Shifting into the right gear

Finishing my first week of internship earlier on was a whole new experience for me. Rather than trying to achieve the learning objective of a course unit, the main goal of this internship unit, or in a better way to say it, as in intern, the main objective is to satisfy the needs and expectation of the employer.

It is important to identify the ways and strategy to achieve the employer's expectation as not all public relation team works the same way. PR firm and consultant have their own kind of challenges, while PR department of an organisation and another kind of challenges. Each requires unique ways to overcome it.

Throughout the week, it is more on observing the working culture of the department. To me, this is an important step as it will enable me to learn the process of making things done within the team. It also allows me to adapt myself towards becoming a real team member of my PR department.

Setting the mindset “I’m working with the most amazing department at Curtin Sarawak”

For the staring week, my main task was only to do media monitoring. Despite the lack of task (what I think it was), this task gave me opportunity to see how is things done in term of communication with the public through print media. Not only I can obtain the information from the press release publish from Curtin Sarawak, but also from other publication from other organisation in the industry, higher education to be exact. By monitoring the media it gives me the basic idea on writing media releases for the Curtin Sarawak  when required.

Apart from that, as the task is not that much, I have the opportunity to have small chats with each team member of the department. Each person bears different responsibility and task. It ranges from designing, web developing, videography , photography, CSR coordinating, press release and several other task. Knowing each member of the team allows me to understand the workflow of task within the department.

By acquiring all this information, it is easier for me to shift myself into the right gear , adapting with the working culture and environment, and enable myself to efficiently complete my future task and also achieving the department’s on going objectives.