Profiling Young Communications Professionals Krystie Haire: Recruitment Officer for Fanshawe College Ask around Fanshawe College

and chances are youll find someone who knows Krystie Haire. A past student union representative, campus event coordinator and volunteer and current college employee, this active and charismatic young woman has accomplished much in her career on and off campus. She is happiest when helping people, and is now using that passion to successfully build her reputation as a communications professional. Krystie began her professional path in Fanshawes Hospitality Management Hotel program. Devoted to assisting others, she supplemented her already demanding course load with active involvement in the Fanshawe Student Union and campus volunteer work, including the colleges Shinerama fundraiser and various open houses. This extracurricular activity didnt distract from her academic pursuits. Krystie graduated the program with the distinction of being on the Deans Honour Roll. Wishing to continue her academic career, she enrolled in the Corporate Communication and Public Relations graduate program the following year. Her experiences in Hospitality Management helped her to discover her passion for event management, and this graduate program was a perfect way to professionally develop these interests. The program provided her with theoretical background for communications and PR practice and practical knowledge through an internship with the Unity Project. At the Unity Project she persued her interests in event management, helping to organize, promote and execute various fundraising efforts. Krystie also continued to volunteer her time as the event liaison for Braz for the Cause, a fundraising event supporting women in need of financial aid during breast cancer treatment. She continued to maintain her honour roll status during this year.

Armed with an abundance of educational and volunteer experience, Krystie decided to jump into the workforce immediately after graduation. She wanted to continue her forward momentum. I picked up all of the contracts I could, she remembers. I wanted to be working in the field. Finding consistent work in London and area proved to be a challenge at first. There were instances where she had to rely on her family for support between jobs, but Krystie was relentless. Her focus and dedication proved to be instrumental when obtaining employment as a communications professional. She began accumulating contracts shortly after graduation. Among them was a position working as a contracted service provider and/or brand ambassador specializing in event management for Express Employment Professionals in May 2012. She leant her expertise in event logistics to top-level companies, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, government agencies and various venues, helping them with in-house and external events. She also took jobs with KCI Management Inc., an event management firm located in London, Ontario. She was incorporated into a team of corporate event managers specializing in business-to-business marketing events. Through these jobs she was hired as the events manager for In Motion, a community partnership and outreach program supported by the city of London to promote healthy, active lifestyles within the community. This experience continued to hone her talents in event coordination and logistics. Balancing various part-time jobs was not ideal, but Krystie says it was certainly worth it. The experience those businesses provided her lead to being hired as a recruitment officer for Fanshawe earlier this year. Krystie takes pride in being a face of Fanshawe. Her excitement for her job is almost tangible. I love making connections, making people smile. As a recruiter, she is making connections with current and prospective students on a daily basis through

information sessions and open houses. She also coordinates student volunteers and other information for these sessions. She couldnt ask for a better employment opportunity. When people ask me what my dream job is, I tell them I already have it. What tips does Krystie wish to impart on current and prospective students of Fanshawes Corporate Communication and Public Relations program? Volunteer. Even as an employee of Fanshawe, Krystie continues supporting various volunteer efforts on campus. Obtaining an education and prior work experience is mandatory, but volunteer work is just that: voluntary. What you do in your spare time says a lot about the person and employee you are. Network. Use every professional experience as a networking opportunity. Introduce yourself. Talk to everyone. Many of the connections she made during her time at Fanshawe were instrumental in her success as a budding communications practitioner. Keep yourself organized and manage the use of your time. Attend class. Learn as much as you can. Get more sleep. Finally, be diligent. Dont give up. Businesses want you, she assures. They just havent realized it yet.!