My 1st Week In Curtin's PR Dept

I have just completed my first five days working in the public relations sector of Curtin’s Corporate Communications Department. The experience is great, both in terms of working in a team environment and the practical application of PR skills learnt at uni.

To date, I have been involved with writing media releases, mail-outs, interviewing for stories, writing copy for the ‘Update on Curtin’ page taken out by Curtin in the local papers and media monitoring. I hope soon to be involved with a more extended project, which would enable me to gain a more in-depth experience and insight into PR and its role at Curtin.

The importance of professionalism and consistency in PR became apparent to me on my first day in the department. Whether this be through dress, phone manner or e-mail etiquette, it is important to project an organised, consistent and professional image to all those with whom one interacts. Another thing I quickly noticed was the fast-pace and quick turn-around time required in PR, especially when dealing with the media. A great media release means next to nothing if you can’t deliver it to the journalist before their deadline!

Finally, blogging is a new experience for me, but one that I feel is valuable considering the medium’s popularity among diverse groups today. I believe even Curtin could benefit from implementing a blog site (I am unaware they already have one) Perhaps I will recommend the idea…