Back to where it all began
It's that time of the year again when exams approach and everyone's stressed. And it's also the time when semester is ending; along with my internship. Oh, what an experience that was at Momentum Forum Events. Cannot believe it has been over 20 weeks already! Since the internship experience is coming to an end, I thought I'd reflect on what was and what there is to look forward to in the future (I'll also pepper some useful articles here and there for you to read).
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| Back to where it all began |
It's that time of the year again when exams approach and everyone's stressed. And it's also the time when semester is ending; along with my internship. Oh, what an experience that was at Momentum Forum Events. Cannot believe it has been over 20 weeks already! Since the internship experience is coming to an end, I thought I'd reflect on what was and what there is to look forward to in the future (I'll also pepper some useful articles here and there for you to read).
Lanyards Galore
In preparation for the Perth Pet Expo there have been a lot of arts and crafts going on in the office, the floor turning into a litter bug for double-sided sticky tape scraps and cardboard signs. The table was hidden under a blanket of lanyards, loose pieces of paper and smelly plastic sleeves. It was great to be more hands-on involved. I didn’t use my laptop once! It will be a great experience I'm sure to be a volunteer at the Expo, and to be surrounded by all sorts of animals.
And this was only one out of three piles!
Lanyards Galore
In preparation for the Perth Pet Expo there have been a lot of arts and crafts going on in the office, the floor turning into a litter bug for double-sided sticky tape scraps and cardboard signs. The table was hidden under a blanket of lanyards, loose pieces of paper and smelly plastic sleeves. It was great to be more hands-on involved. I didn’t use my laptop once! It will be a great experience I'm sure to be a volunteer at the Expo, and to be surrounded by all sorts of animals.
In preparation for the Perth Pet Expo there have been a lot of arts and crafts going on in the office, the floor turning into a litter bug for double-sided sticky tape scraps and cardboard signs. The table was hidden under a blanket of lanyards, loose pieces of paper and smelly plastic sleeves. It was great to be more hands-on involved. I didn’t use my laptop once! It will be a great experience I'm sure to be a volunteer at the Expo, and to be surrounded by all sorts of animals.
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| And this was only one out of three piles! |
As the Expo nears (it’s this weekend!) so, too, does the end of the internship. It has been an interesting experience doing the placement at Momentum; an events management company that is so different from the standard event planners you all might be familiar with. Instead of running events for clients, they continue to organise their own signature events for charitable causes and always look to raise awareness. Thinking about the report that I’m writing now on Momentum and how the role of PR is defined within it, I also start to retrospectively wonder about the things I learned. Let me know what you did too, and what you did differently.
This is something important to remember when it's time to give presentations! Many people don't like them, and then there are those that go on TED talks and let us in on the art of great communications. We are told many tips to relax and remember to stick to the points. But for me, it all comes back to good preparation to calm the nerves. Take the time to organise your thoughts, what you want to say, why it is relevant, and determine the best flow. If you have other tips, share them below!
I remember a lot of late days and tired but happy eyes. At the end of a productive day I would think about what I've learned that day, and what I could improve on next time. Yet after a while of this routine, along with more assignments and the usual stress of a uni student, I began to feel the burn. Burnout is something you think you don't have time for, yet this can be a real eye-opener: it forces you to prioritise. This exhausting insight can help challenge the way we think about our habits and what we consider to be a 'busy' versus 'productive' use of our time.
Connecting the Dots
The world of PR was elusive at first; so general and broad - oh, the roads you could travel. The internship gave me valuable experience to navigate these paths and provided insight into which road I'd like to travel some day. It enabled me to be mentored by a seasoned professional and get to be part of a great team. But most of all it exposed me to 'the real world' and connect the dots between what I've learnt at uni, and the difference between applying that theory and at many times realising that theories can only get you so far before you have to get creative.
As the time draws to a close of being an intern at Momentum, there is one key thing I want to bring up. There have been so many cases in which interns don’t treat their placement like a ‘real’ job. It’s disappointing to find this reality, because internships give you the opportunity to gain a foothold to start your career. First impressions count, but your ongoing attitude is what employers remember. And if your attitude is to look at a placement as a short-term activity without viewing the long-term possibilities holistically, then it’s time to start connecting those dots.
That's the interesting part about going out there and finding internships that allow you the opportunity to grow your skill set and take on new challenges. I hope you all had a wonderful time at your internships, for those who are finishing up at the end of semester too, and are looking forward to the next chapter in your PR careers!
Wishing you all the best,
Ewelina
The (Intern)ship has Sailed
As the Expo nears (it’s this weekend!) so, too, does the end of the internship. It has been an interesting experience doing the placement at Momentum; an events management company that is so different from the standard event planners you all might be familiar with. Instead of running events for clients, they continue to organise their own signature events for charitable causes and always look to raise awareness. Thinking about the report that I’m writing now on Momentum and how the role of PR is defined within it, I also start to retrospectively wonder about the things I learned. Let me know what you did too, and what you did differently.
As the Expo nears (it’s this weekend!) so, too, does the end of the internship. It has been an interesting experience doing the placement at Momentum; an events management company that is so different from the standard event planners you all might be familiar with. Instead of running events for clients, they continue to organise their own signature events for charitable causes and always look to raise awareness. Thinking about the report that I’m writing now on Momentum and how the role of PR is defined within it, I also start to retrospectively wonder about the things I learned. Let me know what you did too, and what you did differently.
There are many ways to be a good intern, as there are also many ways to stand out as an intern. Before undertaking mine I read some articles about what others out there say is the key to doing well at your internship, and whether I had similar ideas. This article makes many credible points, but one of them stood out to me; ‘keeping tabs on your accomplishments’. Analysing your own performance is important as much as analysing the corporate environment you’re in. That’s why through writing these blogs, we are all able to reflect on our own performance and gain insights into how we see ourselves as interns, as well as how our colleagues see us.
This is something important to remember when it's time to give presentations! Many people don't like them, and then there are those that go on TED talks and let us in on the art of great communications. We are told many tips to relax and remember to stick to the points. But for me, it all comes back to good preparation to calm the nerves. Take the time to organise your thoughts, what you want to say, why it is relevant, and determine the best flow. If you have other tips, share them below!
I remember a lot of late days and tired but happy eyes. At the end of a productive day I would think about what I've learned that day, and what I could improve on next time. Yet after a while of this routine, along with more assignments and the usual stress of a uni student, I began to feel the burn. Burnout is something you think you don't have time for, yet this can be a real eye-opener: it forces you to prioritise. This exhausting insight can help challenge the way we think about our habits and what we consider to be a 'busy' versus 'productive' use of our time.
Connecting the Dots
The world of PR was elusive at first; so general and broad - oh, the roads you could travel. The internship gave me valuable experience to navigate these paths and provided insight into which road I'd like to travel some day. It enabled me to be mentored by a seasoned professional and get to be part of a great team. But most of all it exposed me to 'the real world' and connect the dots between what I've learnt at uni, and the difference between applying that theory and at many times realising that theories can only get you so far before you have to get creative.
As the time draws to a close of being an intern at Momentum, there is one key thing I want to bring up. There have been so many cases in which interns don’t treat their placement like a ‘real’ job. It’s disappointing to find this reality, because internships give you the opportunity to gain a foothold to start your career. First impressions count, but your ongoing attitude is what employers remember. And if your attitude is to look at a placement as a short-term activity without viewing the long-term possibilities holistically, then it’s time to start connecting those dots.
That's the interesting part about going out there and finding internships that allow you the opportunity to grow your skill set and take on new challenges. I hope you all had a wonderful time at your internships, for those who are finishing up at the end of semester too, and are looking forward to the next chapter in your PR careers!
Wishing you all the best,
Ewelina
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