The story of how Jessica found her placement...

So, originally i was enrolled to do my placement in semester 2 but a great opportunity has arisen which has forced me to undertake my placement (starting late) in semester 1!!

How it all came about
I waitress at a restaurant 3 days a week which is renown for its long and boozy Friday lunches involving advertising execs 'wooing' clients, old on-the-verge-of-retiring businessmen perving on the 60yr old cougars dressed up in the clothes of 20 year olds and the 'whos who' of the D-list celebrity circle of Perth. Aside from all the madness i met a lovely lady called Nicki who i got chatting too about a year and a half ago and has offered me on and off work experience in her PR consultancy called SPYN.

Why Now?
Nicki has offered herself 'pro-bono' (to work for free) for CelbriArt 2009 and a fundraiser that will raise money to rebuild a sculpture garden in Victoria that was burnt down in the bushfires on Black Saturday. She offered me a 'piece of the pie' and said i could do the majority of the publicity and writing of press releases and media liasing for both of the events which is a great opportunity for me to put everything i've learnt at Curtin into practice.So whilst this was unexpected it is just a far too great opportunity to turn down and i have already learned a lot and know i will continue learning along the way. Here is a breakdown of the events i will be working on:

1. CelebriArt

CelebriArt is an annual fundraising event in which celebrities nation-wide create works of art and then auction them off to raise money for PMH. This year some of the celebrities involved are John Butler, Chris Isaak, Chef Brad Burton, Taj Burrows and Steve Hooker. The event will be held at the King St Art Gallery on 5th June.

2. Artist Fundraiser

Bruno Torfs is an artist that created a beautiful sculpture garden in Marysville Victoria that was pride and joy to its townspeople. This beautiful tourist attraction was devastatingly destroyed on Black Saturday. Local artists are now donating their works of art and they will be auctioned off to the public to raise money for Bruno to rebuild his garden. The event will be taking place on March 27th at Caversham House.

What i have learnt so far
Already two weeks into my placement i have learnt invaluable lessons and gained so much experience. Nicki has been a 'mother-like' figure to me. She gives me a large workload that is sometimes challenging but guides me through it with constructive criticism. So far my media releases have had bites back, i have been in contact with many media people and outlets and i have also had much of my work praised upon by my placement employer. One great thing involved with events is the fact that i will actually get to see how successful they are. The fact that they are non-for-profit makes it even more important for them to be as oustanding as possible.

Anyways that's it for my first post but i'll keep you posted on my whirlwind placement!