Post secondary is designed to train students to be the best they can be when they head out into the workforce. Most courses offer classes throughout the allotted time frame and then, after graduation, students make their own way.

 In some cases, however, courses are shaped in a way that sends students into a work placement during their semester and allows them to gain experience without the looming threat of making a career- altering mistake.

Algonquin’s public relations program offers students the chance to experience a seven to 10 week real life work placement throughout their second semester. Some student’s travel out to placement in January and do agency work afterwards, while others don’t start placement until March. 

The Algonquin Times sat down with four PR students to discuss the expectations and reservations they have regarding their upcoming venture into the real world.

Devan LaBrash

LaBrash is hoping to travel to CBC Toronto to work in media relations. She is interested in working in arts and culture and is hoping the variety of formats the CBC has to offer will be beneficial to her. She is also looking into PR agencies in Toronto, namely Maverick and Veritas.  Her placement will take place in March and while LaBrash is excited about living in Toronto she is also worried that she may end up overwhelmed. 

“I’m prepared but it’s still scary,” she says.

Jordan Angus

Angus is a former pre music production student who is hoping he can combine his love for pop culture with his knowledge of the music industry and do his placement with a music label in Toronto.  He is hoping to work for a major label but he would be happy working for an independent label.

“Independent labels like Maple or EOne would be great as well,” Angus says.

He’s excited to be centrally located to all of the venues he usually has to travel over four hours to get to. 

“I’m hoping to make connections within the industry and hopefully work with artists,” he says.

A self-described “career student” Angus is looking forward to getting out of the school environment and isn’t nervous at all about the upcoming real-world experience.

Erica Butler

“Human rights are kind of my thing,” Butler says. That being said, Butler is hoping to work for The Canadian Human Rights Organization or a non profit organization in the same vein.

“I volunteer a lot and I’m motivated by helping people,” Butler says.  She is most looking forward to combining her skills with her passion and is excited for the opportunity to apply everything she’s learned to real-world situations. 

Butler is feeling a little weary of the uncertainty at this point, as her placement is not set in stone yet. She’s nervous about making a good impression on her employers but is optimistic that she’s learned enough to do well outside of the classroom.

Olivia De Genova

Olivia isn’t completely sure where she’s heading yet but in the list of prospective placements are the Canadian International Development Agency, Environment Canada and possibly in the finance department for the Federal Government.

“The finance placement offers great experience and a great hiring rate,” she says 

De Genova is excited to get out in the real world but is also nervous about leaving the learning environment that Algonquin offers.

“In school you can mess up and it’s not a huge deal,” she says. “You have the time and resources to try again, but in the real world it sticks with you.”