Career Advice From Women in PR and Communications Leaders

In this episode, I’m sharing real career conversations recorded live at the Women in PR North America WorkWell Conference in Toronto. I had the opportunity to speak with professionals across PR, communications, marketing, and media about their career journeys, lessons learned, and the advice they would give to professionals trying to grow their careers in today’s competitive job market. From career pivots and entrepreneurship to interview advice and building confidence, these conversations are filled with honest insights and practical takeaways you can apply to your own career journey.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
 • Why taking action and trying new things can open unexpected career opportunities
 • How to stand out in interviews by telling a stronger career story
 • The importance of building relationships and creating opportunities for yourself
 • What hiring managers and PR leaders look for when interviewing candidates
 • Why being vocal, visible, and willing to raise your hand matters for career growth
 • How authenticity, curiosity, and passion can help you stand out professionally

If you’re ready to gain new career insights, build confidence, and hear honest advice from professionals who have built successful careers in communications and PR, tune into this episode of Career Ambitions.

Join the Giveaway!
To celebrate the launch of Career Ambitions, I’m giving away three months of free career coaching and a pair of Apple earbuds. To enter, leave a review where you’re listening today. Each review counts as an entry, and the winner will be drawn on May 30th, 2026.

Guest Links:
 • Sanchari Sen Ra: https://www.ecchive.com/ LinkedIn
• Samantha Lai: https://www.samlaiphotography.com/ @samlaiphotography
• Heidi Ruggier https://mattepr.com/ @matte.stories
• Sarah from Edelman
• Laura D’Angelo: @lolodangeloxo LinkedIn

Let's Connect:
Website: http://www.joannesparrow.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachjo
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@careercoachjo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-sparrow-career-coach
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CareerCoachJo
Threads: Joanne Sparrow 🔹 (@careercoachjo) 

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

Welcome to Career Ambitions, the podcast for corporate professionals who are ready to stop waiting and take control of their careers. If you're tired of sending applications into the void, wondering why you're not getting interviews and watching opportunities go to people who are no more qualified than you, you're in the right place, my friends. I'm Joanne Sparrow, former HR Director Turned Career Coach, and I've spent more than two decades sitting on the other side of the hiring table. That means I know exactly what hiring managers think and what they say behind closed doors. Join me on this episode of Career Ambitions, where I'm pulling back the curtains on the hiring process and unapologetically exposing the truths, job seekers are never told to give you the strategy and confidence to move your career forward and land your dream job or promotion. So I recently attended the Women in PR North America Work Will Conference, which was held in Toronto on May 8th at the Hart House, bringing together professionals from public relations, investor relations, media, marketing, communications, and business. The conference was organized by Women in PR North America, and the conference was designed around career growth, well-being, leadership, visibility, innovation, AI, and the evolving future of communications. Beyond the panels and expert conversations, the real value of attending was the community in the room, and it was an opportunity to connect with PR communications professionals, hear their real stories from women at different stages of their careers, and build relationships that extend far beyond a one-day event. The networking was not just about exchanging business cards, it was about having meaningful, honest conversations with people who understand the realities, pressure, ambition, and growth that come with building a career in this industry. For me, attending the conference created something really special. I was able to interview attendees on the spot in real life conversations about their career stories, the lessons they have learned, the moments that shaped them, and the advice they would give their younger selves. And on today's episode, I'm sharing a few of those conversations with you. You are going to hear honest reflections, powerful career lessons, and some absolute golden advice that you will want to listen to right through to the end. Let's dive in. Okay, hello. Okay, Santari. So lovely to meet you here at uh Women in PR conference in Toronto.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

So lovely to meet you too. And uh congratulations and all the best for your podcast hosting. And I would love to see you uh see your guests and speakers come on your podcast and hear them and learn from them.

SPEAKER_06 3:03

Thank you. Thank you so much. If you do you have a career story that you could tell and share with my audience?

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Oh yes, I am an entrepreneur, but I my career was never linear. I started with hospitality, then with insurance, and then uh I came here as a new immigrant, and that's when I realized I would like to do something for the uh new immigrants here, especially women and girls. And uh that's what I do. Uh we are working with education consulting and immigration for international students who are mostly uh interested in studying Canada, UK, US, Spain, Ireland, all over the globe. So, and I do mentor uh with high school girls and uh I advocate for women entrepreneurs because I'm one and I know uh the challenges and the hiccups that we get. Uh so I just want to share my story so that it is easier for somebody new when they start their journey.

SPEAKER_06 4:06

Amazing, amazing, thank you. And so if you've made a lot of great career moves, or you've made a lot of great moves in your career. Is there one lesson that you could share with with our audience um as a takeaway?

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Um yes, I think it's uh persistence, I guess. And uh if you do not find a seat in the table, make a seat there. Love it.

SPEAKER_06 4:37

Love that so much. So important to just take your seat, own it, walk in the room like you own the room. Or make a new table. Make a new table, I guess. Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Okay, that's so lovely.

SPEAKER_06 4:51

All the best. Thank you. Oh, and how can how can the listeners uh find you?

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Oh, uh, I'm on LinkedIn. The name is Sanchari Sandrai, and uh my uh website is at ecom, www.ecchive.com, and you can find me there.

SPEAKER_06 5:10

Amazing, thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 5:12

Okay, so maybe introduce yourself. Hi, my name is Samantha Lai, and I'm a communication specialist at Aeronote Kids, and I'm also a photographer.

SPEAKER_06 5:23

Amazing. So um, do you have uh a career story that you could share or a lesson learned that something you tell your younger self? Um, my audience is is a lot of new grads trying to break into PR communications, and as we all know, the job market is really challenging. So um if is there's anything in particular that you'd like to share?

SPEAKER_04 5:47

Yeah, definitely. So I've always been like a creative person, you know, I love photography growing up, um, but my career path started as a therapist. So I worked with children with autism and like adults with uh strokes, things like that. And I was longing for that creative piece. And when the pandemic hit, it was like the time to make that career shift, and it was super scary because I'm like walking into the unknown, and so I did it, I made connections, um, learned as much as I can through, you know, taking courses, volunteering, things like that, just gaining that experience. Um, and then, you know, a few years later, I ended up at Aeronote Kids, which is a uh children's treatment center for uh it's in the GTA, it's like Mississauga area. Um, it's for children with disabilities. So I'm working with indirectly with you know my previous clients kind of thing, and um working with old colleagues like speech language pathologists and like occupational therapists. Um so I have that like subject matter expertise, but now from like a communications and marketing lens. Um, and I also get to take photos for my organization. I'm like the house photographer there, so I get to um you know amalgamate all of my passions and my loves um all in one, and things kind of just fell into place, not just like that, but like putting the work in, seeking out those opportunities and just putting yourself out there. Yeah, okay, amazing.

SPEAKER_06 7:31

And so I don't want to put you on this spot, but if you were job searching, if you were job searching today, um would you be prepared for those interviews or even the question tell me about yourself? And and uh be prepared. Yeah, and do you have if you feel comfortable enough to share your career story, as if you were interviewing, like saying it's tough, right? And so that's what I teach in my group coaching is how to um we don't um prepare for interviews when you have an interview, we prepare well in advance, so it's not rehearsed the day before, right? And the say that includes your career story. So um again, I didn't mean to put you on the spot.

SPEAKER_04 8:19

Um, I think you know, just um being strategic about it. So when someone is asking you to in a job interview to tell you about your story, it's not like, oh, I was born here and I grew up here. Think about what you can bring to the table, um, all the skills that you have, uh, match it you know with the job description and you know, incorporate that into your story. Yes, right? Yes. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:47

So I also coach my clients to have one resume, and you once it's created, you're not modifying it for every job you apply for, um, because it's facts of your accomplishments. Um, what you may tailor is the profile section and your career story. Everything else on the resume should this should be, you know, not changed. Um, and the career story is what people really we focus a lot on that. This is so important because you will win or lose an interview in the first five minutes.

SPEAKER_04 9:18

Yes. Often you have to make yourself stand out, and you know, people don't necessarily remember numbers, all of those are important, but um, you know, bring your personality and be remembered. Yes, right? Like I'm the girl with you know this amazing story, and that's what people will take from you.

SPEAKER_06 9:42

Amazing.

SPEAKER_04 9:43

Say, well, thank you so much. And how can people find you? Um, you can find me on Instagram at Sam Live Photography, S-A-M-L-A-I Photography, or Samlife Photography.com.

SPEAKER_06 9:55

Hi, Heidi. Hey Joanne. It's so great meeting you at Women in PR today. I would love to learn a little bit about your career or any lessons that you can share with my audience.

SPEAKER_03 10:07

Yes. So um I think when it comes to like getting a career off the ground, it's very important. For me, what was most important was like the act of doing. So uh, you know, I studied communications, but when it came to all the courses, PR was actually one that I was very uh low on my list of things to study. I was really not very interested in it beyond a few introductory courses. And then when I graduated, I found that everywhere that I went to work, I would get them in the press. So I worked at one place and I got them in House and Home magazine, like at a design firm. And I was very not in the communications department, but kind of raised my hand with an idea and got them in the magazine. And then the same with the health office that I worked at, I got them on the front page of the local paper. And after doing this a couple of times, I realized, hey, I'm doing PR. And that's sort of how I found my way to it. So I think like the act of doing is such an important part of understanding what you're truly passionate about.

SPEAKER_06 11:17

Yeah, amazing. And so, can you tell us a little bit more about your career journey and what you're doing today?

SPEAKER_03 11:23

Yeah, so I started off interning. So after doing that, I brought my portfolio that I had built of these clippings to a PR firm named Budman and Associates. And um, I it was one of Nina had started one of the first PR firms in the city, like back in the 80s. And I brought in my portfolio and applied for an internship, and I got it. And from there, everything just grew because I found myself not just like wanting to learn PR, but also like getting involved in things like business development sales, um, you know, setting up appointments for Nina to meet new clients. And I ended up signing a client during the internship, and that's how I got my job. She was like, All right, kid, you got yourself a job. So this is how it all began. And I think like, you know, just having that entrepreneurial spirit in everything you do, even if if you want to be an employee or if you want to be an entrepreneur, you know, choose the path that's best for you. But having the spirit goes a long way in either path.

SPEAKER_06 12:31

Yes. And you mentioned something earlier when we were off mic, but you said something about putting your hand up.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

I think I think there's something very strong or uh beneficial to you when you raise your hand to do things that are outside of what you were maybe like thinking that you were coming in to do, you know, going outside of your comfort zone, working on a project or an industry that is outside of your comfort zone or a task, and that can really help expand growth. And again, it ties back to the first point of like the act of doing something can really show you that you're passionate about a thing that you may not have thought of.

SPEAKER_06 13:10

It's amazing, and it can open so many doors for you. And um, I was talking to a few people over lunch, and I was saying to them how in I spent too long of a period in one job, but I stayed there because I was a single mother, I had two teenage daughters, and I just couldn't be scared to take that risk of making a move. But staying in that role for too long really impacted my ability to make other moves interesting. Yeah, or it delayed certain opportunities that came to me because I wasn't in the role too long. So, do you have any advice for new younger job seekers trying to land their first role in PR?

SPEAKER_03 13:55

Yes, I mean definitely like I think like from my own personal experience and also as a founder interviewing um, you know, people we are constantly interviewing uh new hires over the years and and for our internships and everything. So you see a lot of people, you see a lot of portfolios, and I think the ones that are building a portfolio towards what they want, so whether that's through volunteer work, it doesn't have to be the biggest project in the world, but you know, do something or even mock it up if you don't have a project. Make a mock up a press release, a case study, a case study, mock up some social content. It doesn't have to be like a real thing, but it's more to demonstrate your thinking. Yes, those ones that do that really stand out, and also the ones that are very like genuinely themselves in the interview and very like honest about where they are and what their goals are, because that helps us as like people hiring make sure we're matching the role that we know intimately with the goals of the person in front of us, right? You know, if someone comes and what we're offering is not what's gonna lead to their goal, then it's not the right thing for them. And and the worst thing is to waste your time somewhere or be somewhere that's you know, you come and then you know it's not exactly what you're uh wanting. I don't I believe that nothing is a waste of time though, as well. I think that we we do everything for a reason. I really do.

SPEAKER_06 15:31

Even even those jobs where you're it's soul crushing, or you have a micromanager boss, like there's so many takeaways that you will learn from and apply in your next role going forward. So so where you're working today, do you have any open roles? Are you hiring, looking for talent?

SPEAKER_03 15:48

Uh, we are looking for talent right now. We are looking for people in the social media space, um, specifically like graphics, as well as um people like copywriters. Um, we have media relations opportunities as well. So the the main roles that we have available as an agency tend to be around media relations or social media content development. Um and you know, it depends. And then from a project perspective, we work in a few, it's like design, lifestyle, uh, real estate, finance. These are like the main umbrellas and they all kind of intersect with one another. So we're looking for people who are passionate about those things.

SPEAKER_06 16:33

Amazing. And so for the media relations specifically, uh are these entry level or like how would a new grad or someone early stage career land a media relations job when they don't have those relations?

SPEAKER_03 16:50

I the first step is the internship, okay, is the media relations internship. And have they so are we talking about people who've done an internship and now are looking to get their first job? Yes, yeah. So I think like it's important to really learn the media landscape during that internship, even if you don't have the established relationships, but you should be reading the news every day.

SPEAKER_06 17:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

Um, I think that's my biggest surprise now as I speak to people when I I always ask, where do you read your news? Because I'm curious about what news they read, and it's a way it's I I'm trying to understand their knowledge of the media landscape. So this is a little hint that I'm giving away. Amazing, but that's gold. But um, it's it's because I want to understand this, and you know, there were many years where people named pay newspapers, magazines, years, and then the shift happened where they just started saying Twitter. Oh TikTok. And I mean, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, news gets shared on these platforms. Yes. I mean, now we have the Canada News Act, like you know, where news is blocked, yes, on Meta. Yeah, I want to hear people tell me that they read the papers. That's what my heart really wants to hear. Like that they're reading the Globe and Mail. Yes, that they're reading the CBC, uh, they're watching CTV.

SPEAKER_06 18:14

Oh, this is gold.

SPEAKER_03 18:16

Especially if you are like, let's say you want to work in lifestyle, you know. Tell me that you watch the social, tell me that you watch um e talk, right? Because that shows me that you will know what kind of content they have on those shows, and then you'll be able to be a good strategist, a good thinker to say, okay, I have this idea and we can send it to this person. That's the key to being a good media relations person.

SPEAKER_06 18:43

Amazing that I love that. Thank you. Yeah. So where can my followers find you?

SPEAKER_03 18:49

Yeah, so you can find uh so my agency is called Matt PR. You can find me at Matt Stories, so M-A-T-T-E dot stories on Instagram, uh, mattpr.com. And um, yeah, reach out if you want to apply. We're always taking resumes, careers at mattpr.com.

SPEAKER_06 19:09

Thank you so much. That was so great. Sarah, so great running into you today at Women in PR in Toronto.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Yes, so good to meet you, and I love this. I love our mini mics. All right, there it is. I love our mini mics.

SPEAKER_06 19:23

So awesome.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_06 19:27

So, Sarah, you work at Edelman. Yes, amazing global company. Can you and my audience are often job seekers, trying to break into PR communications? Is there any advice you can give job seekers to?

SPEAKER_02 19:41

That's a good question. So I would say, at least when I'm interviewing and um when I'm looking for the right candidate, for me, two things stand out. One, know the company that you're applying to really, really well. Know the team that you're about to interview with, maybe past work they've done, um, any awards they've won, what their brand values are. You know, Edelman every year runs the trust barometer report. Yes. If they quote out some of the stats and trusts that maybe I've talked about in my LinkedIn content, those little touches go a long way. Um, so I would say that's one. And the other one is bring your passion. So, like, don't be afraid to share how thrilled and excited you would be to join an organization like Edelman. Sometimes I find when people are looking for a job, they like siphon up because maybe they're nervous. Yes. Um, and then they they have to feel everything is perfect. It's okay. Show the imperfect side, be vulnerable, and say, I would be thrilled to join this company because I've watched your work and this and that. And I think that rawness and that um knowledge of that they have of your brand and your company is it's what's gonna kind of go that extra mile and stand out. Amazing. Okay, so I'm gonna put you on the spot here.

SPEAKER_06 20:59

Oh gosh, okay. If you were interviewing, okay, what would your career story be? And this is obviously something you're not gonna be saying every day. So if you had to tell your career story, just so because you're very you're senior in your role, and um, but for juniors looking up to show, what would that sound like?

SPEAKER_02 21:17

Um for me, okay, like you specifically my story, right? Okay, so my story, I would say, um, because I'm in the world of creator marketing, um, I think it's important to say, you know, my life experiences, one being passionate about the evolution of the world of digital and social, um, paired with my experience that I've brought from the beginning of my career. So I started in traditional PR, then went into digital, and then I started to build what is now Edelman's creative marketing practice. Um, I would bring all of that in, that that diversified experience paired with my passions has allowed Me to build something that's um from the heart, and it's something that's given me very different perspective working for Edelman, a massive comms firm, being able to show the world of comms and digital how it all comes together to make creator marketing very unique. I don't know, I think I would lean into that. I don't know, these are trick questions, but hopefully that was it. But I would walk through my full career pivot and how it got to where I am today.

SPEAKER_06 22:27

So looking back on your career, and is there anything that you would uh do differently uh or or let me rephrase the question uh what advice would you give a younger person? Um I guess I already asked that question.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

So no, I know exactly. What would I what advice would I give as they're going through their career? Yes. Okay. What I would say, and listen, I've been very fortunate enough to be at Edelman for as long as I have. I've been at Edelman for probably 15 plus years now. Um and what I would say is Edelman thrives itself on go out, like it's an entrepreneurial firm, despite our size. It's like if you want to build something, build it. And I my advice to anyone starting their career is if you're passionate about something or you get into an organization and you see a better way of doing it, voice it, build it, and um speak up, be vocal. It's hard sometimes starting out your career knowing when to share your opinion. Um, it's often you're waiting to kind of get direction on what to do next. I would say be very vocal. I think you're only gonna get what you ask for. If you're not vocal about what you want, um, yeah, you could be sitting in the sideline. So I think be your biggest advocate and don't be afraid to like be vocal and try new things, be scared. Yeah, I would just say be vocal and go after it. If you see something you want it, go after it. Amazing. Yeah. I hope that's helpful.

SPEAKER_06 23:56

That is very helpful. Thank you. Amazing. Thank you again.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

Cheers to you and our little bees.

SPEAKER_06 24:02

Hi, Laura. So great meeting you today at Women in PR in Toronto.

SPEAKER_05 24:06

Um, I'd love for you to introduce yourself to my audience. Uh, thanks so much for having me. It's been so nice to meet you. I'm Laura. Uh, and my role is I work at Jobber and I'm a brand partnerships manager. Amazing.

SPEAKER_06 24:20

And so, how long have you been at Jobber? So a little over a year now. Okay. And I would be very curious to know if any advice you would give your younger self as you're starting out your career.

SPEAKER_05 24:34

Yeah, I mean, I I think I live this, which is why it's the advice I want to share is just try the things. Try all the things because that's what's gonna help you figure out what you like and what makes your soul sing and just feel so good inside out. And I I've never been the type of person that knew exactly what I wanted to do, and I was really honestly self-conscious about it. I was never the person who's like, I want to be a dentist or I want to be a lawyer. I just never knew what I wanted to be. And like trying a whole bunch of things really helped me figure that out.

SPEAKER_06 25:09

That's awesome. And so, where do you see your career path going at Jobber? You've been there a year.

SPEAKER_05 25:14

So, do you have any dreams? Yeah, I mean, I think I'd like to stay in the marketing um comms PR space, um, which is where I'm at. Um, kind of a personal goal is I'm also a singer, so I have a uh a five to nine. So I'd like to yeah, figure out more ways to still enjoy my nine to five and explore my five to nine a little more. Amazing.

SPEAKER_06 25:38

That's so what kind of singing do you do? I'm an opera singer. Oh, yeah, you told me that earlier. That's so great.

SPEAKER_05 25:45

Wow, but I love to sing all the things, so yeah, no, no discrimination.

SPEAKER_06 25:48

I was about to ask like, how do you get into opera singing?

SPEAKER_05 25:50

But you just said you try all the things, try all the things, yeah, and then you see what sticks and like what makes you excited to get up at bed in the morning. Yes, yeah. Uh, do you find you're obsessed with it? Or singing? Yeah. Um, that's the thing. I I love it. I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with it, and that's what I always confused me because I would meet people that were just so obsessed with what they do. Yes, and I love it and it makes me so happy, but I wouldn't say I live and breathe it. Yeah. Yeah, I'm I'm a Libra, so I like to be balanced with like anything that I do.

SPEAKER_06 26:27

Awesome. Okay, and is Jobber hiring?

SPEAKER_05 26:30

Yes, Jobber is always hiring. So um I check out our careers page and also Jobber's LinkedIn page as well. Um, yeah, we're a Canadian company and always looking to hire. So please, yeah, check it out. Awesome company and yeah, really looking forward to my future with the company. Amazing.

SPEAKER_06 26:47

That's so great. And so where can my listeners find you?

SPEAKER_05 26:50

Yes, okay. So you can find me on Instagram. My handle is Lolo Dangelo XO. I love that. And you it stands for Laura Only Lives Once. Amazing. And um, you can also find me on LinkedIn, um, LauraDangelo PR is my LinkedIn.com slash. Yep. Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Cheers.

SPEAKER_06 27:17

Thank you so much for listening to Career Ambitions. If this episode gave you a new perspective, a practical takeaway, or even that little spark of confidence you needed, I would love for you to follow the show and leave a review. To celebrate the launch of Career Ambitions, I am running a special giveaway until May 30th, 2026. You could win three months of free coaching with yours truly, plus a pair of Apple earbuds. To enter, leave a review where you're listening today. Each review counts as an entry into a giveaway. The draw will be held on May 30th, and I cannot wait to celebrate one lucky listener with three months of career coaching to help them move forward with more clarity and confidence. Your next career move deserves a strategy. And if you're looking for more support, connect with me at Career Coach Joe on Instagram or joannsparrow.com to take your next step. See you in the next episode of Career Ambitions.