Public Relations Programs

All students are warmly invited to form a team of 3-4 people and enter the SQPRP’s annual case competition to win the Prix Paul-Dumont-Frenette.  Students enrolled in the Cases in PR or Communication Planning courses are doing the case as part of their course work, but all students in the McGill programs are invited to compete.

So far, the only years McGill has not had a team in the finals . . . have been the years we didn’t enter anyone!  So the bar is high, but we don’t lack for precedents.  Two McGill teams have taken first place and one tied. Nor is language a problem: two of those cases were presented in English. (The case is available only after you’ve signed up for the competition. Once yuo’ve registered, you can contact Elizabeth Hirst for an English version.)

 The program will appoint an instructor to coach the team (or you can ask one of your own instructors). But you need to be a member to win, so go to the SQPRP site and join now. Making the finals will be a great addition to your CV and bring you to the attention of local leaders in the field.

The deadline to register is February 26; the deadline for submission of written work is March 26.

On February 16, the SQPRP (through the Jeunes professionnels)  is offering a workshop (in French) on setting up your own public relations business. Great prices — $15 for non-members, and $10 for members (ed. note: and you should all be members, anyway!) For more info, see the SQPRP website or send an e-mail to Marie-Hélène Haeck, Responsable du développement professionnel JR. 514-432-2571

Tungle Corp. (they make scheduling software) has an immediate opening for a media relations manager for their marketing team. See the page in the list at right for more details and contact info.

Bilingual recent grads and almost-grads with good Web knowledge may be interested in a communications coordinator position  advertised by La Vitrine via newsletter but not, for some reason, on the website.  Deadline is February11. See page (La Vitrine) in list at right for further info.

The Montreal Jewish Magazine has a small budget for communications/marketing help with its semi-annual, glossy publication, including feedback on current communication strategies. Contact its editor directly or call 514-737-7448. If you get in touch, please copy instructor Joanne Kennedy, who passed along this tip.

The first Canadian Cellfield intervention program for students needing help with reading skills has started up in Montreal, after considerable success in Australia, NZ, Scotland, the U.S. and Singapore.  Ingrid Poupart, its director, could use part-time or contractual help developing web, print, radio, promotional materials in order to raise awareness of this service and launch the biz.

Congratulations to diploma student Rafael Mayor-Mora (also a student representative to the Curriculum Sub-Committee) who just landed a job we advertised here last month. He is now Communications Manager for ICSID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design). Alum Neil Griffiths tipped us off to the opening.

Public relations/communications people across Quebec are talking, writing and blogging about the new Radio-Canada series, Mirador. Set in a large, Montreal-based public relations consulting firm, it raised fears months in advance in our profession about the way the consultants might be presented — i.e., as flacks and spin doctors.

While at least one of the characters is a sleazebucket beyond even the most cynical journalist’s dreams, it has turned out not to be the total hatchet job many of us feared. Still, I wouldn’t recommend any of the tactics used if you want to pass the Ethics course!

Members of the SQPRP are using the opportunity to create more public conversations about public relations practice. The SQPRP’s RP.COM web page has messages, blog posts and links to recent articles that provide thoughtful reflections on our practice and how it is seen from the outside, as well as response from the show’s writers. Highly recommended reading.

Catch the show on Wednesday evenings at 9.

All McGill students, especially those in the later courses, are encouraged to participate in the SQPRP’s annual competition for the Prix Paul-Dumont-Frenette. Its 2010 launch this week includes presentations to the more advanced McGill PR classes by Prix PDF rep Marjolaine Voiselle (a McGill PR alumna). McGill students have always done well in this competition, whether their entries were in French, English or bilingual. This year’s case is being used as part of the Cases/Communications Planning course.

The SQPRP’s annual conference, organized by the Jeunes professionnels (members who are students or who have less than 5 years’ experience in public relations/communications) is an amazing PD and networking event. Known as Parle parle, jase, jase, its 2010 edition is scheduled for March 20 (Uh-oh! that’s the same date as the Career Workshop. There will be choices to be made. Or maybe take in the workshop in the morning and the conference in the afternoon.) Anyway, check the SQPRP site in the next couple of weeks.  We may not want to push it again at the expense of out own activity!