Young Pr Pros

The Young PR Pros family is expanding. We welcome Clare Bonnyman as our new assistant producer. Clare has extensive background in radio editing. We hope her skills will make the show sound even better in your ear buds on your commute, in the office, or wherever you listen. OH, and Julia Kent welcomed her new son into the world on April 6. Clare is just like you, our listeners, a young professional wrapping up her studies and ready to tackle the brave new world. We give her the role of picking this week's topic, to make sure we are keeping the show relevant and true to our audience. Clare asked each host to describe their first job. Julia Kent talks about her first marketing job at the NAC. Ross Simmonds shares his first experience as a social media trainer and strategist for the CBC. And Kristine D'Arbelles tells the story of her job as a publicist for a deaf-blind speed skater. Spoiler alert, one of the hosts gets an honorable trophy for having the coolest first experience. Can you guess which one? Listen to

For the first time in Canadian history, a Prime Minister appointed a caucus that was 50 per cent female and 50 per cent male. When asked why he chose to make this bold statement he respond: because it is 2015. This moment of history prompted the hosts of Young PR Pros, Kristine D'Arbelles, Julia Kent and Ross Simmonds, to discuss gender and ethnic equality in the work place. We start the conversation with analyzing the current landscape. Ross says the best way to get more women in managing roles is to hire more women managers. These women become role models and create generations of aspiring women managers. Julia agreed, but warned about the dangers of filing quotas - i.e. hiring based on gender and not merit. We then chat about pay equality, which is a hot topic in world news. Ross suggests we should be open and transparent about pay. Organizations should share with all their employees what everyone makes, it doesn't have to be tied to an individual, but to a title or level in the organizations. This empower

In this episode we revisit the topic of accreditation. In episode 100, we talked about a topic that has divided the world of PR and communications for decades: is accreditation worth it? In case you haven't heard the episode, Ross thought accreditation was just a money grab scheme from large associations. Kristine, who was on the fence, believed that accreditation might weed out those who bring a bad name to the industry. Julia made an obvious comparison between accreditation and post-secondary school diplomas – in the end it is experience that matters, not a piece of paper. The episode caused some discussions online and listener Judy Gombita reached out to us on Twitter encouraging us to interview Natalie Bovair to give us a different perspective on accreditation. We tracked Natalie down and she was gracious enough to give us a bit of her time to defend the honours of accreditation. Listen to the full episode to see why accreditation matters.  What do you think? Are you accredited, do you have anything to ad

This episode was recorded a week before federal election day in Canada. In this episode we talk about PR moments that caught our attention during the longest campaign period in Canadian history. Here is a recap of a few trends and moments we found note worthy: Sticking to a message: or not saying anything about at all. We discuss how Stephen Harper sticks to his messaging and refuses to let his opponents push him off message. The online campaign: this federal election has two campaigns running in parallel with each other - one in the media and one online. We discuss the grass-root content being generated by the average Canadian and how that us effecting the campaign. We also talk about selfie votes, and how Justin Trudeau is winning. Voter apathy: We end with a discussion around voter apathy and how that has affected the campaign. So did we get it right? I guess Justin Trudeau won in selfie votes after all. Do you have a communications moment or trend to share with us? Share your story or advice by writing

In this episode, hosts Kristine D'Arbelles, Julia Kent and Ross Simmonds talk about tips and advice for networking. Our hosts answer common questions like how do you approach a group of people you don’t know? Are business cards really necessary? And other great tips you can take with you to your next networking event. A few things to remember when networking: Always bring business cards. Kristine encourages young professionals to use a business card as a way to showcase creativity. If you are a good designer, show off what you can do with your business card. Make it stand out among the pile. Follow-up is key. Julia suggests to add people to LinkedIn after a networking event. Reference the conversation you had at the event and then set a call to action. Never be afraid to say you are looking for a job. Ross loves to see young professionals offer value to potential employers. Research the employer and find out what you can do to make their life easier, then approach them at the event and offer your services. T

So much good news comes with today's podcast. First, host Kristine D'Arbelles records her first episode with her new baby. He was a good little boy and napped (almost) the entire time of the episode. Second, after almost three years, hosts Kristine and Julia welcome a new co-host - Ross Simmonds. You have heard his voice a few times before in interviews and as a guest host. Young PR Pros is very excited to welcome Ross and can't wait to hear what he has to say on future episodes. This week's episode is about the importance of doing real-life projects while you are in school. In the Spring, Kristine sat down with professor Renée Filiatraut and her student Marley Lewington from Algonquin College to talk about the College's yearly student PR campaign - a real-world class assignment (full interview here). The assignment takes the students out of the class and encourages them to build relationships with organizations in their local community. This prompts a discussion among our co-hosts on the importance of real-w

Young PR Pros is back from its long break. Where were we you might ask? Kristine D’Arbelles, founder and co-host of Young PR Pros, has been off having an amazing adventure. The adventure of motherhood. Kristine gave birth to a beautiful boy late May. We jump right back into the swing of things, with an episode jammed packed with great advice for entrepreneurs. We invite Ross Simmonds back for his third episode as guest host to share his experience as an entrepreneur and offer advice for young professionals looking to follow that path. Ross is a communications and marketing strategist and entrepreneur. You might know him as @theCoolestCool on Twitter. While reading an article in the International Association of Business Communicator's magazine, Communication World, Kristine has noticed a trend in the millennial generation - more and more of her friends are option for the consultant root and gaining experience before getting permanent jobs. This new trend might stem from en employer's need to see real experienc

This week, our hosts Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent welcome on the show for the second episode in the row - Ross Simmonds. Ross is a communications and marketing strategist and entrepreneur. You might know him as @theCoolestCool on Twitter. Ross has agreed to join us from Halifax as a superb guest host to help bring new views and opinions to the show. For episode 101, we discuss the best PR and communications campaigns. A few weeks ago, our host and roving reporter Kristine attended the University of Ottawa Public Relations Association (uOPRA) conference Connect 2 Success. The one-day conference brought together professionals from all industries of PR and communications to talk about what young professionals need to be successful in their future careers. At the conference she interviewed speakers, experts and panelists and asked them to share the best PR or communications campaign that has resonated with them throughout their careers. You can find video footage of all the interviews mentioned in this epis

This week, our hosts Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent record their 100th episode. Young PR Pros wants to thank our guests, listeners and anyone who has helped spread the word about our podcast. We hope we can continue to share our knowledge with young PR and communications professionals for another 100 episodes. For our special anniversary show we invited an engaging new guest host, Ross Simmonds, to join our conversation. Who is Ross Simmonds? Ross Simmonds is a marketer, strategist and entrepreneur. He founded several small businesses - including Foundation, that specializes in content consulting & creation, Hustle & Grind (a subscription service for entrepreneurs) and Crate (a content marketing software - beta). Ross also shares his thoughts on marketing, business and life on his blog. And he is the author of Stand Out: The Content Guide for Entrepreneurs. You can follow Ross on Twitter, or subscribe to his newsletter. Ross will be tagging along for the next few episodes offering his ideas and op

Are you victim of routine? Do you feel like your career isn't moving? Maybe it is time to refresh your career. In episode 99, our hosts Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent take inspiration from IABC's Communication World. In the March issue, IABC interviewed Mark Schumann who talks about the three Ds to ensure his career and communication functions move forward: diagnosis, development and delivery. Kristine and Julia look at refreshing your career through two lenses: moving on to another opportunity, or refreshing your current role. The answer isn't always jumping to a job that pays more, sometimes you can refresh your career by making change within your own organization. Don't forget, the next episode is our 100th episode. We have a special surprise in store for you. The surprise might involve a new voice. And this is a voice you do not want to miss. Also, Young PR Pros will be sponsoring the uOPRA conference Connect 2 Success. If you are attending the event, be sure to stop by and say hi to our host Kristine

As young PR and communications professionals, we are often expected to know everything about social media. That is why, this week on Young PR Pros our hosts Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent talk about the most popular social networks, who uses them, and what companies might benefit from each platform. We get our inspiration from AdWeek - Who's Really Using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram in 2015. As a side note, because it might sound confusing in the episode, the numbers we are quoting are projected new subscribers for 2015 - not current totals. You can find a full breakdown of number of users by social platform here. Julia mentions that there are six types of social networking sites. We briefly go through each one. The main lesson we want listeners to take away from this episode is that it doesn't matter if 1.5 billion or 300 million people are using a social network - doesn't mean your company NEEDS to be there. As a young professional entering a new job, make sure you ask your executi

In Decmber 2014, the Financial Post wrote an article about how PR professionals are stepping out of the shadows that have been cast by advertising and marketing departments and have taken their proper place at the front of business success. And that is where our host Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent begin their conversation. The author of the Financial Post article says: The rise of social media coupled with the growing importance of social responsibility are moving public relations professionals from the backroom, crafting press releases and organizing events, to the forefront of brand development and consumer engagement. This is good news for young PR professionals. Our profession is finally showing its worth. Businesses are realizing the importance of the two-way communications of PR more than the message blasting of advertising. So what should young professionals do with this news? Kristine and Julia make a few suggestions: Relationships - and we are not talking about networking. When starting a new j

Welcome back and welcome 2015! For our first episode of the year, we are doing a listener request. Bowda PR suggested we discuss 2015 trends young professionals - or any PR and communications professional - should be watching. Our hosts, Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent did a bit of digging and found four interesting trends to watch. 1. Tracking the impact of social media Hootsuite says, 2015 is the year that the impact of social media on business gets easier to show and possibly impossible to ignore. 2. Owning owned media According to Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, 2015 will be the year we create and curate content customers want. The idea of brands as publishers will be more important. 3. Online advertising, testing and optimizing Jay Baer, President, Convince & Convert says 2015 will be the year of paid amplification. With content marketing reaching near-ubiquity, the success pendulum will swing toward boosting consumption of content. That will put a new focus on math, testing

In 2013, Forbes reported that one in five Americans work from home. That is almost 30 million people who work and live in the same area. For some working at home is a dream come true - you can make your own hours, no pressure of adhering to office politics and you can wear whatever you want. For others, working from home can be a complete disaster, no structure can cause stress and lack of productivity. Regardless of where you fall, it is important to keep in mind the possibility of working from home as you hunt for a job. More and more public relations and communications agencies are going office-less, take Arment Dietrich as a good example. And with an uncertain job market, a lot of young professionals are starting out their careers as consultants working for themselves. This week, Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent discuss a few good tips for working at home. We get our inspiration from Cupcakes and Cashmere. Blogger Emily Schuman shares her experiences and top 10 tips for working from home. They are: Get

We all get a lot of email every day. Doesn't matter if you are a student or a professional, our inbox fills up very fast. This week, Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent discuss a few simple rules for emailing that will help you get through your inbox faster and more efficiently. We get to hear about some of Julia's pet peeves for fun too! We get our inspiration this week from an article on Time.com by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg called 9 Rules For Emailing From Google Exec. The nine rules for emailing are: Respond quickly.When writing an email, every word matters, and useless prose doesn’t.Clean out your inbox constantly.Handle email in LIFO order (Last In First Out).Remember, you’re a router.When you use the bcc (blind copy) feature, ask yourself why.Don’t yell.Make it easy to follow up on requests.Help your future self search for stuff. Listen to this episode to learn more about the nine rules and find out which ones Kristine and Julia live by. We want to hear from you! What are your email rules? Are

This week, our hosts Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent talk about some good PR and how blogger relations made it happen. Although not a completely new concept in PR and communications, blogger relations has grown into an excellent way to get your message out through a non-traditional gatekeeper. Back in the day, your only gatekeeper was journalists. If you wanted to be featured on the 6 o'clock news, you had to build relationships with the right journalists, editors, producers, etc. Today bloggers can be equally as powerful gatekeepers. In fact, some bloggers have a stronger and more dedicated followings through website hits and social media followers than the local newspaper. As a young professional entering their new career, don't discount the possibilities of a good blogger relations strategy. To demonstrate the possibilities, Kristine and Julia share their experience as bloggers. Julia shares her experience as a book club blogger and how it landed her an interview on TV as a subject matter expert. Kristi

In this week's episode hosts Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent talk about how a listener of the show went from podcast listener to career star. We tell you Sharon Cheung's story. Some of you might recognize Sharon's name. This is not the first time she is mentioned on Young PR Pros. Sharon was the mastermind behind our popular Take uOPRA to Work series in 2013. The series followed four professionals in different PR and communication roles and industries to help new and returning students to the University of Ottawa understand the opportunities available to them after graduation. The series even won a local IABC Ottawa Excel Award in 2014. Now Sharon works with Kristine at the Canadian Automobile Association. Kristine sits down with Sharon and asks her questions about the interview process. What did she do to put together a compelling resume and cover letter? What did she do to prepare for the interview? What did she include in her portfolio? This episode is about a real success story. Sharon offers excellent

This week, Young PR Pros welcomes new listeners from the FIR podcast network. For our regular listeners you don't need to change anything, you will still continue to receive new weekly episodes through iTunes or Stitcher. For those who don't know, the FIR podcast network, run by internationally acclaimed communicators Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz, is a collection of business podcasts on niche topics that appeal to communicators in different countries around the world. The anchor show, For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report, is the longest running communications podcast, broadcasting business and communications advice for more than a decade. In 2013, Hobson and Holtz expanded their podcast and created a network of a dozen shows, including the popular Canadian social media podcast Inside PR, hosted by Martin Waxman, Gini Dietrich and Joseph Thornley. For our first episode on the podcast network, we discuss the definition of the word spin. Some people see this as a four-letter bad word and want it e

With the first week of back to school almost complete, Kristine D’Arbelles and Julia Kent share a few back-to-school tips and advice for the young PR pros. You can read about all the tips in detail in this morning’s blog post entitle 4 Back to School Tips for the Successful PR Proo. If you have something to add to the list, we would love to hear about it. Share your opinions by writing a comment below, or on our Facebook Page, or on our Google+ page, or send us an email at youngprpros@gmail.com, or send us a message on Twitter @youngprpros, @kristinedarbell, @kentjulia or @mollimegasko.

This week, our hosts Kristine D'Arbelles and Julia Kent are on vacation. We thank our listeners for their patience and understanding while they take some time to relax, rejuvenate and spend time with family. So while they soak up the sun, please enjoy this encore presentation of episode 9, which aired on May 29, 2012. A lot of the advice you will hear still applies to the changing PR and communications industry we live in today. Also, enjoy the voice of our past host Molli Megasko, who is still rocking it in New York City! We miss her dearly, but know she is doing awesome work. Hard skills that matter During the opening of the show, Kristine talks about a Forbes article called Five Ways to Land that Post-College Job (Even if You Graduated Years Ago). The article offers some great tips that the ladies of Young PR Pros have mentioned in past episodes. The article also serves as a nice recap of some of the great tips shared on this show. The conversation this week was sparked by a comment left by an avid listene