Tag Archives: Algonquin PR

Algonquin College PR Grads of 2010

The public relations program is piloting WhyHire.me this term. I have been fortunate enough to meet and work with this class of graduating PR professionals.  I’d like to introduce you to a few who have chosen to make their WhyHire.me profiles public.  Click their names to see their WhyHire.me profiles. There will be more coming soon!

Femi Fasoyinu - Profile PictureFemi Fasoyinu -  Taking a proactive approach to building relationships, Femi makes his teamwork skills an asset to any organization. Femi takes on assignments with enthusiasm to deliver his best work. Being an organized, professional, and energetic communicator, Femi takes on challenges with more than the required effort every time.

maeMae McCrae - Mae is a compelling speaker with a passion for positively influencing lives. A former youth leader, she now manages a young marrieds group, drama, and music department for her church. Mae has a flare for giving a project a unique and recognizable stamp. Her way with words and great listening skills will be valuable to any organization.

ziemZiem Phala – A hardworking and energetic communicator, Ziem has a passion for public relations and fashion. Her drive and creativity have helped her succeed in a team managing musicians and as a self starter . Her background in mass communication and public relations give her a unique outlook on communications and social media and their uses in fashion.

samanthaSamantha Dumas – Samantha is a positive, motivating force on every team. She thrives as a collaborative leader and is a confident problem-solver. These qualities allow her to take on big projects such as coordinating urban arts festival, House of Paint. Samantha is both intelligent and intuitive. She has a passion for learning, writing, dancing and singing.

yaelYael Santo – A love for the written word serves as the driving force behind Yael’s commitment to perfect her writing skills. Her creativity outside the page is found in strategy development, while her commitment to quality work is reflected in her grades. High organizational skills, strong communication skills, and bilingualism make her an asset to any project.


sarah shireySarah Shirey – I am a vibrant, forward-looking, and passionate public relations practitioner interested in building a career focused on achieving impressive results for an organization with a bias for action. I have significant, hands-on training in various PR roles, including issues management, event management, project management, and relationship management.

samantha hartleySamantha Hartley – Samantha is an energetic self-starter committed to growth and believes hard work is the path to success. Her thirst for knowledge has transformed her from a small-town girl to a young woman ready to take on the world. A three-year honour student, she’s a natural communicator and believes in maintaining relationships through respect and trust.


amy campsallAmy Campsall – Amy strives to exceed expectations while creating new opportunities. Her compassion makes her an excellent team player, while her independence and ability to adapt allow her to face challenges with enthusiasm. Amy has experience in event management and social media and is looking to build a career in communications, while continuing to learn.

A WhyHire.me Profile Starts with a Pitch

Algonquin PR Students Using WhyHire.me

Graduating Algonquin PR Students Using WhyHire.me

The first three classes of the WhyHire.me program focus on developing a positioning pitch which will set the tone and theme for a student’s WhyHire.me profile.  A few pitches from the Algonquin Public Relations class follow.

Ashlie Cormack: A willingness to embrace change and commitment to her values are what set Ashlie apart. She strives to be passionate not only for her work, but for the people she works with. Her skill comes from leadership roles in academic and athletic environments. Her ideal job isn’t restricted to the “9-5” but is integrated into every aspect of her life.

Mae McCrae: Mae McCrae is a compelling speaker with a passion for positively influencing lives. A former youth leader, she now manages a young marrieds group, drama, and music department for her church. Mae has a flare for giving a project a unique and recognizable stamp. Her way with words and great listening skills will be valuable to any organization.

Jessa Millar: Jessa is very passionate about the success of causes she works on. She has a lifelong history of involvement in her community. Delivering a constant out-pour of creative ideas, she makes connections and mobilizes action. Jessa’s problem-solving skills, personable nature and contagious enthusiasm make her a valued part of initiatives she engages in.

Once these students have created their pitches, they then work to develop their profiles using text, photos, blog posts, Twitter feeds to support and prove their pitch.  They will look at their school, volunteer, work placement projects, extra curricular, and part-time work to present rich experiences that are valuable to prospective employers.  I’m impressed with this bunch, they have a lot to offer their industry.

Right now their profiles are private but when they are ready, we’ll let you know.

Focusing on the Pitch

This week the Algonquin PR students and I focused on understanding product branding, personal branding and developing their ‘Positioning Pitch’.  In a WhyHire.me profile, students have 350 characters to develop their clear concise message which sets the tone of their personal brand. It should highlight their keywords which could include personality traits, skills, strengths, or values which they discovered in Dig Deep.  Additional ingredients for their pitch include a ’splash’ of proof to provide validity and a target which could be a position, industry, value system, or location they have in mind.

At first it seems easy to write a paragraph but soon into the process I start hearing: ‘this is hard’, ‘I don’t feel comfortable writing about myself this way’ and ‘I really don’t know what makes me unique’.  These are initial thoughts that many people have when they start this process. However, it’s so important to put in the time to craft a message that is clear, unique and strong for not only your profile but your overall personal brand which will be used in meetings, interviews, emails, career fairs, resumes and more.  Employers want to know what grads have to offer, what makes them different and how they can solve the organization’s business problems.

I look forward to reading their pitches as they start to pop up in our social network and I hope a few of these students will get a chance to use their pitches at the upcoming Algonquin College Career Week (Feb 8-12).  Career Week features a job fair and a series of information session and networking opportunities for past and present students to connect with industry.

Start by Digging Deep – Values, Passions and Strengths

Yesterday, my class of Algonquin PR students and I started the process of digging deep.  Many people think that our program is centered around social media tools.  There is no question that technology is a large part of getting your personal brand online but first you have to develop a clear message.

We start the process of self-discovery by looking into several key issues including; personal values, personality, strengths, achievements, passions, the opinions of others and finally, we take a brief look at weaknesses. To many this seems to be a little far from the original expectations of developing an online presence but you have to start at the heart of the matter.

People don’t give enough thought to what they are all about, what they can offer the world, and what they want to offer the world. We’re all so busy, overworked and overwhelmed to give ourselves the time we deserve. It’s easier to think about stuff, to-do lists, tasks, technology, friends, ….. We all need to take the time to think about what’s important to us, what we have to give to others and how we want to continue to develop and grow.

Do you know what your values, passions and strengths are? I hope my PR students now have a better handle on these big issues and now know what their keywords and phrases are, we will see next class.