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| Figure 1 - Minister for Water, Mia Davies |
Back in February I was successful in securing a work placement at the Water Corporation in the communications department. The Corporation is a business enterprise, owned by the WA Government and accountable to our sole shareholder, the Minister for Water, Mia Davies. (Figure 1)
I have worked for the Corporation since 2009, mostly in finance
based roles. Fulltime work and part-time study has proven a challenge over the
years, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel as I near the
completion of my degree.
So here I am, two months into my secondment and I can
honestly say I love every minute of it. My official role title is, Priority One
Communications Officer. I work in our External Affairs section, Customer &
Community Group. The External Affairs team manage all media and priority
communications for the Corporation.
My role is responsible for writing, reviewing, editing and
managing the internal sign-off of all Ministerial and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) correspondence. This includes
preparing draft letters and briefing notes on a variety of topics and enquiries,
which we receive directly from the Ministers office and our CEO, Sue Murphy.
(Figure 2)
My first impressions of the role... this is not your normal 9-5 job. The enquiries come in thick and fast, (I barely found the time to write this blog!) delivering on deadlines is a must and communication is key!
I must admit, sometimes I do feel a sense of pressure when I
stop and remind myself who I am writing for. The most challenging aspect of my
role to date is distinguishing the appropriate use of tone in my writing. Every enquiry is different and requires a level
of understanding in order to craft an appropriate response. Before it even
makes it to the Ministers office, my work goes through a thorough approval
process and is signed off by our CEO.  |
| Figure 2 - Water Corporation CEO, Sue Murphy |
(Figure 2)
My first impressions of the role... this is not your normal 9-5 job. The enquiries come in thick and fast, (I barely found the time to write this blog!) delivering on deadlines is a must and communication is key!
I feel extremely thankful for this opportunity, and even better I can incorporate this experience into my internship unit.
To find out more about the Water Corporation, visit our website at http://www.watercorporation.com.au/
More to come, watch this space...
1 comment:
Hi Liss,
I really enjoyed reading this as I'm currently completing my placement at Main Roads WA and have worked with people dealing with our ministerial responses. It's definitely a tough job due to the deadlines and the fact that all incoming inquiries have to be read and responded too. I know at Main Roads there is also an extremely thorough approval process as well which can take time, but ensuring the message is clear and aligned with the corporate brand is very important. It's good to hear you're enjoying the position though and can apply what you have learnt.
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