Social Media Assistant @ Ontario Parks with Sonia Dharni

About Sonia Dharni

Sonia's passion lies in the field of conservation, as the gap between people and the natural world is widening. So, what's a nature geek doing in the field of marketing? Well, her mission is to use the power of social and digital media to help people explore, learn, and connect with nature.

After pursuing a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and spending a few years leading outdoor educational programming in the non-profit sector, Sonia returned to school to pursue a postgraduate degree in Digital Media Marketing. Sonia had a strong desire to combine her environmental knowledge with her creative interests; content creation and storytelling.

When Sonia is not talking about herself in the third person, you can find her outside with a camera in hand; nature photography is her thing! 

The Highlights and Hottest Takes 🔥

How Sonia Got the Job

Sonia was doing another job in social media marketing but after three months she realized she didn’t have an interest in the industry. She started looking and found the job posting on LinkedIn at Ontario Parks and applied to it. The final interview. Finished with the ‘Is there anything else you would like to share with us?’ question. Sonia wasn’t afraid to advocate for myself based on her passion for conservation.

“I realized if I’m gonna work as a marketer, I have to be passionate about the work the organization is doing.”

Mistake Made

Being afraid to speak up when things get overwhelming. “Perception that working in social media is easy. It can get overwhelming, and you need to voice your concerns–especially when the workload gets too much.”

Lesson Learned

Keep it short and sweet. Know your audience. Appeal to their desires. Tell a good story. Learn how to get message across in simplest way possible:

“Keep it clear, concise and compelling.”

Pro Tip

Be confident to speak your truth.  “I wasn’t afraid to advocate for myself based on my passion for conservation.” Support by showcasing your interest online on your website and/or social networks.

Segments

Sonia's Year 1ne @ Ontario Parks

1:45 | Introduction from Sonia

2:15 | Overview of Ontario Parks

3:20 | Working as a Social Media Assistant in a government organization

4:55 | The planning process for social content

7:40 | Doing community management

9:50 | Collaborating central-to-local with each provincial park team

12:00 | Being “your friendly neighbourhood squirrel”

14:25 | How marketing helps with conservation efforts

16:25 | How did previous work in conservation help with this job?

20:00 | Asking the question

21:25 | What’s on your mind in marketing right now?

23:00 | Attention…and long-form vs. short form content

Getting to Day 1ne: The Job Search

27:25 | Finding the “spark” in what you do

29:00 | Getting hired at Ontario Parks

30:00 | The “Tell us why we should hire you for this job?” question

32:50 | Hardest part of the job search

35:00 | Not playing the job application numbers game

37:00 | The “What’s your favourite brand?” question

Things I've Learned in Year 1ne

39:00 | Mistake made on being afraid to speak up when things get overwhelming

42:25 | Lesson learned on keeping it short and sweet

Re(Sources) 

• Connect with Sonia Dharni: LinkedIn | Website | Instagram | TikTok
• Brands/organizations: George Brown College | Canadian Wildlife Federation | Ontario Parks (Website) | Ontario Parks (Instagram) | Ontario Parks (Twitter) | National Park Service (Website) | National Park Service(Instagram)
• Marketing and media tools: Sprout Social | Microsoft Excel
• Connect with The Year 1ne’s host Blair Smith: LinkedIn

Credits

Created and Produced by Blair Smith

Hosted by Blair Smith

Mixed and Mastered by Ray Harripaul

Sponsor(s)

N/A for this episode...Interested in being a sponsor of The Year 1ne's Show? Drop us a line via email 😀