Hi everyone,
I hope everyone is enjoying and/or coping with the report writing process. I finished my internship prior to the start of semester but writing my report has allowed me to reflect on my time with the Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR) again. I enrolled in PR 393 with what can best be described as a rather pessimistic attitude, I was so nervous about immersing myself in full time work and very unsure about what to expect and what was expected of me. However after completing this internship i really appreciate what this unit is all about. I graduate in just a few short weeks and start full time work next year and the experience I gained during my internship has really alleviated some of my fears about joining the workforce. I feel so much more confident about my abilities now and feel that I am ready to graduate and start work. The internship also opened up some amazing opportunities for me. I interviewed for two jobs with the Department of Industry and Resources last week and will find out if I am successful in early November (....fingers crossed). I have also had three other job offers from different government departments and I feel that the experience I gained during my internship really helped me to set myself apart from other applicants.
I was so nervous on the first day of my internship but i settled in very quickly as everyone was so supportive, understanding and gave me great advice. I panicked when I was requested to write an article for the DoIR website on my second day, especially as it was about the search for hub sites for the processing of Browse Basin gas, something I can safely say that I had no idea about. Those types of articles kept coming including articles for a DoIR publication, Prospect magazine but I found that with a little research and a lot of questions for those in the know really helped. My job was all research research research but I can say that I now have a much greater understanding of mining, alternative energy and industry than I did before. Everything that we learnt it PR200 was a great help, I kept thinking of inverted pyramids and lead paragraphs. I went into the office last week to visit all the people I worked with and to collect some copies of the magazine i wrote articles for. It sounds silly but I was so excited to see my name in print and I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my articles had become the lead. I really appreciate the trust that my coworkers put in me and I was really surprised by what I am capable of.
I hope everyone has enjoyed their internships and I think we should all be proud of ourselves, its hard to put yourself out there and try something new (.....especially when you not getting paid for it). Good luck with writing your reports and with all your post uni pursuits :)
cheers
Lauren K
4 comments:
Congrats on getting through your internship.
Have a quick question, how did you enjoy working in a government department? It is the only area I know little about, is there a lot of red tape and hoops to jump through to get stuff done?
Cheers, and all the best with your applications.
I was actually really unsure of what to expect going into a government department. I had heard all these horror stories but I was very presently surprised. The communications and marketing team were a very positive efficient group and the approvals process was very straight forward. Each article i wrote had to be approved by a senior communications officer prior to being published on the internet/intranet.
However each article also had to be approved by the division to which it related (depending on the topic) e.g. science and innovation or mines and titles and thats where the trouble started. It was really hard finding the right person to gain approval from and getting them to do so in a timely manner. Often the people who requested the article/media release were unable to approve the article. Sometimes it would take me an hour to write something and two days to gain approval for it because government is very hierarchical and fanatical about the smallest details. Everyone was scared to take responsibility for approving something and as a result the simplest article went all the way to general manager/ director level for approval.
I also got the feeling that most divisions did not appreciate/respect the work done by the commmunications and marketing group. Each division was very divided and vieing for cudos and superiority.
Apart from that rant it is an enjoayble area to work in. The work is very interesting and varied. You get to work on the front line of government. You do however have to go into the job understanding that government is very hierarchical and guided by copious ammounts of legislation/policies (and for good reason, everyone is watching what you do and 100% trasperancy and accountbility is required).
I hope that goes some way to answering your question. I have had some experience working in other areas of PR and I can safely say that government is very different from anything I have ever done before. Good luck with your reprt and exams.
cheers
Lauren K
Hi. I am quite impressed with your internship experience. It makes me realize attitude does all the matters. We might not devote ourselves to the fullest if we feel uncertain about our job.
Your internship is very challenging but you manage to settle it well. You really did a good job. I do hope to consult you in my job application next time.
Bravo~;)
Jenny
Hi. A thumbs up for you for being able to conquer your fear working at the real world. I totally agree with you that practical training is indeed a pathway to prepare ourselves in the real work place. Well, hope you enjoy your working environment and all the best to you!
Regards,
Christy
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