We asked Derrick Paulson, a member of IABC Manitoba and Manager Communications with IG Wealth Management, a series of quick questions. Here are his answers:
Q: Where do you currently work and what’s your job title? For how long have you been in the profession?
A: I’ve been with IG Wealth Management for just over 6 years, and I currently work as a Manager in Employee Communications.
Q: What is the most exciting aspect of your role as a communicator?
A: I partner with many departments throughout the organization to ensure their messages reach their targeted audiences. Being able to interact with so many different people from across IG has helped me develop some very fulfilling partnerships.
Q: Share a situation or project that made you feel valued as a communicator.
A: IG takes the wellness of their employees very seriously. Recently, I partnered with our Human Resources team to develop an internal wellness platform to house all of our company’s wellness related resources. I put a lot of effort into ensuring the user experience was seamless, interactive and easy to navigate.
When you work on projects that you know are really going to assist people, you can’t help but feel fulfilled.
Q: Think back on a time when you, as a communicator, collaborated with another department to bring a project to life. What made this process successful?
A: We’re lucky enough to have our own internal video department at IG. During one of our company’s United Way Campaigns, I partnered with the video team to develop a script and co-edit a promo video to create some campaign buzz.
The video featured some very high-ranking executives and portrayed them in a very fun-loving way that really resonated with our employee base. That year we had one of our most successful United Way campaigns ever!
Q: What is the best career advice you’ve ever received? Who gave it?
A: Never stop learning. We work in a very high paced industry that will pass you by quick if you don’t make an effort to increase your skill set. Become undeniable and you will never have to worry about job security.
Q: Share a favorite resource that helps you stay connected and informed in the industry.
A: If you work in Communications, I highly recommend you sign up for the daily newsletter from PR Daily. The information they provide is always relevant and easily consumable. The ideal resource for the busy communicator.