To say that I have been thrown in
the deep end would be an understatement.
But it's not the workload that
has me shook, nor is it the environment I find myself in each week. It is
instead what I have discovered about myself just four weeks into my placement
with Mikayla and my two intern buddies; I have learnt more about myself than
ever.
Working at a boutique consultancy
and for Mikayla’s own businesses I have been given an invaluable insight into
what is actually involved in not only running your own business, but an
in-depth knowledge of what PR involves in a ‘real world’ situation.
Aside from what I’m quickly
learning about the industry, my placement has also forced me to learn a lot
about myself and how I operate in a professional environment after 2.5 years in
a classroom environment. The most standout realisation is that I have some
serious time management issues, something that I once thought was a strength of
mine. This realisation meant a not so productive first two weeks and resulted
in only productive weeks from then on, which I can appreciate as it meant I had
no choice but to focus, re-evaluate my work habits and make some changes for
the long-term.
The dynamic in our workspace is more
relaxed than a typical professional environment which means Mikayla is able to
work alongside us as more of a mentor and relay her experiences as a
Marketing/PR professional which has been invaluable. Her emphasis on the
importance of both social media and organisation have helped influences
decisions I make while working with her, and everything social-media related we’ve
learned from Curtin is starting to make sense to me now. No wonder every
assignment involved a social media aspect or we took a unit dedicated to the
use of different social media platforms (Transmedia Storytelling).
I’m eager to continue my internship
and see more of what I’ve learned in theory come to life in front of me as PR
in the ‘real world’.
See attached: our very cute, very authentic workspace decor. One of Mikayla's brands Broadspace is a communal workspace which is currently where we work.
3 comments:
Hi Bianca. I feel exactly the same way as you, although I have already completed my placement within even the first couple of days I had learnt so much about myself. I think your realisation with time management is also something I dealt with during my internship, as the way we manage ourselves with university is quite different to how we need to manage ourselves in a professional environment. Realisations like these are what makes our internships so valuable and it's so great to hear your learning and experiencing so much.
Hi Bi!
I'm glad I am not the only one who felt this way after the first week. My experience was also a bit of a reality check! But you are very fortunate to be working so closely alongside your boss. What a great way to gain first hand experience. Get as much advice and insight in the world of PR. I'm sure her experience and knowledge will help you to make decisions in the future. whether it be business related, or life in general. I have found talking to the more senior consultants at my firm have really opened my eyes up to the opportunities that PR can lead to.
Good luck for the rest of your time there :)
Hi Bianca! You're definitely not the only one feeling a little apprehensive about the role you're about to take on. It's a big change from sitting behind the desk, or brainstorming in a tutorial environment - however, it's also probably the best learning curve we'll all take before becoming professionals :) You're so lucky to be working in such a close work space, having a mentor will be invaluable experience and no doubt you'll end up better off! You'll smash it!
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