When I Grow Up, I Want To…?

The mornings are cooling down, pencils are on sale in bulk, and I went to the CNE, so I know summer is over. Even when I’m well into my career, I’ll still get the back-to-school jitters. That’s probably my anxiety, but there’s a greater chance it’s proof of excellent marketing. This year is no different than any other: It’s back-to-school season, and I’m sweating.

This year feels like the most important yet. I’m determined to make the most out of the last bit of my studies. During the pandemic, I transitioned careers and studied public relations and strategic communications. Now, reaching my final year in this program, I decided to be mindful of what I want to get out of it. I am very eager and excited to become a public relations practitioner, but I’m still unsure exactly what I want to do or where to work.

It is at the forefront for me throughout this next study period, as it has been this summer when I asked for more details of my PR career. I don’t know! How come I don’t know yet? Some of my classmates clearly know what sector they want to work in, and some even know who they want to work for. For them, they have had experience or a bit of knowledge of the PR world before entering Durham College’s program. But I was simply interested in the various creative, social and written skills needed to succeed. I have those, and I have a hunger to develop them further. When being interviewed for many possible internship placements this summer, I kept being asked, “What do you want to do here?” My brain immediately said, “Some of everything,” and, “I have to try it all out first to know!” But my mouth kept simply saying, “I like writing.”

It is difficult for me to picture what I will be most interested and excel at, so I am taking this year as a quasi-practise test for my career. I’m sure you’ve heard that you should treat your college training as if it is a job and your professors as if they are your clients. It is excellent advice to try out, with the safety net of you still being able to learn from your mistakes.

So, I’m embracing that going forward and have faith that I will figure out where I belong in the PR and comms world. Honestly, I want to work hybrid, writing and creating content and digital images from home. I also come into the office with an iced coffee and a go-getter attitude to get our team in the most productive headspace to make cool campaigns. So, this September, I will be doing all that, but getting grades instead of pay, with the “fake it ‘til you make it” attitude to help myself figure out how I fit into PR.