By Irene Alifanova, Editor in Chief for Communicator | irenedjinn@gmail.com
I joined IABC as a student member in 2016, while completing a postgraduate Corporate Communications and Public Relations program at Centennial College. However, I was very much a non-engaged member. Yes, I’ve attended a few webinars and used IABC resources for award submission during my co-op work, but, like many of my fellow graduates, I was more focused on finding work than on networking and building my personal brand within the IABC community. I now recognise that this was a big miss on my part.
In 2019, when I got pretty much settled in my communications career, I decided to rejoin IABC and take full advantage of my membership. I reached out to the VP of Volunteering and expressed my interest in helping where it was needed most, joining the OVATION team that year and then moving on to the Communications and Digital Media in 2020, taking over the Editor in Chief role for Communicator. And what a blast it has been! I enjoy meeting new people and working with our always-growing, diverse group of contributors – learning their perspective on certain topics and hearing about their experience in the communications field brings me joy and helps me grow as a communicator.
In this summer edition of Communicator – “Making the most out of your IABC Membership” – we are focusing on the personal experiences of our members and how they benefit from IABC membership both professionally and personally.
In “Running with the pack” Suzanne Huggins discusses how her IABC membership helps her stay current and drive communications excellence in her cross-functional team.
Brent Carey, ABC, shares how active engagement with IABC can support your professional growth and propel your career forward in “How my IABC membership got me where I am today”
Anjali Rego shares how IABC helped her settle in a new country and build her credibility and personal brand in the professional community in “Making the most of my membership: A new Canadian’s journey.”
Finally, in “Why I joined IABC: A new member’s perspective,” Amanda Cosentino highlights what swayed her decision to recently join IABC.
Irene Alifanova, Editor in Chief for Communicator
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Building Organizational Trust From Within
How does misinformation spread and what can we do about it to stop a crisis before it starts
Emergency Management Planning: Building trust before the crisis
Crisis Communications