Theory matters...Experience makes the difference

At university, I got the opportunity to take in the hypothesis of what PR is. I have figured out how PR can be valuable, however I did not get a chance to get the hands-on-experience that is required to be a genuine professional, until my internship at Caritas.

Theory matters, yet it is something else to put those hypotheses into practice. Transferrable aptitudes like communication, collaboration and work ethic can be cultivated through real experience. While my internship gives me a hands-on opportunity to apply the theory and knowledge I have gained from university, it likewise helps me brace my expert capabilities.

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is - Yogi Berra

As a PR intern, I was given the incredible chance to plunge my toe in the water, picking up knowledge into the everyday operations. One of the best and most important learning encounters was that I figured out how to create advanced writing skills over a scope of techniques and practices and by that profoundly enhance my skills.

At Caritas, I found how much I took pleasure in writing, be it press releases and articles. I have learned that to write a good press release not only necessitates that I need to know the public of particular outlet, but that I need to precisely know the customers of the NGO.

Writing press release

While writing the official announcement for the launching of a new documentary by Caritas to promote its Functional Literacy Programme on the International Literacy Day, I set myself an objective, that to arouse the interest of the media. To achieve my goal; to make a compelling news, I have put into practice what I have been taught in my PR unit. A press release must consist of the inverted pyramid:

• Headline
• Always start with 5 W's + H
• Following with the less important information
• Ending with the least important information
• Quote
• Contact information

Well, things were not as rosy as it seems. I was asked to write the article in FRENCH! Things I never did before. Be as it may, as a PR intern, I took it like a challenge. I wrote the press release following the same format I've been taught in PR classes and fortunately I have been able to do it. My supervisor proofread my work, I'd made some changes and send it to the media. YAY!

At the end of the day, there is one thing that I need to say - while classroom learning and internship learning have their disparities, they are likewise intertwined and relatable. Quite a bit of what is learned at university can be applied to internships. As an intern, being able to connect theory from courses to practice at Caritas... I can say that I am being effective in both zones.

I am making the most out of my experience during my internship. The more question I ask, the more I am benefiting from it.

Anne-Sophie Laval

Charles Telfair Institute, Mauritius