This monthly series gives you a behind-the-scenes look at A Day in the Life of a Comms Professional.
Meet Julien Astrida Nkurikiyinka, a Communications and Public Relations professional with over ten years of experience. He has spent the past decade building his expertise in stakeholder engagement, internal and external communications, and public relations. He leads communications at the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority, a regional organisation spanning six countries, where he develops and implements strategies to ensure the authority’s initiatives are clearly and effectively communicated.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
My typical day involves monitoring media coverage and social media to see what people are saying about the organisation. I draft communication materials, coordinate with various departments to capture key updates, manage our digital platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube, prepare press releases and speeches for the executive secretary, create reports, and liaise with stakeholders to ensure a smooth information flow.
The organisation I work for is the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority. It is a regional organisation made up of six countries: Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, and South Sudan. We facilitate trade and movement of people, stimulate economic and social development, and transform the Northern Corridor into a development corridor by attracting investment. We ensure that the Port of Mombasa is connected to landlocked countries, facilitating smooth trade and the movement of people.
Do you have any specific routines or habits that help you prepare for work?
I start my day by reviewing industry news and updates and setting clear priorities for the tasks ahead. This helps me stay proactive and align my work with ongoing regional and global conversations, which is important since this is a regional organisation.
I am not a coffee person, so I usually get some water and walk around the office, greeting colleagues and asking how their morning is going. Being an extrovert, I enjoy interacting with people because it helps me stay aware of what is happening and connected to the team. Building friendships at work also makes it easier to get materials or information from different departments when needed. Internal communication often starts with taking the initiative to reach out to others.
What tools or apps do you use most often in your job, and why?
When I started in the communication field back in 2013, I began as a volunteer at the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency. That experience exposed me to different applications and software that I still use in my day-to-day work. One thing I have realised is that as a communicator, you cannot just oversee communication; you also need to know how to use the tools yourself.
The good thing today is that, because of AI, most of these tools have become very easy and user-friendly. You no longer need months of training to learn how to use Adobe Premiere or Canva. With a bit of research and practice, you can become good at them in a short time.
In my daily work, I use Canva Pro for design, creating brochures, flyers, and conference materials. For video editing, I use Adobe Premiere and Filmora Pro. These tools are simple, effective, and produce high-quality work that you can be proud of. For social media management, I use Hootsuite to schedule and monitor posts.
I also use ChatGPT-5 as my virtual assistant. Tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are not here to replace our work. They help us think better, generate ideas, and fine-tune our output.
What’s your favourite way to relax after work?
After a long day, I usually go home, sit on my sofa, watch Netflix, or listen to a podcast for a couple of hours. Then I sleep and wake up feeling refreshed the next day. I enjoy communication so much that even during work, I sometimes feel relaxed. That is the part I really like.
If you weren’t in Communications, what career path would you explore?
I have realised recently that I would like to explore psychology. If I were to go back to school, I would study it because psychology is fascinating, and there is so much to learn from it.
I am drawn to psychology because in this world, many things happen that we do not always understand. For example, if someone commits a crime, the first reaction is often to punish them. But I tend to think there must be a reason behind their actions. It is not an excuse, but I believe there is always a reason why people do what they do.
Studying psychology would help me understand human behaviour, why people act differently, and give me a clearer understanding of people.
