Today was my last day interning with the internal communications team at Health Canada. Let me start off by saying I didn’t have high expectations for this placement. I knew I would learn a lot and that it would be a valuable experience, but I didn’t expect to make friends and have fun. Well, I made friends and I had a lot of fun.

Working within the government was unlike anything I expected. I pictured long approval processes, cubicles, silence and lunches spent alone. What I got was long approval processes, cubicles, music, laughter, and story sharing. People at the government are fun. I was astounded.

What I really learned as an intern was how to apply the knowledge I had gained in a year and a half of study. I had opportunities to develop the various styles of writing I had been taught. I’ve had my work broadcast on television screens across five Health Canada buildings in the national capital region. Even more exciting, in June I will have two articles published in Health Canada’s corporate magazine. I also worked on communications plans, developed communications products for new websites, and wrote news blurbs for mass emailing.

The greatest value of this experience, though, was that it taught me the things I couldn’t learn in a classroom, like dealing with clients and handling myself on the job. Without real-world experience (and the guidance of amazing team members), I could only guess at the proper etiquette and formality needed in emails and phone conversations with coworkers and clients, among many other things.

All in all, I would repeat this experience in a heartbeat. I had a fantastic time, while learning more than I ever could had I simply been sitting at a desk reading a textbook. Frankly, I wish I could have stayed, had circumstances allowed it.

I will miss everyone from the internal communications team. I only wish them the best in life.

For the past seven weeks I have been working in the college’s public relations agency, leading client projects, and helping with a few others. It’s been an interesting experience, to say the least.

My two main clients are a local author and inventor. The first wrote a book of cartoons for single parents and the newly single, whether you’re divorced or widowed. It’s a self-help book of sorts, in that the author, Rebecca Rotenberg (found at http://flyingsoloagain.blogspot.com), wrote it to help people in her situation. She wanted them to recognize and realize they weren’t alone, and to find the humour in their difficult situations.

The second client invented the Universal Network Cable (www.universalnetworkcable.com), which combines five types of wiring standards into one, all-purpose connector. In order to write material for him, I ended up having to learn an entirely new field… and I’m not technologically-savvy in the least. Nearly a week of research later, I think I have a decent handle on the topic. Geoffrey Bilder, the Ottawa resident who developed and engineered this product has finally gotten his product online, at www.thinkgeek.com. If you have any interest in networking, I would recommend checking it out. It will prove very handy!

The experience I’ve gained working in the agency will likely be invaluable to me in my career. It’s one thing to talk about concepts and tools, and to write them for grades. It’s an entirely different thing writing it for actual, real-life use.

I wouldn’t hesitate to say the public relations program prepares its students for the workforce.

For more info on Algonquin College and the Public Relations program, visit www.algonquincollege.com.

Last week Algonquin College hosted Career Week, an event that featured daily speakers, networking events, and would-be workshops on preparing yourself for interviews and the workplace. The highlight of the week, for me, was hearing Jon Cassar, former director of the show 24, speak about his time at the college, and the challenges of getting to where he now is.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when Jon took the stage. His speech, while interesting and often funny, seemed a little strained, like he was nervous or unsure about his presentation. However, once the floor was opened to questions, Jon seemed to open up, and spoke freely and clearly.

The thing that struck me most was his vehemence in stating that every person needs to create his or her own luck. It’s a cliche we hear often, but Jon really seemed to believe in what he was saying. He explained over and over that if you want to get somewhere, you need to put in time and effort. Spend extra hours doing volunteer work somewhere relevant. Research your passion to understand it front and back. Anything to give you that edge.

The message I took away from his presentation? While luck might strike once in a while, luck won’t be the thing keeping you in the field you love. You need to know it and live it, every day.