June 2021. I’ve made the last-minute decision to go to college. It’s been a year since I graduated from university and over a year into the pandemic. I haven’t found work in my field, I’m still living at home, and my mental health is poor. I’ve decided to apply for the post-graduate Communications- Professional Writing program at Centennial College. I’m hopeful this will help me get my life back on track. And it did.
My goal going into this program was to get a job after graduation. Coming out of university during the pandemic left me with few options and a lack of practical skills. University may have given me the degree and good essay-writing skills, but that’s about it. The Communications-Professional Writing program covered an incredibly wide range of current skills and tools used in the field. It gave me the oomph I was lacking. That’s what made it so genuinely useful when it came to actually working in the industry. The skills I gained and the contacts I made, combined with a stellar placement opportunity, landed me where I am today.
I found this program not only prepared me for my future career but also gave me the opportunity to see what I was interested in doing. The majority of my class had no clue what they wanted to do going into this program. But through the various courses and assignments, I think we all found areas of interest and gained better ideas of where we wanted our futures to take us. Most of our instructors also allowed us to do our assignments on topics that we were interested in, making us that much more inclined to put in 110% as we enjoyed what we were doing.
The instructors in this program were an absolute wealth of knowledge. They represented all different ages, experiences, and backgrounds. They truly wanted to see us succeed, and even being remote, I still got that sense in every class, email, and assignment. While some could have been slightly more engaged, the majority of them gave me not only amazing support during the program, but also a great new network on LinkedIn. I will admit at times I had no clue what was going on or how to approach a particular assignment, sometimes with little guidance from the instructor. But looking back, this prepared me for real work and the challenges in figuring out how to approach a project.
Even with great instructors, the workload was no joke. It was a difficult program packed into two semesters, and I had to work hard, manage my time wisely, and stay organized in order to succeed. But I can genuinely say it’s worth it. I now have an incredible portfolio filled with all kinds of assignments to show potential employers. I was able to develop good work habits and experience working with others, which I found myself using every single day in my placement.
With a six-week placement at the end of the program, actually getting to do real work for a real company was invaluable. It gave us a sense of work culture, allowed us to put our new skills to the test, and gave us an opportunity for a potential job and great contacts in the industry. The time leading up to the placement was stressful because a lot of us only had a few weeks left to find a placement, and it wasn’t necessarily the easiest or clearest process. Regardless, we all found our place in the end. I personally had an amazing experience, hence why I’m actually now working as a Communications Coordinator for my placement company, Lamb Creative Group.
During my placement, I learned tremendous amounts from my colleagues, clients, and the actual work. During meetings, I was able to understand what was being discussed and participate to the best of my ability. I did work for real clients, which was exciting and a great confidence booster. I was able to learn and ask questions in a safe and positive work environment.
Our program coordinator did warn us that not everyone would have a great placement but that it was still a good experience. She made sure we knew that she was there, should we need anything during the six weeks. This was a huge comfort as I really didn’t know what to expect. Many of the instructors offered this same kind of support throughout the entire program and it took a lot of the weight off my shoulders.
June 2022. I’ve completed the Communications- Professional Writing Program at Centennial College. I’m working with an amazing team at Lamb Creative Group, doing work that’s meaningful to me and that brings me joy. I’m still living at home, but I’m one step closer to moving out, and my mental health is considerably better. Going to college was the best decision I could have ever made!
Thanks for following along with me and my post-grad adventures! If you’re unsure of where to go in life, I’d highly recommend looking into further education if it makes sense for you, especially this program. You never know what skills you could gain, people you could meet, and new experiences you could learn from!
Written by: Cassandra Mair
