All good things come to an end.

My last day wearing my PwC access card.

“Hi all,

Well this is the last email I'm sending as a PwC Marketing trainee, as my internship has now come to an end.

Maybe I'll be back, maybe not. But one thing is sure, I'll miss this place. I'll miss all the friendly faces I've met here, who in their own way have made my internship a memorable one. I'll miss the friendly A2s, the funny people from the Tax department, the chatty drivers, the kind guys of BRS, my neighbours from BPO and most of all the team spirit that I've witnessed here and nowhere else!

A special thanks to my mentors, Ariane and Nitin, who are the best and kindest of all, even though they gave me more than a thousand bindings to do (Jokes, it was only around a hundred I think). I'll miss working with you both, and I hope that the next people I'll work with, will be as great as you two are!

I guess the saying is true: you will never know the value of something, until it becomes a memory. And, here are two words I'll always use to describe my PwC internship: rich & amazing!

Goodbye everyone and I wish you all the best!”

This was my goodbye mail to my co-workers, friends, and all the people I have met at PwC. On my last day at work, I couldn’t leave this place without writing a few words to express my gratitude to all those who have helped and taught me something at PwC. From the drivers who would always welcome me in the morning and make sure I got home safely, to those who have welcomed me at their table during tea breaks and lunchtimes; I couldn’t go without saying a proper goodbye.  

My internship has allowed me to explore the benefits and drawbacks of working in an in-house communications department. Among the advantages I have found is that as an employee of a company, your knowledge of its needs and strengths is more opened to you. You also get the chance to witness how your hard work and dedication paid off, and to develop a sense of appartenance that consultancies don’t have with their clients (at least not as much as an in-house department). One of my mentors has been working there for over 15 years, she’d stayed with the company through thick and thin, and was there during the rebranding of all PwC companies over the world.  She told me how she has seen the company grew and developed throughout the years. I guess this is the power of in-house communications department, this connection you are able to create and build up with time. From the little time I’ve been working there, I’ve been exposed to all the departments and knew about their needs.

With my two mentors, Nitin Cheeneebash and Ariane Serret, on my last PwC event.

But then as an in-house department, you are restricted in the exposure you could get compared to consultancies. PR consultancies give you the opportunity to work on diverse projects and with different people. Consultancies, I believe, is a better option for those willing to explore new horizons and be outside their comfort-zone. Indeed, I am planning on doing my next internship at a PR consultancy so as to get a real experience of how it works.

In the meanwhile I can only say that it was by far one of my most enriching PR units, I have learnt to put into practice the knowledge I have acquired during the past two years. I have gained in maturity and professional skills. I have learnt more during those past few weeks, than I would have reading all the PR textbooks at the library!

And you, fellow interns, how did you find this PR unit? Did it you find it enriching?

Elizabeth. 

How to Make Boring Business Cocktail Night Less Boring.

My first time. 

They always say that you never forget your first time, especially if you have waited so long to finally know what it feels like. So, when my mentor told me I was going to assist in the Mastering Taxation Cocktail Night, I was thrilled! FINALLY! My first event as a PR intern, I couldn’t wait to put my hands on it and start helping out my mentors. The event was a special one where all the attendees of the past Mastering Taxation sessions would be invited to a small cocktail party, held at Hennessy Park Hotel. With one of my mentors on vacation during that week, I was to help out even more in the preparation of the event as, as I have mentioned in my previous blog post the Marketing and Communication department I was interning in, is composed of only two members.

I’m sure you’ve all have been to at least one business cocktail party (otherwise lucky you!), there’s not much going on during the night, besides what feels like a hundred of ‘Hi, how are you? Please to meet you!’ You obviously find yourself bored after 15 minutes and pretending not to be for the rest of the night,  along with all those people around you feeling pretty much the same way.

In the business world, I have learnt, cocktail nights or other similar events are a duty-bound if you are working for a big, or even small, company. This is overtime work, where you get pay through free drinks and snacks only. Your duty is to do some networking and to promote your company. Obviously, you can’t under any circumstances attend such events without your business cards, otherwise it would be considered as a business faux pas!

So, as a future PR professional how do you leave a good impression on the businessmen and women attending your (not-so-boring) cocktail party? How do you make them tell their colleagues and friends, that your events are different from others and are worth attending? What does it take to entertain 30-50 invitees who would rather be home after work, rather than standing in the freezing weather surrounded by people they don’t know?

Well, here’s your answer: food, drinks, entertainment and a good MC.

They want a well-chosen menu composed of not only good-looking vegetarian and non-vegetarian food but excellent-tasty food, without forgetting to include more than one dessert because some people (like me) melt at the sight of chocolate; around the clock non-alcoholic as well as alcoholic drinks, we all know there’s no good party without a glass of wine!; entertainment and, this is where it gets all tricky and you have to be the most creative (for my event we borrowed a mini golf and a kicking ball game from an event agency, and a fun quiz, both made the night extremely fun and enjoyable said the feedbacks) and not to forget some surprise gifts or souvenirs as no one likes to get back home empty-handed; and last, but most important of all, you need a good MC, one with the right sense of humour and who knows how to encourage people to participate in the activities. I was pretty impressed by how the MC, one of the Senior Tax Managers, was handling the night and the people. I knew that without the right words coming from him and without his enthusiasm, most of the attendees would have left at the first opportunity and would never have embraced the mini-games as they had.

I wish my textbooks would have taught me that sort of things, but then I guess those insights can only be understood when you are on the job, when you get to organise and see the event from an organizer's point of view. And,  you fellow interns, what did your internship teach you than no textbook ever did?

Elizabeth.

How You Learn to Overcome Your Hatred of Making Phone Calls

There are few things I am certain of in my life, and my hatred for making phone calls and picking up the phone are among two of them. My parents and my brother will be the first to agree with that statement, and so will anybody having lived in the same place as me with a connected landline telephone nearby. I won't go as far as saying that I would not pick up my mobile phone when it's ringing (because hey, who knows maybe someone is calling to tell me that I have won Rs 1,000, 000? Or well maybe not) but I don't know why, fixed-line has never been my thing.  

So, when my mentor gave me a list of people to call, I was suddenly on the defensive mode and definitely not ready for that kind of commitment. In more sincere words, my inner self was practically crying her eyes out (see image below for an accurate visual representation of how I felt).  

But then, what could I do? Saying, "Sorry ma'am, I just don't like making phone calls, could you do it yourself?" would not have been a smart move. Especially if you consider the fact that she was the boss and I was the trainee. With the little willingness left in me and a strong sense of duty, I picked up the phone and looked at the flow of numbers on the paper she gave me, praying they would magically disappear. I fumbled through my first phone call, the second wasn't brilliant either. My usual high-pitched voice would turn into an inaudible flow of words once the phone was anywhere near my face. By the time I made a fool of myself after the fourth phone call, I knew I had to take the matter under control ASAP.  

I realised that after each phone calls' disaster, I would replay the conversation in my head but in a version where I would have introduced myself correctly, spoken clearly and audibly, and given all the necessary information to the receiver. So, I decided to write down what I needed to say to the receiver along with some answers to the potential questions which might come up. I have to say that it turned out to be one of the greatest ideas I had. As by the time I struck through the last name on the list, I have gained much more confidence and conversation would flow without me giving a glance to the 'talking points' I have scribbled down earlier. I could now handle the phone calls with much more ease than before and though I'm still not a big fan of making phone calls or picking up the phone, I have learnt how to deal with them and make better phone calls.  

This to say that this little experience has made me realised that I would not always be given the tasks I am most fond of. At times, I would have to deal with the most unpleasant tasks, things which I may totally dislike. But then I can't just turn my back on the things I don't like, instead I would have to take a step back, look at the big picture and try to come up with the best way to deal with it. As with every problem comes a solution!  

At the office, with the laptop PwC lent me for my internship and with my PwC notebook.

The cubicles at PwC, and at the far left is one of the meeting room

And you fellow interns, were you given tasks you weren't a big fan of? Share your story with me!

Elizabeth. 

P.S: I'm going to hire a secretary once I become a PR professional. Maybe two? In case one got sick and can't come to office. 

Insights from the New Kid on the Block

Truth be told, being the new kid on the block is always a bit of an adventure: unknown territory, new rules & regulations to abide, strangers to befriend with along your path.  It’s a whole new world, a whole new dynamism to get used to.  

Interning in one of the Big Four (audit firms), PwC, I knew beforehand that I would be dealing with professionals in their fields. Having previously worked as a sales person during my summer holidays for the past three years, the changing pace of working in an office was quite striking. If you’ve asked me after my first day work which one I preferred, my response would have been ‘Salesperson, of course!’ without a second thought. I felt home(/job)sick: missing the quick pace, the constant need to be alert, and most of all the interaction with the people. The latter was the hardest to get use to:  the silence. It’s the kind of silence you only find in posh areas and top workplaces (because obviously everyone is too busy working on their laptop, to chit-chat).   

But now, if you asked me which one I preferred, my answer would be different. I guess the transition period from one environment to another is always the hardest. The whole new process of being “the new kid on the block” and being outside my comfort zone, has inevitably built my apprehension.  

As a future PR practitioner, I knew from those first few days that I needed to work more on my capability to adapt to new environment quickly. Even though I am known for having quite an extrovert personality, working in the PR field requires that you connect with people around you, much quicker than the average person. There is no time for shyness or for individualism. The latter I have learnt by noting a synchronicity among my mentors. The Marketing & Communications  department comprises of only two individuals who work on anything ranging from marketing matters, internal communication, media relations to event management. You would say, how could only two people handle so much especially for a hotshot company like PwC? And this is when you discover the whole power of teamwork.  

From the short time I’ve been there, the thing I’ve been appreciating most is this team spirit which is always present, found even in the other departments of company. I get to value even more the importance of working in team and seeking help from others. Without any surprise, I found that one of the three key values promoted by PwC is teamwork. 

I look forward to learn more about what make a person shines in his job. I want to know about the little things that will make a big difference in one’s job. But in the meantime, I bid you farewell fellow interns as I have to wake up early tomorrow morning for work. My bed is calling me!

Elizabeth.