The art of storytelling comes in several forms—something 2019 Public Relations—Corporate Communications (CCPR) grad Shane Madill has come to know well over the last several years. From starting in Journalism and pivoting to Public Relations, Shane has experience writing stories through a reporter lens to now executing full-service public relations strategies that increase brand awareness and reputation at the Toronto PR firm Kaiser & Partners—a form of storytelling that often combines narrative development with strategic communications.
The decision to make this change stems from his time as a reporter, editor, and eventually editor-in-chief at The Silhouette, McMaster University’s newspaper. “I grew a passion for helping people tell their perspectives and opinions to readers through articles and developing the high level of talent we had on staff,” Shane shares. “The current state of journalism with, unfortunately, shrinking newsrooms led to it not being the most viable option for a long-term career.”
Journey to Centennial
Upon this revelation, Shane’s desire to keep writing in some capacity remained strong. After considering his options after completing his Honours Bachelor of Arts in economics with minors in business and psychology, he landed on public relations, which he says was the best possibility to continue his passion while expanding his capabilities in other areas.
Equipped with this new career journey, he began his search for schools that offered post-graduate programs that he says would set him up for success and provide a good return for the dedication and commitment he wanted to put in.
Shane says Centennial’s high reputation and enrollment process stood out to him, as he explains, “Centennial’s enrollment process was more accessible for me than its competitors with more options for weekend in-person interview times later in the year. This was especially important for me because the academic year entailed working long hours at The Silhouette.”
Post-graduate programs typically span over a year and cover extensive material within that time. Shane describes his time in the program as hard, but fair and explains how it mirrored the demands of a career in the PR industry. “The college replicated this environment extremely well and set good expectations about what a career in public relations could look like.” He continues, “Bonding with the people in the program and the professors, all moving towards mutual goals of learning and accomplishment, is something I’m proud has continued with my colleagues at Kaiser & Partners since graduating.”
Speaking of professors, Shane reflects on how each one impacted his daily life while in the program. “It has been a number of years since I graduated, but I still remember the different teaching styles and courses from the facility. Each one would approach their areas of expertise in different ways, and it was easy to imagine how a course may differ with a different professor running it,” he says.
Key Lessons in the Program
Shane explains that the program effectively develops a good baseline for skills such as writing and other public relations tactics. However, he says that internalizing any one person’s contribution within the framework of a high-level plan was particularly beneficial to him. He adds, “It is easy to delegate a task, but being able to create a fulsome communications plan, including objectives, strategies and tactics, and communicate your vision in an easy-to-understand way helps any level in an agency hierarchy understand why their work is important and how it should differ from similar tasks they’ve done in the past.”
Working with a diverse group of colleagues in the program also taught Shane to optimize his communication style when sharing ideas, which he still uses in his career today.
The Path to His Career
An end-of-year field placement is a requirement in the CCPR program, and Shane says he was unsure of where he would apply. “I was open and honest about the uncertainty I had with Donna, the program coordinator, who provided me with her expertise and knowledge of the public relations landscape to recommend Kaiser & Partners as both a personality fit and as a top public relations firm,” he says.
He adds, “The courses related to resume writing and interviews paid off with an internship there, and I have been proud to work my way up through the ranks ever since, aided by the skills developed at Centennial.”
Now, as a Senior Account Manager, Shane leads and supports various clients for business-to-business and business-to-consumer mandates in the agency’s financial and fintech practice group. “I help plan and execute full-service public relations strategies for different audiences and stakeholders to help increase brand awareness and reputation based on clients’ communication objectives,” he explains.
Shane has earned several industry awards with his clients from the Canadian Public Relations Society, including multiple finalists for Best in Show at the organization’s Toronto ceremonies and from the International Association of Business Communicators, specifically in the areas of investor relations, marketing communications, new product launches, media relations and writing.
Advice to PR Graduates
“Do an honest SWOT analysis on yourself and self-reflect on a constant basis,” Shane shares. When he entered the program, Shane already had a knack for writing, but he needed to supplement his skills in social media and events management. “When I exited the program, I had all the tools needed to do well but needed more experience to put them into practice and face different situations requiring different applications of these skills. Now, I am a strong public relations professional who is becoming more confident about proactively giving my perspective with the experience I have accumulated over time,” he says.
Shane explains that anticipating change can be important. “Who you are, what you’re interested in, and what levels your skills are at will all change over time. In public relations, all these may change on a very rapid basis. It’s important to understand and recognize how these change over time.”
He adds, “It took quite a bit of time and self-reflection for me to find a career and workplace that I am passionate about after being uncertain about next steps throughout my education—whether that be picking a career to explore or a workplace to try and make my mark. Post-grad programs and continuing your education are great ways to help figure this out. The process of thinking about who you are and where you want to be can reveal what you’re truly passionate about and what you want to pursue.”
Shane invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.
Written By: Alexandra Few