Ottawa-based podcast Young PR Pros and the University of Ottawa’s Public Relations Association (uOPRA) were presented with an IABC Ottawa Excel Award of Merit for their podcast series – entitled Take uOPRA to Work Day – that showcases different PR industries as future career options for young professionals.
“We are proud to share the stage with an organization that helps young PR and communications professionals connect and grow,” says Kristine D’Arbelles, producer and co-host of Young PR Pros.
The four-part podcast series brought together the best advice from communications experts in Ottawa. Over the course of four 30-minute episodes, Young PR Pros hosts – Kristine D’Arbelles and Julia Kent – and uOPRA president Sharon Cheung interviewed four professionals. Shirley Schiavo, HR Manager for MediaMiser, offered advice to young professionals on the recruitment process for a PR job in the technology industry. Ottawa Fashion Week operations manager, Payton Kennedy, talked about the challenges in entering the fashion industry. Ian Capstick, managing partner at MediaStyle, talked about working for a PR agency. And Nicolas Ruszowski, general manager of Fleishman Hillard’s Ottawa office, gave his advice to young professionals wanting to work in government relations. The podcast series utilized audio and video interviews to create an engaging show.
“This podcast series helped kick start an incredible year for uOPRA, inspiring our team to adopt the same idea of covering diverse industries in PR into other projects, such as our Let’s Grow Together 2014 Conference. It’s safe to say that it all began with our fruitful relationship with Young PR Pros and I’m proud to be a part of the series!” says Sharon Cheung co-founder of uOPRA.
The International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) Ottawa Chapter holds their yearly gala to celebrate and honour the best and brightest in the local communications community. Other award winners include the Mayor Jim Watson, who was presented with the Communicator of the Year award.
About Young PR Pros
Young PR Pros is a weekly podcast for the young and young at heart PR professional looking for tips and advice on how to build and advance their careers. Hosted by Kristine D’Arbelles and Julia Kent, the two PR professionals based in Canada’s capital invite communications experts on the show to discuss everything from tips for young professionals to the state of the PR industry.
About uOPRA
The University of Ottawa Public Relations Association (uOPRA) is a student association that represents the PR student body at the University of Ottawa. Their mission is to help student members’ develop both their practical and professional skills for entering into the workforce. This is achieved through writing opportunities on the uOPRA blog, organizational communication skill building through general assembly meetings and the fostering of other skills such as the event planning of mixers, workshops and conferences.