Now off you go! Final words

By Donna Lindell, Program Coordinator

I’m pretty sure there is not one #ccpr student who would argue with me when I say that this has been a rough and tumble year. Set to begin Field Placements in the real world come Monday, many students might be saying, ‘can’t wait’ or ‘we made it’ but the truth is, the journey has just begun. Monday is when you get put on your ‘big girl/boy’ pants and make your mark. It’s your moment to shine, to impress and live the life you’ve been working so hard to achieve.

But know this. Nothing goes as planned. And that’s ok. Every day will not be sunny. And that’s ok.  There will be some days when you hate your job, your boss, your hair, your life. And that’s ok. There are some days you think the world hates you, your work, your hair, your life. And that’s ok. The trick is not to avoid the crap that life throws your way, but to deal with it, learn from it and move on.

Back when I worked in corporate, my colleagues and I came up with the acronym C.H.A.R.M. as a core competency for the type of communicators we wanted to hire; the type of team we wanted to build. It stands for Confidence, Humour, Appeal, Resilience, and Motivation. These qualities are still relevant in 2017. In fact, more so.

Be confident in your ability, but also in what you don’t know…yet. Have the sense of humour to laugh at yourself when things go sideways. Have the kind of appeal that makes people want to work with you, hire you and keep you. Have the kind of resilience to not blame others or make excuses for your missteps but to acknowledge where things went wrong, and then learn from the experience in a way that allows you to become better, stronger, smarter. Own it. What matters most, for you and those around you, is not the mistakes you make, but how you respond to them. A teachable moment is usually disguised as criticism. But if you see it for what it is, you grow. And stay motivated: To do well, to keep learning, to keep growing. Every mistake is an opportunity to say, ‘that’s one I want to avoid’ next time.

Making mistakes is not a mistake. It’s where life lives. But a good mistake is one you can learn from. A bad mistake creates regret and can incapacitate. Choose wisely.

Thank you all for a great year. On behalf of the faculty, we wish you all the C.H.A.R.M. in the world.