Sade Ayodele

Balancing work and life in a fast-paced industry can be challenging, but it is possible with some intentional strategies. Start each day with a plan. Allocate specific times for tasks and breaks. Focus on one task at a time to improve efficiency and reduce stress. Balancing work and life is an ongoing process and may require constant adjustments but the key is remain mindful of your needs and prioritize your well-being along with your professional responsibilities.

In Corporate Communications, being able to pivot quickly is critical. When interviewing, its imperative to showcase your ability to adapt, be flexible, and meet unforeseen circumstances head on. If you're able to adjust on the fly, while maintaining your cool, it can go a long way.

Storytelling is a large part of a Communications career (no matter if its product comms, corporate comms, consumer comms, etc.) When you are interviewing, its no different. When asked 'tell me about yourself' or questions about your experience, frame it as quick story. (Be concise) But aim to introduce the scenario, relay the challenge or opportunity and how you were the solution. This will make your answers more memorable while showcasing your ability to craft compelling narratives and messages.

Corporate Communications is a 'hands on' job. Everything I've learned was on the job and not taught in the classroom. It's not to say my degree wasn't worth it, however I know that the skills I leverage today were learned by doing. There are so many nonprofits, small businesses, and startups that need corporate communications support but either can't afford it or don't yet realize how critical it is to their business. Offer your services, volunteer your skills if you have to (being transparent about your desire to learn on the job). These opportunities will put you in real life scenarios to help understand the field and how to handle scenarios. Also consider seeking out counsel/mentors to shadow and internships if that's an option.

For me, inspiration strikes at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected places. So while I love a good routine, I've found that when I'm seeking inspiration its best to switch that up to put/keep my mind in a creative space. To keep my creativity at its peak, I aim to work in 50 min blocks with 10 min breaks, walk outside during at least one of those breaks (instead of sitting at my desk for hours on end), visit a new lunch spot or coffee shop. To keep up with what's new/trending I lean on my curated newsletters and intentional social feeds to continuously expose myself to different things, settings, ideas and viewpoints, which often help me find fresh angles and ways to approach my work/tasks to ensure my work stands out.

Temporary and contract roles get a bad rap unnecessarily. While stability is great, two of the biggest slept on advantages of temporary/contract work in Corp Comms is the networking + flexibility. These roles gives you an opportunity to expand your professional network exponentially (something that can grow stagnant) when you are at a company for a long time if you aren't intentional, as well as flex to explore different industries and companies without committing full time. Which often leads to a better assessment (and fit) when you do land that full time role. Unfortunately, a lot of young Comms pros get stuck doing comms in industries they don't enjoy or roles that are not the right fit because it was the first job they landed.