By Kristy Hesom
As the owner of Alerting the Media!, a boutique communications and PR consultancy, Jackson-Bernardo was approached by
Boston Media House to guest lecturer in 2009 on the life of a PR professional. “There was so much energy. I loved it,” she says, “So I asked them if there was a permanent position, and I started lecturing in media planning.” That was just the beginning as Jackson-Bernardo soon found herself lecturing ‘PR 2’ and ‘PR 3’. Today, she lectures ‘PR 1’, ‘PR 2’ and ‘PR 3’.
“If I could give it all up and do one thing with my life, it would be lecturing. I love it. It gives me a unique perspective on South African youth,” says Jackson-Bernardo. This perspective is essential, believes Jackson-Bernardo. As she grew older, she felt like she was losing touch with her target market, and lecturing was the perfect way to bridge the gap.
One might think that managing a business and lecturing for eight hours a day, four days a week, would take its toll on a person. But Jackson-Bernardo says that her students are where she gets her energy from: “I can be having the worst day ever and stand up there and come out smiling.”
Jackson-Bernardo believes that the key to her success as a lecturer lies in the integration of her lectures. She explains that while she is lecturing the theory of PR, the important thing is that when she walks out the door, she is doing PR; she didn’t do it 100 years ago, she is doing it now.
“I use my clients to help my students, and my students to help my clients,” she says “As much as I love PR, as much as I love my job – being able to take PR and lecturing and put them together has been the most fantastic thing.”
The real reward, however, is getting to change lives, says Jackson-Bernardo: “If each year, one student’s life has changed because I lectured them and I helped them, then I am happy. I have about 700 students, but my ratio is one.” While many would think that meeting celebrities and launching new products would be PR career highlights, Jackson-Bernardo says otherwise. Her true highlight is using her clients and her connections to help young people achieve their dreams.
And as the youth is her biggest passion, Jackson-Bernardo does have some advice for youngsters entering the PR space: “Read. Read. Read. Read everything; good, bad and ugly. But learn the difference between good, bad and ugly,” she says, because if you understand who your audience is, you will be able to write for them.
Jackson-Bernardo also warns that it is essential that people be careful and guarded with what they do on social media. She points out that when a brand is looking to hire, they are likely to look at your social media profiles. They ask ‘Will your brand help my brand?’ and if it doesn’t, you might lose your chance.
“To quote The Amazing Spiderman,” she says, “’With great power, comes great responsibility’”. That, she believes, is what young people need to be aware of. “Social media gives you great power, but you have to be responsible with what you say and how you say it. It can, and it will, reflect on your future.”
As for her future, doesn't foresee too much change: “Every year I get a whole bunch of new students in front of me, which brings new challenges. I am happy right here, right now. My clients are happy. And if my students are happy then I am happy”.