Before starting off in the Public Relations industry in
Malaysia, I made up my mind only to apply for an opportunity at PR
consultancies in the country. Not long after my application was sent in, I
received a call from the Talent Manager confirming my position as an intern at
LEWIS PR Malaysia. Headquartered in the UK, LEWIS PR is a consultancy that
focuses on communication in technological sector.
LEWIS PR Malaysia was built approximately a year ago, because
of this, the company is lacking of manpower and relevant facilities still. With
that said, I worked at the Malaysian office with an Account Director and with
two Account Managers. LEWIS PR Malaysia consists of four of us in its entirety.
Personally, I find it quite daunting to share an office with
my director and managers, as they can be quite intimidating. I was once told
that I should set a boundary in between my manager and myself. She claimed that
I was being “too friendly.” What is
wrong with being friendly with your manager? I personally do not see anything
wrong with it as I had been there for nearly two months, it would be odd to not
even know whom you are working with.
Subsequently, I took that as a learning curve in a positive
manner, thinking that time will change everything. I believe Hofstede’s
Cultural Dimension theory that I have learnt in International Public Relations
supports this situation. I mean, because Malaysia possesses a high power
distance, the organisational structure at LEWIS PR Malaysia is hierarchical in
nature. In other words, what you do and what you think are assessed in an
unfavourable angle unless you have a prominent role in the company and
extensive past experiences to support your credibility, not leaving out the
“recognition” that you are expected to give to your managers and director.
In short, going through such an experience really opened up
my eyes as I never knew that what I learnt in class could play such an
important in the PR industry. It may have not turned out well, but I believe I
have learnt a few things from it.
I have also attached a few articles that I find interesting to
read in relevance to my post. Thank you so much for your time and have a
pleasant day ahead.
Articles
