Work In Progress

Spring has finally sprung! I smell the blossoming of beautiful flowers all around. It's indeed a beautiful time of the year.

And yes I know I have been missing in action for a while but it is only because am back in school studying Human Resources Management. And yes it's a big deal since it's a management course and all.
But am glad to say am doing well and I have gone half-way. I won't lie it's been stressful and challenging but like they say "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger".

This course has indeed made me stronger. First of all I never liked maths right from day 1 but because we had to take an elective in Management Accounting last term I am now more comfortable with numbers. Which is a good thing because I need basic accounting in my everyday life. I also took another borrowed course in Law and I enjoyed it. As I participated in an  arbitration panel and I handled the opening argument and I got good feedback from my teacher and course mates. I started wondering whether I missed my calling and maybe I was suppose to be a lawyer. I also participated in a Staffing Interview simulation in order to recruit a Project Administrator for Sodexo company. It was  a big deal because as it was worth almost thirty percent of my grade and executed it successfully with my teammates.

There are some upsides to this my new phase as I have about 8 Nigerian course mates in my new program. All friendly and I can relate with them based on our shared backgrounds as well as the fact that 98 percent of the class members are international students a huge contrast from my previous program were International students constituted only about 10 percent of the class.

Last month I celebrated my birthday with friends. It was the first time I had celebrated my birthday in Canada. My new and old friends played a huge role as they came out en masse for my birthday dinner at Mandarin in Downtown Toronto. I was really excited because it was huge milestone in my life. That been said I will like to use this opportunity to thank all my friends that came out, you guys made my day.

Anyway just wanted to drop this here because it's been a while and I have missed you guys. Talk to you soon!

Internship Tips and Tricks

As you all know I recently rounded up my Internship with Bell Media. It was interesting, hectic and productive because I got to gain hard skills as it relates to the profession. So I thought I should give advice or tips to new graduates that are about to undertake their internships.

1. Always be punctual, courteous  and dress properly.

2.  Set learning objectives for yourself from the moment you start your Internship; so you have something you are working towards.

3. If you don’t like media monitoring, better learn to love it because it’s going to be your best friend for the next couple of months.

4.  Whenever you are in doubt ask questions. Do not be scared to ask questions.

5.  Don’t work hard, work smart: Always have your daily to-do lists and reminders with priorities for the day it helps you stay organised.

6.  If you are not too busy, always offer to help.

7. Try to come out of your shell in other wards feel free to relate with your colleagues either by contributing to issues and voice out your opinion during brainstorms and meetings.

8. Don’t feel bad when your work is corrected, nobody is perfect and besides you are here to learn.

9. Be flexible: The entertainment industry is fast paced and things change and you have to adapt and change with the time.

10. Network: Try to network not just amongst your team members but also other members of staff in other departments.

11. Try to keep a weekly log of every task you are asked to do during your internship. It will help you look back and see if you were able to achieve your initial learning objectives. Besides it will also help you when you are putting together your resume.

12. Endeavour to follow the protocols put in place while sending out internal or external memos.

13. Lastly, enjoy your internship.

      Best of Luck!

Do’s and Don’ts for Public Relation Graduates while preparing for Interviews

       

You might be wondering, what do I know about interviews? But I tell you I have had my own fair share of interviews. So I can tell you a thing or two when it comes to preparing for interviews. These are my top five rules one should observe when preparing for interviews.

 

1. Copy- edit your work: Proofread all materials in your portfolio to make sure it is error free. This can be difficult to do especially if you are applying for several job placements at the same time. But you need to avoid any mistakes especially with your cover letters and resume because you could lose the opportunity of been called for an interview just from having a cover letter or resume with typos. Trust me I am talking from experience.
2. Dress properly: Make sure to always dress in a professional manner when going for interviews because their first impression is usually gotten from your physical outlook. So dress the way you want to be addressed. So if you want to be taken seriously, dress appropriately.
3. Research the company: Try as much as possible to research the company you are interested in and especially when you have been scheduled for an interview. Make sure to know their visions, goals and clients. In other wards try as much as possible to learn what they are about before the interview. It shows you did your homework and at the end of the day it pays off on the day of your interview.
4. Don’t stick to only one type of company: Try as much as possible to interview in several companies before you accept anyone because you never know until you go. You might think you already know what you want but there have been some situations were individuals find themselves in organizations completely different from their passion but at the end of the day they fall in love with those jobs.
5. Don’t always look at the Pay. Most times young people are quick to reject job opportunities without remuneration. This is quite understandable, but there are some situations where you can overlook pay and take up some jobs because in the long run you will gain valuable hands-on experience that you wouldn’t have learned elsewhere.

Good luck in your next Interview!!!

AfroFest 2014

Sometime last month I volunteered at a Festival called the Mudhati Festival of drums where I met some other volunteers, some from China, another Canada as well as Congo. Over the course of the festival I became really close to two ladies. One was called Solange and the other Vanity. Solange and I began calling ourselves “twinnies” over the course of the festival because we discovered that we both shared the same date of birth which is 24^th of March and both of us are also studying Public Relations. Really cool isn’t it? Basically she was the one that told me about the AfroFest. After she spoke so highly of it. I made up my mind there and then that when the time came I was going to go. 

                                                      

AfroFest is held annually since 1989, AfroFest is a showcase of a rich and diverse African culture. With organized fun and educational activities for youth and children and the whole family. AfroFest is the biggest African music event of the summer.

                                                                                                            

The day eventually came last week Saturday and Sunday and I was present. I must say it was a great event. It was an event filled with Illustrious African Canadians who were excelling in their fields, as well as renowned musicians and producers who came all the way from Africa to grace this great occasion. I had the pleasure of meeting an award winning producer who came all the way from Ghana.

Before I forget there were also food vendors who offered a wide variety of African delicacies such as jollof rice, stew, plantain, boiled corns, suya, buns and lots more and there were lots of drinks and alcohol as well.

They were also some people who came around to sell already made African batik and Ankara alongside some African artifacts and body decorations.

I really enjoyed myself because I met new set of people in Toronto. The event also left me feeling nostalgic as I got to listen to a large number of African tunes and performances, by the way Nigerian music dominated that day. And there were two Nigerian musicians who came for the event and his name was Freddie Osagie and Asiko Afrobeat Ensemble. There were also other performances from some people from Congo, Ethiopia and other East African and West African countries.

I met many young ladies of colour that day who talked about skin care routine for our skin type as well as transitioning to natural hair. I now know some of the advantages of going natural - the fact that you have a healthier and better looking hair. But I don’t know if I can be committed to taking care of my natural hair because it’s a lot of work. But am seriously thinking of it because processed hair does not thrive well in this Canadian weather but am also scared because I might have to do the big chop and start growing my hair all over again.Anyway, I will save that discussion for another day.

Overall I really had a great time am now looking forward to the biggest festival in North America which is the Caribana and that is the festival for the people from the Caribbean Islands…I can’t wait!!!

World Cup Fever

I am not a die-hard football fan but whenever the World Cup begins and my country “Nigeria” qualifies I can’t help but support my team as it’s a natural patriotic act of solidarity.

It is just amazing how the World Cup brings people together. At first I was skeptical about how the World Cup vibe in Canada would be. With their football team not qualifying for the World Cup and all. But it has been amazing how things have turned out since the competition began.

It has been fascinating how the World Cup spirit has taken over. At every street corner you will find flags of different nationalities and big- sized footballs hanging from windows of grocery shops as well as sports bars been filled with various supporters of football teams. With their faces beautifully painted in the colours of their team while cheering their team during a game and the  massive street parties that take place after a win.

Another outstanding aspect of this year’s World Cup it’s the rather unpredictable turn it has taken. Whereby the undefeated champions Spain fell through just at the beginning of the championship totally debunking the myth believed by critics that the games are rigged.  

                

I am excited about the games and seriously rooting for my team the “Super Eagles.”

At the end of the day, may the best team win!

For more information on the FIFA World Cup 2014 been hosted by Brazil visit: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/

If you get caught up in the fever in Canada, here are links to some sports bar you can go to http://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_sports_bars_in_toronto/

Are you for real or fake???

               
                                 
                                               

In recent times, some people argue that most individuals act fake or are not genuine. This is because they feel that people put forth an unreal personae when dealing with other individuals. This characteristics is often associated with female folk.

Can people always be themselves? By this I mean the normal state at which you perform your daily  activities portraying no “fakeness”? My answer to that question is No. Am sure you are wondering why I said so and I will explain it to you in a bit.

The reason I say so, is because as human beings we are flexible and can act in different ways because we are not programmed robots. Oftentimes our mood influences our behaviour. Sometimes when am not happy I withdraw within myself and can often be lost in deep thought, it even gets to the extent where it affects the way I dress, the way I speak or even the way I relate to people.

This could also be the reason why “selfies” are popular these days. This is because we can put our best foot forward and show our best side in the form of pictures before we go on to upload them on Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In situations like a first date between strangers, neither of them puts up his/ her true personality. And that’s only logical because they are trying to give a good impression, so that the other person would be interested in going on second date with them.

It even gets down to the way we eat, most of us eat in a more classy way when eating in the public places. This is partly because we know people are watching us. When in the comfort of our homes we tend to eat with reckless abandon. I know most people can relate with this point because it is true …lols

My second point goes with a question, can you act like you usually do around your friends in an interview in a corporate environment? I guess your answer is as good as mine which is in the negative because you cannot converse with an executive as if he or she is a buddy of yours, unless you are not interested in getting the job.

Lastly, if you are always honest. You might not have a lot of friends because there is the saying that “the truth is bitter.” If truly you are genuine and you tell your friends the truth in all situations then you might lose friends who cannot handle criticism. There are situations when engaging in casual conversation with a friend and your friend might say a joke and it might not be funny but you laugh anyway, or they have a bad hygiene issue and you don’t want to hurt their feeling so you keep it to yourself. All because you don’t want to appear self-serving. Anyway the bottom line is that you can’t always be in your regular state of being. 

If you guys agree with me leave a comment and give examples of occasions when you had to put forth a different personae but if you don’t agree with me. Leave your reasons in the comment box below!

Surprise someone Today

                                                   

Last week Thursday, I decided go on a two-hour trip with a friend to North Baltimore, Ontario. In order to surprise a mutual friend on his birthday as a way of appreciating him for how good he has been to us since we arrived Canada. 

The following Saturday (his birthday), we needed to get him out of the house for a long time so we could get the place set up without him suspecting anything. So we connived with his son to keep him in town for a little longer than normal, since they were only supposed to go to church and return home after two hours, but we needed about four hours to get things set for the party. Thankfully, his son Noah was able to do just what we asked him to.

So when they were out of sight, we got to bake the birthday cake and iced it, prepared his favorite dishes and decorated the house so it was ready for a birthday party. This took us approximately four hours on the dot. Later in the day, when he came back home, we surprised him and sang happy birthday songs to him, we also made him blow out a candle on his birthday and told him to make a wish, then we presented our gifts. I was the DJ of the event where I thrilled the group with mostly Nigerian musicals, we all danced and made merry. Later on we sat down to eat. At the end of the day the celebrant was really excited and appreciated our gifts and he said our gifts were exactly what he needed at the time.

After all this, it dawned on me that people love surprises because it shows that someone cares about them. No matter how little it is, it’s the thought that counts. Everyone should try to be nice to people, this can be done by simply saying hello to someone with a smile on your face, giving someone a hug, complimenting someone or offering to buy the individual a drink or food.

You never can tell how far a simple kind gesture can go in making someone’s day. If there is one thing I know it’s the fact that this world is a small place. You can never tell when next you will be the one in need of a kind gesture, and you could stumble upon an individual who you had offered assistance to in the past and the person would definitely want to do something nice for you in return.

I challenge you guys to go out there today and do something nice for someone.