March 31, 2011

CNW Day Nine

Hallo,
For the first time in a long time I got really excited today, and then within 20mins was disappointed again. :( I won tickets to the LG Fashion show on Friday night, but I can't go because I am going back to Kingston. I have won other contests in my life that I was not actually able to attend (and it looks like this is going to be the same). This sucks a lot! I can't give my prize to anyone either, which I clearly would if I could. Big giant frown!

As far as work at CNW today, I think I accomplished quite a lot. I had a large to-do list and managed to scratch off everything except for one (which would have been the tedious task of the day). Since I am nearing the end of week two I feel like I have found my grove and am fitting into the office a bit more! My supervisors send me things to do on a regular basis, and are confident that I will finish in a timely fashion. To be honest I cannot think of anything to say today, just another day at the office doing things similar to what I have written before. Hahaha. There was some horrible news received today, but I can't talk about it at all. I wish there was something I could do to help them but it's out of everyone's control, and they just need to deal with it as it comes. Back to my day...apart from small details being changed, the things I am doing did are basically the same as every other day.

Now I am wondering if this is the case with all jobs?

I certainly do need to find a job in an environment that allows my creative juices to flow. I am, without a doubt, made for the world of Advertising, and hope that I can make it there! Karma needs to lend me a hand because I work my but off, follow every lead, and am just praying that someone throws me a bone.

Tonight will be Tim Burton with Ricardo, and I am looking forward to it. Just home quick first to change, and grab a snack. I am now confident that I can find my way around without having to write directions down step by step. Toronto is pretty easy to figure out, in comparison to Kingston at least, since most places are accessible without having to "transfer" on TTC.

Ta ta for now,
- Mandi

March 30, 2011

CNW Day Eight

Buon pomeriggio!
It is already 4:37pm, and I am just starting my blog for the day. I usually have the ability to work on it a bit during lunch, but today I was otherwise engaged. I am running out of time and have some stuff to do tomorrow, so I can't write a long winded explanation of everything I did. Instead I will give you the short, sweet, and boring version.

CNW list for the day:
- Research Christmas Party venue
- Follow-up on breakfast catering quotes (re-work menu)
- Follow-up on Watermark party quote
- Request quote from other venue
- Research trade show booth solutions
- Follow-up on custom booth quote requests from Tuesday
- Work on blog post for the week
- Whitepaper summaries
- PowerPoint presentation edits

Personal list for the day:
- Apply for MasterCard internship
- Apply for Mashable internship (x2)
- Request recommendations on LinkedIn
- Bug P+P people about choosing pet names
- Tweet
- Post final TMP advertisements on Tumblr
- Write a 'hire me' post for Tumblr

I think that is everything I did, doesn't seem like a lot when I write it out...but it took me from 9am-5pm. I am heading home in a few minutes to cook spaghetti for Leon (and myself of course). On the way home I have to stop in Shoppers Drug Mart because Leon informed me it's seniors day tomorrow, and he is going to use one of his many old-lady friends to get me a discount. Hahahaha. I don't know if there is anything I really need, but never hurts to check and make sure, especially with a nice discount offer on the table.

Please cross your fingers for me dear readers (a.k.a. Mom). I would love nothing more than to get the chance to work at ANY of the places I have applied for. All I want to too is prove that I am capable, and would make a valuable addition to any company. *sigh* My time will come.

Ta ta for now,
- Mandi

Ps: Have you been clicking the add on my blog? Please do, I need the $!! Hahaha.

March 29, 2011

I'm Priceless!!

Hey MasterCard,
Want to know why I would make an excellent intern?

1. I have a MasterCard, and have paid interest on it (so you've made $ off of me!)
2. I like my MasterCard, it allows me to buy cool stuff!
3. I think MasterCards are cool!
4. My Mom and Dad also have Mastercards, and pay way more interest than me ;) !
5. I mentioned MasterCard in a previous blog, before I even learned about the internship.
6. I have posts many statuses (Facebook/Twitter) that end with the word priceless.
7. I always tell my friends they need to get a MasterCard!

Okay, now let's get a bit more serious...

I am about to graduate, thus offer a fresh eyes and ideas.
The name of my program is Integrated Marketing Communications, enough said.
I have excellent oral, and written, communication skills.
I am a hard worker, and always give 100%!
Analyzing data is fun, and I am good at it.
I play nice with others, but am also productive on my own.
I have great presentation skills!
My time management skills are amazing, I haven't missed a deadline yet!
I am an 'out of the box' thinker.
I did two years of French Immersion, although my skills aren't what they used to be.
I understand the importance of professionalism, and maintaining the a corporate image.
I prefer to be hands-on, that's how I do my best work.
Computer programs excite me, especially Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite.

I could probably go on, but those are the most important reasons that I would make a priceless addition to the MasterCard team. Apart from school I also like to help my friends (which again makes me priceless). I am acting Social Media Manager for a start-up company (www.pawpluspaw.com) owned by two of my classmates. We are just getting off the ground, but my hope is that this company will be a great success.

I hope that this has painted a clearer picture of who I am, and what I have to offer MasterCard. In closing I would like to say...getting an internship with MasterCard would be PRICELESS!!!

Ta ta for now,
- Mandi

CNW Day Seven

Guten Tag Meine Leser,
I hope that you have had a wonderful day today, as mine was pretty productive and I am in an excellent mood. Today is the second day of week two, the day before "hump day" (as my previous internship taught me is another name for Wednesday).

Tedious task of the day: Going through MORE magazines and cutting out CNW advertisements for filing.

I put that task first, since it was the first thing I did today. Afterward I look some time to work on my blog post for the week, and am pretty happy with what I have so far. I had a meeting about trade show booth design (thank you JSP), called some catering companies for quotes, and also called a couple venues for a party booking. Other than that I spent my lunch looking for jobs (as usual), Tweeting, and working on some stuff for Paw+Paw. I am putting together ideas their blog, which includes making some lists about possible weekly posts. I will not ruin the surprise here, but there are lots of new tasks in the works and I can't wait to see what our collaborative brains scheme up. OH...AND...I also got an e-mail response from one of my job applications!!!! It is not for a full-time position, but the product is amazing and if I do a good job...who knows. I have to make sure it will be okay for me to be late for work (in order to attend the interview), but I don't see that being a problem.

After work I am meeting Ricardo at Union Station, and from there we will head to 22 Cumberland Street, where the Third Tuesday Toronto event is taking place. Only think I am not looking forward to is having to say in my work clothes longer than usual, but I think it's a fair trade in exchange for networking opportunities. Watch my Twitter account closely (@mandirv), as I will likely be Tweeting non-stop throughout the event.

Ta ta for now,
Until tomorrow!
- Mandi

Ps: There is a special internship that I am applying to, so I will have an extra post on the site unrelated to CNW that is a self-promotion piece. *Just a warning!*

March 28, 2011

CNW Day Six

Happy Monday Everyone,
The weekend went by far too quickly, and I am back at CNW for the week. I am quite looking forward to this week though, as I have some fun after work activities planned.

My day started with a task that I was not exactly looking forward to, but in the end it proved to be an excellent thing for me to do. I had to go around the office and hand out fliers from my department to everyone else who works here. I greeted everyone in the office with a friendly "Good Morning" and introduced myself to them. Everyone (except one) was friendly, and welcomed me to CNW. I also did some editing, and added some of my work to their files for future publication.

At 2:00pm I took a cab to my meeting (with one of my supervisors Fiona), and took photographs of the venue. It was a beautiful space, and I wish I could attend the event they will be holding there. Fiona and I had a very lovely walk back, during which time we shared life stories and got to know each other a bit. Our pasts have a lot in common, and I think she is a truly genuine person!

When I got back I transfered the files to my computer and checked some CDs to make sure the content matched what was written on them. I did not get to work on my blog post for the week, as I was busy with the tasks assigned to me...but hopefully I will get to start it tomorrow. Mom gave me some great idea, and I think I am going to try to write several posts with them (go Mom).

Tedious task of the day: Looking through old magazines and cutting out CNW advertisements for filing.

As for tonight it looks like I am going to Skype in to the Paw+Paw meeting that is taking place in Kingston, and it will be my first one. I may stop to pick up some groceries on the way home, and perhaps look around the mall...if I feel like it. I have lots of stuff to do this week and am going to feel really guilty about not going to the gym, but I will attempt to walk a little extra to make up for it. I also have the option of using Leon's stationary bike again, which I will admit was a pretty intense leg workout.

Anyways, the day is over and I would like to go home.
Ta ta for now,
- Mandi

March 25, 2011

CNW Day Five

Bonjour,
It is now day five of my placement, and that means my first week at CNW is coming to an end. I cannot believe how fast time flys by when you are working a full-time job. I only have time to go to work in the day, go home, change, then quickly workout at the gym. My day starts at 7am and ends at 7:30pm when I finish at the gym! I eat around 8pm (which is really bad for you)...and then go to bed before midnight. That's the life of a working girl...pretty scheduled, isn't it?!

The good news is that today my first blog contribution to CNW's corporate page went live. Which means I officially have content on the Internet that has the possibility to be read by someone other than my Mom (love you). If you want to check it out, follow this link: http://bit.ly/f6sCjt ! Notice my name under the title, wow...so cool. I also wrote a second, and third, blog post today...but they will not be up on the site until next week and the week after. Other than that is was a pretty normal day, just completing tasks as they were assigned.

Tedious task of the day: Sorting PILES of old files dating back to 2003 to see if there was anything worth keeping.

I am taking the GO Train in the opposite direction of where I need to go this evening, just to that Dad doesn't have to brace the Toronto traffic. Ricardo and I will arrive at Clarkson Station around 5:45pm, and then will drive with Dad back the same way we just came from...but in a large circle around Toronto. I do not see the point of this, seeing as we are wasting an hour doubling back, but it's still a free drive so I don't think I should complain.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.
Ta ta for now,
- Mandi

March 24, 2011

CNW Day Four

Hello yet again,
(I am running out of salutations!)

Today was day four at CNW, and it went by pretty quickly. I finished my blog for their corporate page (excited), did some edits for random documents handed to me, and set up meetings with venues to talk to caterers and take pictures! The trivial tasks of today was going through 2008 files and seeing if there was anything worth keeping. Let's just say I have a very large pile of paper clips on my desk that I did not have the heart to throw out.

I know that I only mentioned my blog post in passing, but considering you are reading one right now I figured there was no point in telling. Fear not dear friends, for I will be sure include a link to the blog in my post tomorrow. (So be patient!)

On another note, I started a new job today (hahaha). I am now acting Social Media Marketing Manager for Paw+Paw (www.pawpluspaw.com). I have been bugging these guys to let me do this for a while now, and they finally gave into my demands. They are so busy with the website and marketing aspects of the business that they had completely forgotten about social media. MANDI TO THE RESCUE...with the help of Tweet Deck of course. This application is quickly becoming my lifeline, I can't imagine ever living without it. Check out @pawpluspaw on Twitter to see what they have been up to, or if you want to see what's going on in my life...feel free to check me out: @mandirv.

Aside from jobs that don't offer any sort of compensation, I have sent out a couple more applications for jobs that DO. Two more sent out today, and two more that I am going to finish and send out tomorrow. If this was snail mail I would be completely broke from buying postage stamps. Now I will borrow a phrase from Mastercard: Next Generation Dinner Series application (done), applications for countless jobs in Toronto (done), getting my first full-time job in the industry (priceless)!

Feet update: they are now about 70% healed! I think I will venture down the street to the gym again and attempt to avoid the juice heads while I do a quick bit of cardio, and then a nice shoulder/back workout. Sadly I have to admit that sitting at a desk all day and actually eating three meals a day has likely added to my figure. I am feeling tired, and extra heavy...so I will attempt to use my spare time at home on weekends to get in a good workout. (Although I doubt that will happen.) *sigh*

Sorry this post was so short, but I didn't have a lot to say (and it's the end of the day).
Oh man, I love it when I rhyme...(it's such a good time). Okay....I'll stop!
Ta ta for now lovelies,
- Mandi

March 23, 2011

CNW Day Three

Why hello fellow bloggers,
I am glad you have found your way to my blog, perhaps you've been here before...or maybe it's your first time. This is a blog about nothing, mostly just a chance to get my thoughts out of my head to prevent me from going insane.

Today was my third day of placement at CNW Group. I arrived at the same time as my supervisor, Starbucks in hand, and got right to work. Included on my schedule for today was writing ghost blog posts and copy for a new page on the CNW website. I also continued on with some of the things I was assigned yesterday, and edited some documents that were returned to our department with corrections. I also spent some time working on my weekly blog post, and am sad to report that I am not pleased with it. Originally my idea seemed great, but as I started to write I discovered that perhaps I am the only one who will think so (*discouraged*). I will take my work home with me tonight and work on it over dinner, or before bed. My draft is due tomorrow, so I will have to live with whatever I have done. :( Might have to do a complete re-write, but that is something that I will try to avoid.

Life updates:
- Applied for another job in Social Media (*fingers crossed*)
- Was invited to another networking event in April
- Found out I will be an extra in a CNW video on Friday
- Am ONE question away from finishing Next Gen Dinner Series Application
- I have officially added AdSense to my blog (what a sellout, but please click through...)

To finish up day three I need to take a moment to rant about the HORRIBLE weather happening in Toronto right now. What the heck happened to spring? This storm is as bad as mid-winter in Toronto...I could hardly walk forward this morning. It's now the end of the day and the snow has not let up at all, and is not supposed to stop until midnight tonight. I am crossing my fingers that the commute to work tomorrow is a bit more enjoyable, and that the sun comes out again.

Tonight I will head back to Leon's and make Alfredo with chicken for dinner. My feet are still pretty swore from my idiocy on Monday...so sadly I cannot go to the gym. Instead I will throw on the TV and spend some time spinning on Leon's stationary bike. (Better than nothing right?)

Until tomorrow my dear readers,
Ta ta for now.
- Mandi

Ps: I would say I followed an estimated 100 links today to jobs posted in marketing, advertising and public relations and applied for the ONLY one that did not require prior experience. So the questions remains....who wants to find me a job?

March 22, 2011

CNW Day Two

Good Evening Followers,
Today started off on the right foot, woke up before the alarm and was able to turn it off before it sounded (saving my ears from the terrible noise). I ate some breakfast, got dressed, put on COMFY boots and came down to work. My strategy for the rest of the six weeks will be to leave my heals at the office and walk to and from in comfy boots.

As you can clearly tell by the title of this blog entry, today marks the second day of my adventure at CNW Group. I am very pleased to report that they have put me to work, and I have been busy the entire day. Although it is only day two I can tell that I will be of great use to them, and will take a lot away from this placement. I did several interesting things today, one of while included sourcing a venue for an event being held in San Diego California. It was quite interesting to look through all the potential venues and try to decide which would be best without actually getting to see them up close and personal. I narrowed it down to four, inquired about the cost of renting the space, and by 3:30pm three of the four venues had responded to my inquiries (excellent business practice). At this point I have forwarded all necessary information to one of my supervisors, and look forward to the next steps.

Other things I did today included WhitePaper summaries for documents that CNW posts on their website as a further education tool for their clients, drafting Facebook group statuses, and other event related tasks. I am sorry if this seems very vague, but I am working for a big corporation and do not want to leak any secrets.

Tedious task of the day: Counting out 350 CNW branded Tide-to-Go pens and putting them into a box, realizing they don't fit in that box...and then having to transferring them into another box.

I also had some time on my lunch today to apply for a job that I saw being Tweeted on my Tweet Deck. This is the very first job that I have seen in the marketing/advertising industry that did not say "3-5 years experience required". In my humble opinion if you are hiring someone for a Social Media Marketing position, you can't ask that they have 3-5 years experience, because social media marketing has not been a serious part of the marketing mix for five years yet (maybe three, but even that is pushing it). In order for me to gain experience someone needs to give me a chance to do so, and all that companies are looking for is post-graduates who have already been working in the field.

To the employers out there DON'T BE SCARED OF YOUTH. Believe it or not having someone fresh out of school and eager to please will be a huge asset to your company. Most of us grew up with social media, and spend more than 70% of our time interacting with brands online and through our mobile devices. Please give us a chance, and we will prove to be with your time (and money).

That is all for today, gym better happen...as yesterday I put on my runners and almost cried from the pain of taking even a few steps. I have taped up my feet and hope that I will be able to do some light cardio and a full set of weights. If I don't get to go my post tomorrow will likely have a grouchy tone (just a warning).

Ta ta for now,
- Mandi

March 21, 2011

CNW Day One


Hello readers!
Today marks the first day of my six week placement at CNW, in Toronto. That's right ladies and gentlemen, this little girl is all grown up and in the big city. Well, not exactly all grown up...as I am relying on a family friend to provide me shelter over the next six weeks, but considering I am all alone in Toronto I think I am allowed some credit.

Today I met the two lovely ladies I will be working with here at CNW. I will be reporting to Amanda Liard, Communications Specialist, and Uma Chandran, Communications Coordinator. I was given a very warm welcome, and am looking forward to working closely with these ladies over the next six weeks. For those of you who do not know CNW stands for Canada News Wire, and no...they are not an advertising agency (well not in the traditional sense). CNW is truly a unique organization, that provides a wide variety of services to their clients. Instead of trying to explain in my own words I let you figure it out for yourself, check them out at http://www.newswire.ca/.


What I am most excited about is the opportunity to be a contributing member of the CNW blog (http://www.blog.newswire.ca/)! I have been giving the opportunity to write one (or more) blog posts a week that will be posted for the world to see *fist pump*. Unlike this blog I will have to write something of actual value, so I am sure they will be much more appreciated than this useless drivel. Hahaha.


Today after work I will limp over to the subway, and then head back to Leon's place. If my feet are not bleeding too much due to my horrible footware choice, I will throw on some gym clothes and walk over to the YMCA (which is only two blocks away). I think this week will include me heading to the Eaton Centre and invensting in some new shoes that do not cause any bleeding.


Ta ta for now.
- Mandi

Ps: Downloaded Tweet Deck today, and I feel like a whole new person, never again will I be without this wonderful wonderful thing. Someone should have told me how amazing it is!!! I heard the words Tweet Deck, but didn't bother to check it out. Now am feeling like I have been really missing out...and of course have become completely addicted!