Let me introduce myself. I’m a Senior PR Executive for The Red Republic, part of the Sydney team in the beautiful Surry Hills office. In my role, I pride myself on implementing the fundamentals of successful communication, understanding a brand’s key objectives, becoming their advocate and being the link from brand to media to consumer.But like many employee’s at The Red Republic, I also come from a roundabout background that, for me, started in law and lead me to the exciting realm of Public Relations.
Job hopping has become more common for Generation Y, and while some may see this as laziness or a lack of drive, I personally look at my journey as a necessary path which I went on to find greater job fulfilment in a space where I could achieve and succeed even more.
So what was this journey that defined my career path?
I graduated from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Laws and went on to be admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a legal practitioner.
(Insert Legally Blonde joke here)
Being a legal practitioner means you need strong analytical skills. You need the ability to understand your clients’ needs, and advocate this with passion and dedication. All of which could be copy and pasted into a PR’s job description.
While I made the decision not to practice, my study and practical experience, working in firms in different capacities such as, law clerk, paralegal and as a Practical Legal Training (PLT) student, I developed all of the above skills.
From law I began a career as a Brand Manager for an Australian fashion label, a role that prompted my big move from Brisbane to Sydney. As a Brand Manager I was the gatekeeper of the brand’s reputation, acting as it’s voice to consumers and the media. My role was a blend of creativity, dedication and leadership, allowing me to play into every aspect of the brand’s products, communications and marketing. While this role required me to wear many hats, it exposed me to the considerable power of PR – a two-way communication process in managing reputations and engaging with consumers through communicating key brand messages, something which has clearly captured my interest!
The diverse skills I have gained along my varied career journey are a true asset to me – they helped me to land my dream job, and enable me to succeed, in Australia’s leading consumer PR agency. Passion, communication, creativity, dedication, advocacy and leadership are skills that I utilise daily in The Red Republic.
Destinations and journeys are different things, but when it comes to my career path, I’ve had both. I’ve had my journey and I’ve found my destination…
