Making the most of my membership: A new Canadian’s journey

By Anjali Rego

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.”

After working in journalism and corporate communications in the United Kingdom and India, my next stop was Canada, the country I now call home. I moved to Canada with many transferable skills but no Canadian work experience.

I knew all about the IABC because I had previously attended their networking events in the UK and India through my employers’ memberships. Being a new Canadian, I knew the importance of networking, but I didn’t know anyone here. I wanted to connect with communications professionals and familiarize myself with the communications industry, and the best way to do it was by joining a professional organization like IABC. Living in Toronto gave me access to IABC/Toronto, the largest IABC chapter in the world.

As soon as I joined IABC/Toronto, I received a welcome email inviting me to a new member orientation. The one thing that struck me during this new member orientation was: the more you put into your membership, the more you will benefit from your membership. Keeping this in mind, I connected with all the VPs, let them know that I wanted to volunteer, and asked to reach out to me if they needed any help. My desire to
serve the professional community led me to join the Communications and Digital Media team, managing all social media channels of IABC/Toronto. And what a rewarding experience it has been:

• Liaising with the different VPs to understand their priorities gave me a better understanding of the organization and kept me up-to-date with all that was happening in the industry and within the IABC.
• Creating content for the chapter’s social media channels honed my social media skills and simultaneously built my Canadian work experience and a Canadian portfolio of work, which many employers ask for.
• Speaking to many communications professionals gave me a better perspective about the industry and the opportunity to reflect on what I truly love and believe in.

Because of the IABC’s international reach, I found The Hub to be an effective platform to connect with communications professionals around the world, share ideas and learn about what is going on across geographies.

But the one thing I am most grateful for is the mentorship opportunity. I was matched with a mentor who was an experienced communications professional and a very patient and understanding individual who helped me better understand the Canadian media landscape and the workplace culture. I hope to follow her example and become a mentor and support communications professionals in whatever way I can.

I believe that simply joining a professional organization is not enough – one must commit to being an active member to really benefit from the experience. I feel good about myself because I can use my skills and time for the benefit of others. Being an active member and volunteer has put me in good standing professionally. I was able to leverage the power of the chapter and its various networking opportunities to reach out to professionals for informational interviews, and employers have shown interest in my association with the IABC and my engagement with the profession.

I joined the IABC/Toronto a month before we went into lockdown, and my entire IABC/Toronto experience has been virtual. Although I have never met my peers, other members, and volunteers in person, I have built lasting relationships and friendships. My membership has opened several doors of communications and connections, and for that, I cannot recommend the IABC enough.