Intro

I had just finished school in December 2022, I felt overwhelmed and yet underwhelmed, and I remember saying to myself, “January 1. On January 1 I will start applying for jobs.”

I knew right away I wanted a career in Public Relations because I attended a Public Communications lecture dedicated to PR at Laurier, and I absolutely loved the content. It was the first time I felt confident in what I wanted to do after university.

On January 1, I googled “Best PR agency in Toronto” and Strategic Objectives popped up right at the top!

First Impressions

I had interview after interview with other agencies, but it was during my interaction with Strategic Objectives that I felt genuine excitement that put pep in my step. I remember going home after the interview and immediately telling my parents I was going to work for this company because I loved the people who interviewed me, the vibrant energy within the company, and the positive work environment.

What stood out to me the most, was when my interviewers assured me, “You are not going to be that stereotypical intern in movies who runs and gets everyone coffee…We like our interns involved in everything.” That was one of the main reasons I chose to intern at Strategic Objectives, because I knew I would gain more valuable hands-on experience in this internship than any other.

Setting Goals with SO

My goals have expanded since starting my SO internship. My initial goal was to establish my presence within the office. I made it a point to greet everyone in the office in the morning and say goodbye at the end of a productive day. As time went on, I challenged myself a bit more, setting goals such as drafting my first pitch and coming up with creative ideas for Weber’s content overviews. Now my current goal is to secure more media coverage for Marcelle and Watier!

Groupe Marcelle

I take immense pride in my contributions to the Groupe Marcelle accounts including Watier and Marcelle, particularly in the areas of pitching and sourcing influencers. My team is confident enough in my abilities, giving me the responsibility of drafting pitches, sourcing influencers, and monitoring their coverage. I am now capable of independently managing the entire process.

When it comes to pitching, one thing I am most proud of is securing an earned Tier A media product feature on Cityline’s Fashion Friday segment for Watier’s fragrance, Neiges! On that note, my most memorable experience during my time at Strategic Objectives was working on the 30th Anniversary of Watier’s Neiges Eau de Parfum event. Witnessing our team vision come to life after months of meticulous planning was extraordinary! Throughout this event planning process, I learned so much, from sourcing & communicating with vendors, to creating an invite list and having my own “Devil Wears Prada” moment when Andie had to remember all the guests’ names and faces.

Weber Grills

I also work on Weber Grills where our Social and Digital Media Specialist works with me to create the first drafts of content calendars. Each month we brainstorm ideas for Instagram and Facebook posts, turn those ideas into captions and hashtags and source  delicious content  to match.

Key Learnings

One challenge I faced was with managing up as an intern, I hesitated at first to potentially inconvenience my team members. However, one of my colleagues reassured me that proactive communication shows how much you care about your job and executing it properly. Now I send reminder emails, or I put a request to review a specific document, such as a pitch, in the person’s calendar with a nice little note.

• There were a few important things that I have learned throughout my internship.

• Make sure to fully immerse yourself in the experience and have fun with it!

• Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts or opinions in account meetings. I shared an idea and it turned into a media relations pitch.

• How to prioritize different tasks and balance multiple accounts. My best tip here is to allot yourself time to work on each account in your calendar.

Conclusion

SO Grateful

My internship experience was nothing short of wonderful, and it makes me emotional writing this. While it’s important to commit to hard work and meet all your deliverables, what sets Strategic Objectives apart is its exceptional work culture.

At times, it doesn’t even feel like work, thanks to all the enjoyable activities incorporated into the company’s framework. There are so many fun aspects to this company from Thirsty Thursday’s and fun team lunches to Fantasy Football, and SO Jokes of the week!

I’ve had the privilege of making some lifelong friends at Strategic Objectives, where we now go to dinners and movies after work, and a co-worker is now taking me to my first Broadway show. I will forever be grateful and cherish my time as an intern at Strategic Objectives! My time at SO isn’t finished though…I’m so proud and excited to announce that I’ve been hired full-time as an Account Coordinator!