Take a Chance, Take a Chance, Take a Chance-Take a Chance on Me
How do you get an employer to take a chance on you? Sorry, let me rephrase that: How do you get an employer, in a particular practice area in PR, where you know you are capable of succeeding, but just need an opportunity, to take a chance on you?
Let me elaborate. Ever since PR school, I’ve been fascinated and drawn to working in a PR agency; it’s fast, competitive, creative, requires you to think on your feet and from what I hear, can be extremely rewarding. To be direct, it’s what I want and what I’ve been striving to get.
As life would have it, I wasn’t able to secure a field placement in an agency for the last two months of my post grad, but did end up at a terrific company. The experience was priceless, but my quest was not over. I picked up the phone and called agency after agency, sent out resumes, and scoured the likes of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for potential account coordinator openings. I managed to score some information interviews and even some REAL interviews, all of which I was able to turn into “interview experience” but somewhat frustratingly, nothing more. My latest attempt got me closer than ever, but still no cigar. *sigh* I’m not one to give up. I’m going to keep trying.
So about me! I am an energetic, creative, driven individual itching to break into the world of PR via an agency. I’m interested in working with consumer goods, but am willing to dabble in any practice. I work hard and am not happy until the job is both complete and well done. I love variety in my work and have no qualms about working my way from the bottom up. Yes, I’m looking to make it to the top. But I have to start somewhere.
I have a lot of event management experience, good writing skills and some media relations experience, which I know is the area I still need to work on. But I’m a chatty Cathy by nature and have had lots of previous experience cold calling and pitching products and services to people over the phone. I have all the confidence in the world that what could be perceived as a lack of experience can be overcome with hard work and determination.
At my current place of employment, I walked in not knowing how to communicate with their people. I didn’t know the industry or the key players. It was like being in a foreign country where the national language was Innovation. I had to learn it and I had to learn it quickly. And I did. Now, I can converse eloquently about disruptive technologies that will change the landscape of Ontario from a government, industry and academic point of view. Better yet, I can write about it, too.
And so I turn to you, people of HAPPO. Does anything I have just said resonate with you? Does the way I said any of it pique your interest? I sure hope so. If you’d like to know more about me, you are more than welcome to get a hold me via my Twitter, LinkedIn or email (listed below). Or you can reply to this post!
I know I’ve got what it takes and I’m hoping someone out there will read this post, perhaps even recognize that they too were in this position once and remember how they got their start. Someone may have taken a chance on you.
*fingers crossed*
How to contact Jenessa Fernandes:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jenessaf
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/JenessaFernandes
Email: jenessafernandes@hotmail.com
My PR Perspectives 
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