It the Final Countdown (cue countdown music)...

So while I have technically finished my internship hours at Momentum Forum Events, I am hanging around for another few weeks as one of Momentums biggest events is next Friday and it will be so exciting to see another spectacular event come to life after months of long hours and planning.

As I go into my last few weeks it has been interesting to look back at all that I have achieved in what I thought would be a long time, but flashed by me so fast. I have experienced first hand exactly what we were taught during our PR classes but also learnt so many new lessons that I can carry with me in my future of Public Relations.

Thus for my last post, I thought I would share some of the little lessons that I learned along the way:

1. Networking is the key to your future!
While you have probably seen this on a hundred articles, heard it a thousand times and seen it with your own eyes once or twice, it has completely blown my mind just how incredibly important networking is, especially in this field. You can be the best public relations practitioner in the whole world with the top grades and the best ideas, but if no one knows that you are there, then you're just another fish in the big corporate sea. It is so important to go out there and meet people and share your stories and ideas. I saw it every day of my internship with Barbara McNaught, founder of Momentum Forum Events. She believes fully that networking is the best way to achieve goals and actively seeks out events to attend where she can meet new people. She has used this skill to seek out many of Momentum Forum Events sponsors and clients and attract the likes of the Bachelors Blake Garvey and the minister of foreign affairs, the Honourable Julie Bishop to her events.

2. Words matter!
Whether you are writing a media release, posting a Facebook status or talking to a client, what you say and how you say it matter. Words can easily be miscommunicated, whether it be by the choice of words or the way that those words are used. It is so important to make sure that your facts are always 100% correct and so important to check and recheck and then get someone else to check everything that is getting published to a third party.

3. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!
Public relations can seem like a tough gig from time to time, especially after you've made a million phone calls with rejections every time or after you've spent a long day on your feet running an event. When I'm in one of those situations I just think to myself, "if it was easy, everyone would be doing it." This industry is not for everyone, but for those of us with the passion, it is worth it in the end to finally talk to that positive client or to experience the magic of an event unfold. It might take a lot of hard work, long hours and stressful days but it is worth it in the end.

All in all it has been a wonderful semester and I hope everyone has had the most insightful and wonderful time at their own internships. Now to see what the future has in store for all of us...

Good luck for your future
Taila

What do I want to be when I grow up?

Does anyone still feel as though they are not sure about what they want to do when they graduate? Because after almost 4 years at university it has finally hit me that life out of university is right around the corner.

I was never the type of person to know exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I left school I thought that I really wanted to be a physiotherapist. But alas that dream lasted one semester before I realized that I definitely was not cut out for the medical world.

So after a lot of hard thinking, I decided that maybe I should put my good attributes to use. Public Relations and Events Management seemed like a sure fit and I have thoroughly enjoyed the past few years of studying and work experience.

However this is where the next problem starts. Who knew that having this degree would open so many doors and lead down so many different paths? There are so many possibilities and different paths that I could take when I graduate. Do I want to plan small events or large festivals? Do I want to do consulting? Do I want to work in the not-for-profit sector?

As Im nearing the end of my internship, one thing I do feel sure about however is that I want to go into work in the not-for-profit sector. Working at Momentum Forum Events on the various charity events that are held yearly have definitely opened my eyes to the amazing work that can be done by the hardworking people working in the public relations and events management sector. There is a giant need for raising awareness and funds and gaining support for the many different people who need our help and our voice in society and public relations and events management is the perfect way to achieve these goals. While many people see this as a very fickle and selfish line of work, it is good to know that we actually have the ability to make a huge difference in the lives of many others.

Has anyone felt confused like this as they are nearing the ends of their degree? I’d be interested to hear if anyone has also felt as though they are still very unsure of their futures. I'd also be interested to hear about what field everyone has thought about working in and why?

Until next time,

Taila

It's time to step up to the challenge!

Hi everyone.

I am currently doing my internship at a company called Momentum Forum Events, a small company responsible for some pretty big events including the Annual Pink Ribbon Ball and the Perth Pet Expo (my excitement levels for this event are going through the roof!). 

I had heard a lot from previous students about what they had done while working there, much of which consisted of liaising with sponsors and exhibitors for various events, which meant a whole lot of making phone calls and I am unreasonably terrified of making phone calls (Ill let you all know how that turns out). However this internship meant finding a role which would challenge me and push me to new limits so I decided that this was the role for me. 

I stepped into this internship not having any idea what would be expected of me which quite obviously made me a sack of nerves on my first day! I got thrown straight into the craziness as the first event (the International Woman's Day Luncheon) was only a few weeks away and I had to be prepped on everything and everyone that this event was about. Considering every single event held by Momentum Forum Events is HUGE, it was a lot of information to take in and once I had my very brief but comprehensive introduction it was straight into the work. I remember my first day feeling as if I had only been there for 2 hours by the time I had finished an 8 hour day. 

I very quickly had to learn to think on my feet as we regularly got called together to brainstorm ideas for new ways to make the events better. It is always very exciting to see my ideas get used especially knowing that hundreds of others will get too see and experience my ideas also. I also very quickly learned that time is very sacred in this crazy world of events and somehow you have to learn how to squeeze 15 hours of work into a small 8 hour day. The day doesn't start at 9 and end at 5, especially as the event get closer. We regularly found ourselves not even realising that home time had come and passed.

As much as what I thought I knew a lot about events and PR, I quickly got reminded about everything I still need to learn to make it in this crazy world which I will share with you in the weeks to come.

I'd like to leave you all with a quote to keep you motivated to take on the challenges in this exciting time of our lives:

Until the next post...

Taila Sheppard
16109948