Please consider me in your search for a Communications Specialist. I’ve created a web page version of this letter and sincerely hope you take the time to view it online, where you can fully evaluate my work.
My writing, communications and marketing experience is extensive. After completing my Education degree at the U of A (with a major in art) and serving as a writer/production editor for the Students’ Union, Gateway, I joined The University of Calgary as a Communications Officer II. In this position, I worked with university administrators to develop and implement strategic communications plans for students, staff, faculty and the public. I also served as co-editor of the bi-weekly Gazette. In this role, I was often called upon to create copy that made technical information accessible to a general audience. My article on digital mapping is an example. I profiled new staff members, too, as my article on Beatrice Medicine illustrates and provided photography, illustration and design skills. I also took advantage of free tuition for employees and completed a number of courses, including Communications Research Methods.
After almost five years with the U of C, I accepted a position as a Journalism Instructor at Grant MacEwan where I taught newswriting, photography and graphic design. Moving to Vancouver, I joined Southam Business Communications as Western Editor for Canadian Forest Industries Magazine, providing copy on all aspects of the business including harvesting, safety and milling. I then settled in Nanaimo writing stories for The Nanaimo Business Examiner and front-page stories for the Nanaimo Daily Free Press.
My Nanaimo experience also included almost five years running a direct-mail advertising franchise, As owner/operator of Val-Pak, I helped small to medium size businesses develop direct-mail advertising campaigns. Part of services included gathering, tabulating and analyzing customer responses.
As Marketing Manager for forest equipment manufacturer, T-MAR Industries, my duties included conducting customer surveys; producing advertising copy, brochures and videos; and launching the company’s newsletter, The T-MAR Times. I also designed T-MAR’s annual trade-show booth and helped represent the company at the Truck Loggers Convention in Vancouver.
A downturn in the industry led to 10 years overseas teaching in Libya, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the UAE and Japan. In that time, I developed lesson materials using language carefully chosen for ESL students that ranged in age from grade-three to adult. Highlights of this period include a student illustrated video of my children’s story, The Apple of Albert’s Eye, and my video application for the position of Traveling Ambassador with Air Transat.
Returning to Canada in 2012, I relocated to Prince George, BC and, working with Marty Howe of Circle Digital Multimedia, launched my WordPress website to highlight my creative abilities in writing, photography, art, music and video production. I use my blog and twitter account to foster my belief in a better world. I have a working knowledge of MS Office, Illustrator, Photoshop and Movie Studio. As an artist, I’ve submitted many proposals for commissions, including a two-part proposal (parts 1 & 2) to the City of Prince George for a work commemorating the city’s centennial. I was also Team Leader supplying an RFQ to design a Holocaust Memorial for Ottawa. A major art commission of this period is my large outdoor installation, The Spirit of Prince George, 2015, for Timberspan Wood Products.
I believe my experience in communications, marketing and education, when combined, make me an ideal candidate for this position. Accordingly, let me suggest we meet to see discuss the contribution I could make to Union Strategies in the position of Communications Specialist.