It's so hard to say goodbye

Goodbyes have never been a strong point of mine. Last Wednesday was my last day at TPFF and it was a LONG gruelling day. I thought it was going to go quickly because I didn't want my internship to finish. By about 11am I was praying for time to go faster. The reason being.... Media Monitors.

 

These things are the bane of my existence. On my second last week I had found, snipped and done most of the calculations for the spread sheet for August, only to be told at the end of the day by the PR girls that they were just notified that it was going to be professionally done.

 

Media Monitors: Random notes for calculations

 

Safe to say I wasn't impressed. It was decided well before that day that it was going to be done professionally, but no one notified the PR girls so they had me and two other interns frantically finishing the sheet. Internal communication appeared to have tapered off post-festival.

 

So that was my second last day. On my last day I spent the whole day, 9-5 on Isentia snipping the information that it generated and putting it into a word document along with a snipping of the article that it was about. Print, Radio and Television had already been finished so luckily I only had the online articles to finish, and only for September. That was still 300 articles! At one point I caught myself dozing off because it was so monotonous. Safe to say I did quite a few coffee runs that day!

 

Isentia, media monitors

 

Public relations is far from constant glamour and excitement, especially public relations in the fashion industry. Everyone who has asked me about my experience has asked who I have met, what free things did I get, what was the best event and runway show I saw etc. Most of the time I was too busy to socialise, and when I had the time it was with the other interns and volunteers. The only time I interacted with "famous" people like media personalities was when I was giving them their tickets and seating information, and the designers I only saw from a distance or was used by them as a runner. Granted there were a few who stopped to have a chat, but it wasn't like I was holding a champagne flute and wearing a glamorous dress, I was working. As for the runway shows, I saw one. One out of ten shows. I didn't even get to see much of the free ones at fashion central because I was too busy running around doing things.

 

I have to admit, on a couple of different occasions I was asked if I wanted to go in the marquee to see one of the shows, but I was so tired by that point that all I wanted to do was sit down and take my shoes off (I am not known for wearing sensible footwear).

 

Image courtesy of williamsshoes.com.au

 

My internship experience was amazing. Granted I probably wasn't exposed to EVERYTHING the PR industry has to deal with  ie. Crisis management, but it was fast paced and we had to think on our feet. I have enjoyed every second that I have spent during my time at TPFF and wouldn't trade it for the world. One of the PR girls asked me to come back on for one day a week until their swimwear shows are done at the end of November, but unfortunately I now need to focus on Uni, this is my last semester after all! As much as I want to do it, I work full time and I need to find time for assignments or I will be back here  next year, and as much as I love Curtin, I don't want to be here a day more than necessary.

 

To everyone who has read my posts, thank you.

Arrivederci, Sayonara, Hasta la vista, Au revoir, Farewell.

 

Ashlyn out! xoxo