Curtin has taught me well!

Hello fellow PR Professional Practice students,

It is day four of my internship at Chevron and I am learning so much already. My supervisor and team are wonderful. I feel as though I am being treated like and equal employee, rather than student. The tasks I am being given are challenging and the feedback is valuable.

Some background - In Australia, Chevron is currently developing two large liquid natural gas (LNG) projects in the northern region of Western Australia; Gorgon and Wheatstone. More information about the company can be found here.

How do I fit into it? I work in the Australian Business Unit (ABU) which supports both the Wheatstone and Gorgon projects. Specifically, I work in the Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA) department. I have been set the task of helping with internal and external communications.

Putting Curtin's theory into practice:

Press Releases - On day one I was given the tasks of writing a press release for Perth's local community new papers. I learnt that Chevron has very strict language and formatting requirements. I write external press releases and internal intranet articles daily now, and my supervisor is very pleased that I enjoy writing because she doesn't so much, so I am able to take a load off her!

Media Clippings - It is slightly different to how I learn at uni because Chevron have a software that does the searching for you. The software screens all press, television, radio and Internet news related to the company. Then it is my task to compile the relevant stories into a neat email that is sent to top management on a daily basis. I find this extremely valuable, because not only am I doing my job, but I am learning a lot about the oil and gas industry.

Updating the Chevron Intranet Website - I am compiling a Wheatstone "Meet the Team" web page. This consists of each individual having a photo and a small bio about what they do, on the website. This adds a lot of value to the project, as there are thousands of staff located across the globe, so this is intended to make everyone feel more connected.

I shouldn't be, but I am still surprised at how aligned my PR studies have been to my work experience. It just goes to show that Curtin is extremely in-tune with what the workforce needs!

I will update you soon with my progress.

Georgina