If you’re running a company that needs to protect its reputation from bad press, there are usually two people you’ll call first: your lawyer and your public relations adviser. But if you have a PR team involved in your company’s strategy from day one, you’ll already have a solid 声誉管理 plan to mitigate the risk of misinformation. 作为高级客户经理 公共关系协会, Mary Lee supports a team of PR practitioners who develop strategies that create positive relationships between their clients 和 public. 她的 公共关系硕士学位 from 满帆 gave her advanced PR skills and insights that help her on the job every day.

Mary spent the first 20 years of her career in the Canadian Armed Forces; she also worked in public affairs for the Canadian Air Force. 2007年退休后, 她为航展做公共事务和沟通工作, 医院, 还有学区. 几年后, Mary realized that the internet was going to permanently change the public relations landscape. She decided to pursue a master’s degree to keep up with the industry, 和满帆完全符合她的需求.

The online 公共关系 master’s program allowed Mary to continue working full time while she earned her degree. 她说课程作业 提高了她的写作能力 还教会了她重要的公关技巧，比如 声誉管理 和 媒体的法律问题.

“《十大菠菜台子》是理论与实际工作的完美平衡. There's direct application from the minute you graduate and start doing your job, whether you're already in the profession or just landing a job for the first time… I still refer to my notes,玛丽说.

Mary had always wanted to work for an established public relations firm, and she signed on with 公共关系协会 in British Columbia exactly two years after she graduated from 满帆. As a Senior Account Manager, she uses her PR prowess to help the company’s clients get noticed. That might mean constructing media campaigns to increase brand awareness or using social media to connect with diverse demographics. 然后, Mary measures success through tangible results (like Google Analytics or social media metrics) and intangible results (like changes in the community’s opinion of a company).

当涉及到改变负面或复杂的公众舆论时, 她依靠研究, 铁的事实, 和讲故事. 例如, 公共关系协会 has a number of clients in the mineral exploration industry, 和y have to provide important context to organizations and citizens who are concerned with industry’s impact on the environment.

“British Columbia has some of the world's leading standards in environmental protectionism and environmental assessments,玛丽解释道. “It’s not sexy storytelling, but how do you reframe it to make it sound interesting? This is the real work that goes into what we do: How do we tell that story in such a way that it educates people to help them better understand? 例如，为什么我们今天要挖矿? [It’s because] gold and copper and magnesium are needed for products that are used every day. 你想要电动汽车? What kind of minerals are needed for batteries and will be necessary for green energy initiatives such as net-zero emission vehicles?”

On top of the public relations advising she does for 公共关系协会’ clients, Mary also has some advice for PR-minded 满帆 students: If you want to land a rewarding role in the industry, 毅力和自信大有帮助.

“Don’t expect to get what you want or have that dream job right away,” she says. “You might get into a job where you’re still junior in the organization. Treat it as an opportunity to learn and to grow as you mature in the profession. 不要害怕说出来(如果你预见到公关问题)。. 相信你的直觉, because it's better to address the matter in the planning phase rather than have that sinking feeling of ‘I told you so,在你执行了计划之后. 接受建议的人可以接受建议，也可以不接受建议. But you've demonstrated to them that you're not afraid to speak out and to lean into your skills and your talent.”