Introducing Jason Permanand

I would like to introduce you to Jason Permanand, he works at the Canadian Cancer Society as a Communications Manager.  He graduated from Red River Community College and has always been involved with Public Relations and Communications.

I interviewed Jason as I was interested in knowing what he did, as it has always been my dream to work at the Canadian Cancer Society doing Public Relations work.  I was honored when I called him and he agreed to do a face to face interview with me for my PR class.

Some of the things that Jason and I discussed:

What's a typical work week like?
There is no typical work week and its a career that you will never get bored at.  He goes from one day working on a fundraising event to the next where he is in a press conference talking about Cancer Research.

Tell me about a project you worked on that you are especially proud of.
The daffodil campaign, where you wear a daffodil pin, it is the second year that it has been happening and it has raised awareness up a lot especially in Manitoba.

What do you do to keep current in the PR industry?
 Reading a lot of online blogs, facebook, twitter, and professional development.

What do you wish you would have known before starting your career in PR?
To never underestimate the amount of work.   This includes work in communication, marketing and advertising.

How important is writing in your career?
It is huge!  It is also the first thing that he describes when he tells you the things that he does.
If you've ever worked for an agency, how is agency life different from corporate PR life?
He has never worked for an agency, but when you do, you go from one project to another instead of working with the organization as a whole.

What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in PR?
Network as much as you can!
When doing work experience do it in two different areas so you can see what else goes on.
Writing and editing are extremely important.  Make sure you get an outside department to look at your documents, you can never edit too much.
Forge new relationships with media, make sure you are proactive.

What has surprised you the most about working in PR?
The workload is massive.  He did expect a huge workload but in PR you are always working, checking your emails, you always have to stay on top of what is new.

When your company is hiring for an entry-level PR position, what makes a candidate stand out?
It all comes down to passion to work at an organization and not afraid to get your hands wet.

After interviewing Jason for this assignment I am more likely to want a career in PR.  I know that it will be hard work and long hours but I do know that in the long run it will be worth it.  I look forward to never doing the same thing everyday and find that it will be a fun and exciting challenge.

For more information on the Canadian Cancer Society please visit www.cancer.ca