Parul Yadav was always fascinated by storytelling. After studying English Literature at the University of Delhi in India, she realized that storytelling has been around for thousands of years and could influence people in impactful ways.
After completing her degree, Yadav decided to move to Canada and enrol in Humber’s Public Relations (PR) graduate certificate program. She believed the PR program would be an excellent fit for her personality and interests and was excited about the possibilities the Canadian PR and communications job market could bring.
“When I started researching PR jobs, I saw that there were more opportunities in Canada to move up or even start my own agency, which is a dream of mine,” said Yadav.
During her studies in the Humber PR program, Yadav began networking with communications professionals hoping to find an internship that would allow her to grow both personally and professionally.
Through networking and coffee chats, Yadav learned more about the PR landscape and discovered she was intrigued by communications in the healthcare sector, an area that has seen substantial growth in the last few years.
“I was interested in creating purpose-driven content,” said Yadav. “I had the pleasure of meeting with the Vice President of GCI Canada, and I was excited to learn that they work with many healthcare clients. Thankfully, they were looking for an intern as well.”
GCI Canada is a PR firm that brings together the personal service of a boutique firm with the capabilities of a global network, specializing in consumer marketing, content and creative, and health and wellness.
Yadav thought the integrated agency’s work culture of continuous growth and personal development, no matter the job title, would be the perfect launching pad for her career. GCI Canada also has access to world-class communicators, allowing for mentorships which would help Yadav build a strong and influential network.
“The internship was the perfect packager of working for a small but well-rounded industry along with the perks of a global network – exactly what I was looking for,” said Yadav.
Instead of moving boxes or dashing out for coffee like other internships, Yadav was immediately an integral part of the GCI Canada teams and continues to grow her skills as a rising PR professional every day.
Yadav is grateful she enrolled in Humber’s PR graduate certificate program, as the lessons she learned in the classroom have proved invaluable during her work placement.
“Humber's PR program has a reputation for being an industry leader in Canada – for a good reason,” said Yadav. “The last eight months I’ve spent as a student has been the most challenging but also rewarding experience of my academic career.”
The intensive PR program prepares students to launch their careers and exposes them to real-world scenarios through BuildingF, Humber’s centre for creative and business collaboration. Specializing in communications, BuildingF brings marketers and agencies together with advanced students from various Humber programs to produce strategic creative content and technology solutions.
Yadav’s experience at Humber prepared her with the foundations she needed to succeed when faced with challenges at GCI Canada.
“An agency setting usually can be a busy and overwhelming workplace,” said Yadav. “We tend to manage multiple clients, crisis communication, reputation building and more. The PR program really prepared me for that type of environment.”
Yadav has enjoyed learning, working and growing with a wide variety of people daily. She hopes to one day move up to managerial level roles in corporate communications and eventually open her own communications agency that delivers innovative and cohesive client strategies.
“The nature of the PR industry is agile, multi-disciplinary and insights-driven,” said Yadav. “There are so many choices and opportunities to take the lead.”