Nina set her sight on landing her first job in the field and started working in the UK at McCann Erickson Communications House.
After a year working and learning at McCann Erickson Communications House, Nina knew she was ready for the next phase of her career and moved back to Toronto where she worked at Hill & Knowlton Strategies. Nina then moved onto Citizen Relations, working her way up to Senior Account Manager.
Finally, in 2013, Nina joined the Veritas Communications team as a Director and held several roles before landing her current role as EVP and General Manager.
Through her many roles over the years, Nina has been influenced by countless peers, who have shared excellent career advice, but the advice that stands out to her the most is from her father who told her, “if you love what you do, then it won’t feel like work.”
As a PR practitioner, Nina finds it is easy to work since she loves her job as a storyteller, connecting people and telling stories.
“I feel really lucky that I work somewhere where it’s not work for me,” Nina said. “I love my team. I love my clients. I feel like I can do something that comes naturally to me and that every day I get to do what I love doing.”
Nina then offered up advice to the next generation of PR practitioners with this statement, “Never say no to opportunities.” At the beginning of her career, and continuing to this day, Nina welcomes new opportunities and is always learning.
Fittingly, when asked about common mistakes entry-level applicants make, Nina was quick to suggest the word ‘mistake’ is too negative; there are no mistakes, only lessons, as everyone is learning at their own pace. To improve, junior PR practitioners should spend more time on research and telling their story.
Here’s some additional advice Nina shared:
Tell your story to the hiring manager
Keep in mind that every hiring manager has different preferences. Nina explains that you should be able to authentically tell a hiring manger a story about why you want to work in PR. Additionally, she suggests researching an agency’s clients in advance to make sure you understand and align with its values.
Include extracurriculars on your resume
Regardless of how extensive your work experience is, your resume should reflect your knowledge. Nina notes that even if you lack professional work experience, but have experience from a school club, these are transferable skills that can be demonstrated on your resume.
Do not compare yourself to others
Everyone moves at their own pace so there is no set guideline for how fast someone in an entry-level position can jump in two to five years. Keeping this in mind, for managers, Nina advises that since there is no employee template and that everyone moves at their own pace, do not compare your employees to each other.
Take advantage of your connections
Nina also notes that many entry-level applicants do not network enough especially during this pandemic. As communications professionals, Nina describes that since PR is in the business of people, do not underestimate just how far people can help you in your career!
Network, network, network!
Amid COVID-19, Nina recommends aspiring PR practitioners stay agile and adapt to the changing world. Do not be afraid to email people and join networking events even if they might be weird or awkward. Nina suggests staying in contact and to not put networking on hold just because of COVID-19.
Join CPRS Toronto on July 22, where Nina Kalos will offer up many more career insights.