prclass

     Making a career choice is an important decision that requires knowing the right information. Not only do you need to know which occupation will best suit your interests, but you also need to know the nature of the perspective job, opportunities that will be available within this occupation, as well as the education and training that is required.  It is therefore important to understand the labour market and keep informed on emerging labour trends in Canada.  As jobs grow and change, the skills and education required for them follow.  Therefore before searching for a career it is important to look at information provided on future trends in the labour markets as well as the distribution of jobs throughout the industries.   

     Due to the growth of the public relations field, public relations practitioners tend to be paid well, although the range of compensation is broad (PRSA, 2006).  Earnings depend on such factors as the individual’s qualifications and experience, responsibilities of the position, financial state of the organization and the general state of the economy (PRSA, 2006).

    According to the Canadian Public Relations society, the following median salaries are true of the following positions in Canada’s PR practitioners:

• Coordinator (of PR or communications): $43, 000
• Manager (of PR or communications):        $57,000
• Vice President or Director (of PR or communications: $70,000
• President/CEO (of PR or communications): $108,000

    As the need for PR professionals continuously increases amongst organizations, more job opportunities will arise and salaries will continue to grow.  The following is a list of PR related occupations with “good” employment prospects in Ontario communities according to the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS, 2006).

• Media Relations
• Employee/Member Relations
• Community Relations
• Public Affairs
• Government Affairs
• Issues Management
• Financial Relations
• Industry Relations
• Development/Fundraising
• Muliticultural Affairs

    The two largest sources of jobs in Canada today are in the manufacturing and service-producing industries.  Among these industries there are new occupations that require new skills, mainly in the area of multimedia, tele-learning, and biotechnology to name a few.

    Overall, assessing the industry trends is the first step in figuring out the potential for growth or decline in occupations or changes in skill requirements.  Assessing labour trends in Canada provides the information needed to make an informed decision about pursuing a professional career as a PR practitioner.

Websites I found helpful:

CPRS.(2006). The Canadian public relations society, inc. www.cprs.ca/welcome/e-welcome.htm

Ontario Government. (2006). Labour market information. www.gov.on.ca/GOPSP/en/graphics/034760.pdf

Ontario Job Futures. (2005). Overview of ontario’s employment patterns. www1.on.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/ojf.jsp?lang=e§ion=Overview&noc=0000

PRSA. (2006). Careers in public relations: An Overview. http://www.prsa.org/_Resources/profession/careeroverview.asp?ident=prof2

Krista B

Leah Wilson The Decline in Canadian Nationalism 

Canadian nationalism is a concept that has been under much scrutiny in recent years because of its noticeable decline in today’s media market.

The past decade has seen a widespread assault on the importance and legitimacy of a national identity; consequently, the concern with the decline in Canadian nationalism is more pertinent than ever. We reside in an era where the combination of technological change and privatization policies are making massive communication conglomerates with an unrivalled capacity to shape our environment and cultural market. Technological advancements have been particularly important in restructuring the corporate playing field. New innovations allow voice, sound, text, data, and images to be stored and transmitted using universal basic technologies. These developments open up a range of possibilities for new kinds of global activity and interplay between corporations.

It is apparent that new technologies create new opportunities for corporations, but the main concern is that social issues are being lost in the expansion.  The privatization of Canadian businesses has allowed entrepreneurs increased liberty to maneuver and manipulate the market. One of
Canada’s premier multi media companies, CanWest Global Corporation’s plays an integral role in the decline of nationalism in today’s media content.  For example CanWest Global (CWG) is the largest publisher of Canadian daily papers. They own and operate free-to-air and subscription TV networks, out of home advertising, websites and radio stations all with in
Vancouver. It is obvious that in the case of CWG the objective is synergistic expansion; as a result, local national content may be swept under the rug. Is there a problem with one corporation dominating the voice of the entire West Coast? (http://www.canwestglobal.ca). The fact is that the social public concerns are no longer valued, if they are not profitable.

A PR practitioner must combine their expertise in, audience analysis, communications skills, plus technological knowledge in hopes to preserve or rebuild national roots in today’s media content. The management strategy is to balance the corporate global vision with the publics best interest.

For more Info:

CanWest Global Communications Corp:      http://www.canwestglobal.com/mediarelations/newsreleases.html 

Gutstien, Donald.  (2006). Senator’s let big media off hook: Committee shrugs at      CanWest, Targets CBC. The Tyee, A1.  

Seguin, Terry.  (2006).  Newspaper Group says don’t mediate Media Ownership.     CBC News, pp.D2

Hey Class and especially Dustin about your comment,

I came across this article by googling information to see if it was possible to watch TV on a cell phone. And I think its been DONE a while ago. One of the article on this MSNBC website is dated in 2004. So by 2006 , they actually have the capability to let you watch cable as you go as well. Which is pretty damn neat !!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6305929/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11975333/

SEAN.

After choosing “Offshore Labour” for my topic, I wasn’t really sure where to start but I finally got the ball rolling. Offshore labour is when a company relocates or expands a part or all of their business to another country for a lower cost.

Searching various websites I found a lot of information. When a company decides to take a big step like this, there are some areas that become a main concern, such as cultural differences. This is sometimes believed to be the main reason an offshore project fails. We need to realize that there are many things that are different all around the world and that we should choose our words and actions wisely.

Other concerns that need to be addressed are language barriers. Sometimes knowing the language is not enough because many accents are different. For example, I could learn the Filipino language but if I were to go to the Philippines they would have a hard time understanding me because the words sound different coming from someone who was born in Canada. Words and accents are very specific. Therefore it is always an asset to hire employees with the best language skills. Times zones can also affect the offshore business because some countries can be nine or more hours apart. There are ways to avoid such issues like setting up hotlines or planning meetings far enough in advance.

It is a good idea that a company is easily accessible and has someone the customer can get a hold of when needed. If I had a small problem with my computer, it would cost more to send it off shore to be fixed then to have it repaired locally. Having to meet with someone face to face is a bonus, that way you can ask as many questions needed.

Cost cutting is the main drive to why businesses send jobs offshore. If someone has the same expertise and is willing to do it for a lower cost, then why not? But in 2003, according to The Economic Times, it was reported that salaries have increased for a second year.

There is a lot to take into consideration if you choose to take your company offshore. Issues like mass job losses and the costs of setting up your new business can be very expensive. There is a need to adapt to big changes and try not to overwhelm your employees by sending everything all at once.

In my research, I found a quote that relates to the bumpy roads ahead for outsourcing your company. It is as follows:
“To make offshore outsourcing work for you, define your strategy before moving forward, and recognize that outsourcing is about more than just costs. Achieving the right balance between local sourcing and outsourcing for your organization enables you to focus on the critical issues and leave the repetitive or commodity services to the outsourcing provider. Be sure to secure solid service-level agreements, meet as many key people in person as possible, and institute a process of regular communication between you and the provider. Above all, keep in mind that your customers want to have a seamless, helpful experience—and no matter how much you’re saving, if customers are unhappy, they’ll go away.”

Helpful sites:
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=98153&seqNum=8&rl=1           
 Offshore Outsourcing:  Making It Work
Gives a list of how this can affect public relations.  This was an amazing site for me.

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=169548&rl=1           
Offshore Outsourcing:  Will You Job Disappear in 2004?
This article was a really great reference because it gives you some points of latest trends.

Connie Sombrea 

Blogging About Blogs

Like a play within a play, writing a blog post about blogging is a rather amusing action. I first heard about blogging about 4 years ago when I was attending UBC. A friend of mine, a rather savvy tech nerd who lived in Seattle for a time, had a livejournal and was constantly updating. For those not in the know, Livejournal is the Disneyland of blogging as it is easy to use and is not as “serious” as “true blogging” (I say this in quotations as the “genuine bloggers” are somewhat bitter against Livejournal and the like and are more receptive to blogs that require their own coding instead of the basic email format).

Soon after discovering Livejournal, I started my own account mostly out of a desire to keep updated with my friends back in Ontario. It didn’t take long for my account to degrade into online quizes and silliness however, which is also part of the beauty of Livejournal.

Now, to discuss the more professional aspects of blogging…

Blogging came about in the mid 1990’s. At this time it was really only used by computer programmers and those with strong coding skills. Within the next 10 years the blogging revolution would essentially take over the world from housewives to kids to corporate executives to celebrities. Though many blogs are updated with more personal information by the poster, the more professional blog is starting to make an impact on the business world.

Many companies are using the blogosphere to keep their customers/clients updated on the going-ons of their company and upcoming events. Since blogs allow for two way information to be shared between the poster and the reader, they can positively affect the relationship that a corporation has with its public. The blog is a dream come true for PR practioners as it gives the representative ample opportunity to delve into the collective mind of the public and represent their clients in flattering (or truthful) manner.

The prevalence of the blog is very much reflected upon the area in which a corporation is found. For example, a PR firm in Vancouver would be more likely to have a blog than a company here in London, but this is due to the widespread knowledge of it. As illustrated in our own class, only about 7-8% of our class had a blog or even read blogs but in my classes at the University of British Columbia nearly 80% of my friends and classmates kept an updated blog.

I seriously hope that the blogging revolution keeps on track and helps businesses keep in touch with their publics, but since it is a new technology it is very hard to estimate its long term affects.

Here are some links if you are interested in reading more:

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/001113fa_fact2

This is a really interesting article from the New Yorker. Though not very representative of the professional aspects of blogging, it does speak of its personal attributes and some of its history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

No post is complete without a Wikipedia definition.

Posted by Melissa Parker

         The field of Public Relations has grown and changed over time. The responsibilities of the Public Relations practitioner have increased, and many businesses and organizations now have Public Relations departments. What I found most interesting was how Public Relations is no longer solely used for informing the mass media.

Some of the key points include:

         Media Measurement also believes having a meaningful evaluation gives more credibility to the Public Relations sector, therefore achieving better results. (Measuring ROI. http://www.mediameasurement.com)