Tara Tanchak
Public Relations Management Certificate
When University of Calgary alumna Tara Tanchak had the option to move into a management role, she went looking for education that would help her feel confident with her new duties.
"I had my BComm in Marketing and Tourism, and even though I was getting great on-the-job experience, I felt I wanted to take a program that could help me fill some gaps," says Tara.
After a discussion with her manager, she looked into the Continuing Education Public Relations Certificate program, as well as other programs offered in the city, and decided to test the waters with a single course through Continuing Education.
"I loved that first course, and when I researched further, I was convinced the program could be a strong complement to the skillset I already had," she said. "I really liked that, at U of C, I was able to choose my options, so I could pick courses that didn't duplicate what I'd learned in my degree studies. And I also liked that I would be able to transfer some credits from my degree to the certificate."
Taking one course a term, Tara was able to complete the full program in less than three years. She had set a comfortable learning pace that allowed time for her personal interests in curling and dragon boat racing.
"The instructors have had a lasting impact on me. I learned so much from their real life experience," she says. "And I found I was applying my learning right away. It was quickly putting me in a position to contribute to more and different projects at work."
"It also led to me discovering a passion for event planning. I was working on events before, but now, as a result of my courses, I'm doing more of them, and I'm able to be more strategic and effective."
Tara chose to take her courses in the classroom. "For me, the advantage of doing my courses in the classroom is that I developed friendships and professional contacts."