Hi Interns,
Well as we are in the final days of semester, the reporting on my internship has come to an end. Some of the projects I have worked on include the Movies by Burswood ‘Make Your Mark’ competition awards night, the MSSAG motorcycle safety forums, designing concepts for a state wide government advertising campaign and designing and managing several promotional activities to name a few.
As many others have, I’d like to share some of the more important lessons I’ve learnt throughout the semester.
First and foremost:
Never be afraid to ask – This is something that I cannot stress enough! For us young graduates who will probably be under a lot of pressure (from ourselves) to do a good job, get things right and importantly make a great impression in the first months of our first jobs; it is incredibly important for us to have the confidence to put our hands up and ask for guidance when needed.
For me, having incredibly knowledgeable and approachable mentors has helped both my confidence and my skills develop tenfold. From time to time (especially at the start of my placement) I found myself needing to clarify every detail and double and triple checking everything that I had done – even if it meant asking my supervisor to proof read a basic email!
I think that once we know we are doing things right, our confidence increases and so does our level of initiative. These are things that won’t go unrewarded (in the long term) throughout ones career.
Secondly:
Attention to detail – I think that as a PR practitioner, this would be one of the most necessary and useful traits to have in the skill set. In PR there is little room for error and sloppiness or laziness can quickly ruin a lot of hard work.
I have learnt to be very compulsive about presentation, especially in regards to events. I would have never of thought that remembering the name of a guest when they arrive, so that you can personally thank them for attending when they leave, or straightening the tablecloths at a dinner function before the guests arrive would go so far. I guess you don’t always see people appreciate your hard work and ‘attention to detail’, but when it all comes together, it certainly does make a difference. This is something that I have learnt that will stay with me for my entire professional life.
Finally
Do not underestimate how time consuming small tasks can be – In several instances, I had found myself postponing smaller tasks such as contacting designers, booking couriers, proofing run sheets and action plans etc. Unfortunately, at the end of the day when it hits 5pm and you have 10 ‘small tasks’ to complete...you’ll find yourself staying back at the office to get things done or worse...you’ll fall behind the eight ball.
These are things that I don’t think that I would have learnt through university class work alone as they are more practical skills than theoretical learning areas (not to say theory isn't as equally important). So I would like to thank my employer Impact Communications for teaching me these new and necessary skills, and I would like to thank PR 393 for giving me the opportunity to share and reflect on them.
This has been an incredibly enjoyable experience and I hope that you all have made the most out of your placements, as I know I certainly have.
Kind Regards,
Tobias (Bentley Campus)
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