Reflective Blog 4 - Wrapping up and Balancing Act

Greetings all!

Well this is officially meant to be the final blog in relation to my internship as I've well and truly completed my 20 days here at the Stadium.  Both the Internship unit and the Stadium managers have been very flexible regarding to my length of stay here in this capacity.  My Final Report isn't due til November this year which is fair (as the weighing grade on it is immense!) and I've been invited to continue assisting with internal and external public relations, events and marketing duties.

The Tourism and Events side of my double-major has also assisting with my duties in the Sporting Office, such as specific website updates, promotions and communication.  I am grateful for having chosen the Tourism & Event Management complimenting double-major as I see the usefulness of these duties in the Stadium every day.  For example, I have recently updated the website information, added new photographs, images and supporting information on their partners (Uni Credit, Ron Farris, and the West Coast Pirates).

Electronic communication is the easiest, most powerful and most vulnerable method of communicating as so many things can and do go wrong.  Curtin Stadium's website updates are done through the Web Master System. The Web Master System requires patience, training and good Public Relations to ensure accuracy, efficiency and sustainability of these duties and awareness throughout the Stadium and the campus overall.

For example, who does everyone call with IT issues? Curtin Information Technology Services (CITS) and as normal, IT services aren't very personalised so to maximise productivity and minimise time wastage, I suggest:

• Always save and have a back up of any work you enter electronically, 
• Know exactly what your technical issue is before you lodge a call,
• If your issue is of dire important say so and be persistent in requesting immediate help,
• Record the receipt number, 
• Clear your work area from clutter and unnecessary distractions,
• Make your department/internal/external stakeholders aware of your dilemma and that you're handling the situation appropriately,
• Make sure you're accessible to receive the maintenance assistance or at least hand over your issue to another person who can relay the information in your absence.

And unfortunately today (6th Sept 2013), with the expiry of my internship status I have made a decision not to renew my Curtin Associate status with the Stadium due to the amounting last semester group assignments, etc. As I have declared in previous blogs I have been treated with fairness and flexibility at the Stadium and though there is always work that can be done I don't see myself as able to commit to any more work experience added to my other responsibilities.

I have learned some fabulous PR, Events and Marketing techniques and skills in the workplace that I can use anywhere.  I am forever grateful for the opportunities that I have learned in my time at the Stadium.  I feel empowered!  Lucky for me I am a regular client at the gym and undergraduate student at Curtin University. I don't see this way of life changing dramatically any time soon!

Please note that a big majority of my internship work has not just been onsite, hence the odd timing and talking in both past and present tense.  I hope this does not confuse the reader but I'm confident we all can share similar workplace and schooling dynamics.  Definitely a journey that will be remembered!

Best regards,

Warm regards,

Chelsey Phillips

Curtin University Bentley, WA

14982969 Student

259629K Curtin University Associate