Two months ago I began my internship at Elettra. I’ve somehow time warped into my last week, because it feels like yesterday was my first day. That being said, I’ve been fortunate to accomplish a lot in eight weeks. Between helping out with events, drafting communication tools, creating social media content and putting together media kits, it’s been an exciting time. For the sake of being short and sweet, I won’t recap everything I’ve experienced here. Instead, I’ll share the top three lessons I’ve learned.

Lesson 1: Know your industry Completing PR school in Toronto, I was curious about how Vancouver would compare. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that practical skills are only as valuable as your knowledge of the industry. Being a good writer means nothing if you don’t know who to pitch to, or how to address your audience.

At Elettra I spent plenty of time familiarizing myself with the Vancouver media landscape – studying local newspapers and blogs, scanning for coverage, and composing media lists.

Lesson 2: Be detail-oriented I was lucky to experience the Pacific Centre Make an Entrance fashion show from planning stages to event day. I quickly learned how important attention to detail is, as we examined every angle of the event – from what to do if it rained, to what kind of skirting to use on the runway.

Simone warned me, be ready for anything. If you can imagine it, it can happen. Behind the scenes, the ladies of Elettra were prepared for any possible situation. This meticulous mindset resulted in a successful and memorable event.

Jenny

Lesson 3: Think creatively Throughout my internship I also worked on creating social media content for Harbour Centre. In agency you’re forced to think creatively, as each client has a unique set of needs. The challenge here was crafting content that’s appealing for their audience, while remaining relevant to current news and events. Generating ongoing, original content encouraged me to explore new methods of thought.

Team brainstorm sessions certainly help with the creative process. Thankfully I was able to listen and contribute to quite a few during my internship. The fantastic part about Elettra is their collaborative environment, which breeds excitement and innovation within the team.

So that about sums it up. It’s hard to list only three takeaways, because I’ve learned countless things during my internship. I owe a huge thank you to the ladies of Elettra for offering me their knowledge, insight and support. As for me, onto the next chapter of my PR story!

You can reach Jenny on LinkedIn here.

Elettra Communications is excited to welcome our new intern, Jenny McKenzie, to the team! Jenny recently earned her post-graduate degree in public relations from Humber College. Prior to Humber, she received her bachelor’s honours degree in communications from Brock University.

While at Brock, Jenny completed a communications internship at Best Buy Canada Ltd. This position sparked her interest in PR, and encouraged her to pursue a career in it. Since then, Jenny has dedicated her time to building relevant knowledge and skills, inside and outside the classroom. 

In her spare time, Jenny is an avid sports fan and music buff. During her undergraduate degree, she was a committed member of the varsity volleyball team. Jenny has sought ways to pair these interests with PR, and her volunteer experiences range from sports PR to music conferences. Another passion of hers is travel, which led her to backpack across Australia in 2013.

Originally from B.C., Jenny is excited to return to her roots in Vancouver. She is always seeking new challenges, and loves the diversity of PR. After dedicating many years to education, she is eager to see how her skills transfer from the classroom to the workplace.

Welcome to the team Jenny!

Elettra Communications has an immediate opening for a full time Account Coordinator. We are looking for an enthusiastic and driven professional who is keen to take the next step in their PR career. Responsibilities:

Media Relations

• Writing media materials, including news releases, fact sheets, articles, and web copy.
• Developing media lists, distributing media materials, and pitching stories.
• Responding to incoming reactive media inquiries.
• Monitoring media and developing campaign recaps.

Social Media

• Monitoring social media channels on behalf of clients.
• Developing social media content and assisting in strategy development.

Events / Community Relations

• Coordinating events and community programs, working with clients and suppliers.

General

• Supporting senior team members on a variety of communications projects.
• Supporting administrative functions of the agency.
• Contributing to Elettra’s social media profiles. Creating content for Elettra’s blog.
• Conducting research on a variety of topics.

Requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Business, Marketing, Public Relations, or Arts.
• Previous experience (6 months – 1 year) working in a public relations agency or within a communications team. This can include internships.
• Strong media literacy and interest in local, national, and international current affairs and news.
• Active user of social media, including all major platforms. Experience in content development and monitoring.
• Exceptional writing and oral communications skills.
• A wealth of knowledge about, and passion for, the city of Vancouver.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Flexible with hours and able to respond to media inquiries / attend events outside the 9-5, Monday-Friday workweek.

Please apply with cover letter and cv to info@elettra.ca.

By Leanne Kedrosky As my internship at Elettra Communications comes to a close, I’m reflecting back on how much I have learned, accomplished, and progressed over the past nine weeks. I started my time at Elettra with a faint inkling that public relations is in my career future, and I am finishing the internship with a solid conclusion that I want to be a PR star.

What I Learned at Elettra Communications:

How do you become a PR star? I have complied some of my favourite tips gathered throughout my nine-week internship at Elettra.

The people make the job. The people at Elettra made my internship a highly enjoyable experience. I’m thankful to work with Managing Partners that made me feel like part of the team and were available for any of my questions. Personal relationships are important to the Elettra team and this reflects in numerous previous employees who have returned as clients.

Choose accuracy over time. Take the time to triple and quadruple check you work! Clients will never appreciate sending off wrong or misspelled information; that time to check facts will save your reputation. Then when you think it is perfect, have someone else read it over.

Mom was right, patience is a virtue. If a situation is tough take a deep breath, ask questions, and respond with a goal in mind. The people around you will notice how you respond to others and your future workload will reflect your capabilities.

Write EVERYTHING down. From small tasks to weekly reminders, write it all down. As an intern you may be focusing on many things in a day, don’t let the small things slip out of your organizational grasp.

Small is important. Doing a good job on small tasks will lead to more responsibility. Don’t consider any task unimportant. When you put effort into the small things it will be noticed, you will gain respect in the workplace, and slowly receive more responsibility and projects.

Thank you to the Elettra team for teaching me so many valuable practices and helping me progress towards my career goals. I am looking forward to working here longer and absorbing more information from such a knowledgeable team.