Born and raised in Dubai, Sawsan Abu Omar studied Business Administration at the American University in Dubai. Sawsan is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (MCIPR), which is the highest PR professional degree in the world. She worked in the PR field in Dubai Media Incorporated and Abu Dhabi Media before making her move to the hospitality industry in Jordan. Sawsan has been the Cluster PR Manager for the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) in Jordan for two years now. She’s responsible for prestigious names in the hospitality industry in Jordan, such as the InterContinental Aqaba Resort, Crowne Plaza Amman, Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa, Crowne Plaza Resort Petra, and Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea. You can follow her on Twitter at @SusuBubbles. In this quick interview with Bayt.com, Sawsan shares a day in her life as PR Manager at one of the biggest hotel chains in the world. Sawsan’s agenda: 7:00 AM I wake up, get dressed and drop my younger sister to her school. I make sure that I am dressed up at all times, as it is an important requirement of the job, and also, because you just never know who you may run into! But most importantly, being dressed up and paying attention to every detail of your outfit makes you feel confident and ready to conquer the day and whatever this day may bring. 8:00 AM I go to Starbucks, pick my favorite drink (a caramel macchiato) and head directly to the office. Working hours start at 8:30 am, but I usually get there earlier to enjoy my morning drink and have some chit-chat with my colleagues before it gets busy for all of us. 8:45 AM That’s when we start our morning briefing at the IHG cluster office. The whole office gathers to be updated about the various hotel issues; from reservations to sales calls, events, and so on. It is an important part of our day, as we get to catch up and be updated on everything related to our work and the hotels. 9:30 AM This is when I sit at my desk, and start checking my emails and replying to them, as well as visiting the different websites to get the latest news on both the hospitality industry and Jordan as a whole. Of course, I also check the news that are published in both print and online about our properties, and share them with the team and management. As the Cluster PR Manager for the group in Jordan, I make sure that everything interesting is shared with the team. 11:30 AM Here is where the day gets crazy. Let the back-to-back meetings commence! It’s time to meet with hotel management, fellow media members, or any outside entity that we collaborate with on various events and projects. You are talking about five hotels holding different brands, so each one has different needs, requirements, objectives, and goals. So you have to make sure that you handle everything to ensure the success of each project for each property. 2:00 PM This is the time where we gather in the office for a quick lunch. Unfortunately, we are always in a hurry, so we always end up ordering junk food that we can consume in a few minutes at our desks. That’s the main reason I had to join the gym and work out hard on almost a daily basis! 2:30 PM Press releases are not dead. Whoever tells you that is wrong. They still do play a big part in PR. Of course you have to make sure that the story you want to share is newsworthy, worth publishing, and of interest to your target market. Since one of my many talents is writing, I am responsible for drafting and proofreading almost everything that is issued and printed from our side, including press releases. And drafting requires a lot of creativity, so this is where I start to put all my creativity on paper, and I absolutely enjoy it. Of course, I have to make sure that the language, style and tone of voice are suitable for each property. 4:30 PM I go back to my email inbox, and start replying and sending emails about the different issues faced during the day, especially those related to events and updates taking place at our hotels. I also make sure that all media requests are handled and dealt with on the same day. Media plays a huge part in any PR professional’s work, so I have to make sure that a good and healthy relationship is maintained with them, and that their requests and questions are answered and taken care of. 5:30 PM This is when I leave the office after a hectic day at work. I head to the gym for a rigorous workout for almost an hour and a half. The time I spend at the gym is not only good for the body, but it is also a mood booster for me, and makes me even more energized! 7:30 PM I go to the hairdresser to get my hair done before heading out for the night. 8:30 PM Time to chill and unwind. My ideal evening is when I see my close group of friends and have a big gossip session over shisha and sushi. Time definitely flies, and I feel very relaxed and ready to have another awesome day! Here’s my word of advice to anyone interested in a career in PR: Never be afraid to chase your dreams. And never care what people think you can or can’t do. The most important thing is to be confident and always believe in yourself. To be a PR professional, you must have the dedication, passion and drive, as well as the readiness to learn new things. Make sure you are always open to opportunities, and that you face each day with a big smile and positive attitude.
