AIME for the Best

New environments can be daunting at first, even one that is based at Curtin University. You have the initial introduction to your colleagues, observing the team in which you will be working in, as your internship begins its 1st day.  However, following this quick initiation it seems as if you are thrown into the deep end.  

 

Hi everyone, my name is Libby and I am interning for AIME at the Curtin University campus. Although we are delving into what could be described as the ‘real world’ on training wheels, taking that first step is very exciting.  

AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) is a non-for-profit organisation focused on closing the gap on post-schooling opportunities and outcomes for Australian Indigenous students. The mission of AIME is to reach 10,000 Indigenous children by the year 2018, guiding their transition into university, employment or further education or training. It is heart-warming to know that I will be a part of this journey in some small way.

 

If you would like to know more about this wonderful organisation and how it was brought to life, watch this episode of Australian Story, introducing the CEO of AIME, Jack Manning Bancroft. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt5RxdQRFR4

The first day...

I get a text the day before stating that my first day was to be held at Murdoch University. Always expect the unexpected, plans change and it is our duty to be adaptive to these changes. 

So what do you know, the plans changed once again and after arriving early to be driven to Murdoch, I was notified that my day was to remain at the Curtin office. I was particularly happy about this as I was able to meet my colleagues who were surprised to see me.

After the introductory things were out of the way, I had to put my creative hat on as I was asked to write a pitch targeted towards the John Curtin Leadership students. At first it was a little difficult not knowing the ins and outs of the organisation or the personal jokes that might make a pitch more appealing. In reflection it was a great learning tool, especially after reading the Communication Coordinator’s pitch which gave more insight into the organisation.

What is really exciting is that in October, AIME WA is holding its biggest fundraising event, KiNDLiNG. Events management is my primary major so I am very grateful for this learning experience. I am particularly interested in the media relations aspect of this event, already having started to design social media tiles and a promotional strategy plan. Mind you, graphic design is not my forte but it was nice to practice the 'skills' learnt in Design Computing. You really don't know what will come in handy until you are out in the workplace. Who knows Information Systems 100 might yet come into play as valuable knowledge. 

What I can say about this internship is that it is very casual, yes I wear a AIME T-shirt and Hoodie. However, the colleagues I work with are very dedicated to this cause and are professional when it comes to getting the work done and seeing change happen. I feel privileged to be an intern for an organisation that is focused on helping children and seeking to close the gap between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians. 

I am very excited to see how these 20 days pan out, and more excited to learn about and meet the students that AIME so dearly cares for.  

Public relations in the real world

People often ask “what even is public relations” or “what does a role in public relations involve and is it necessary?” Well, public relations is the way organisations, companies and individuals communicate with the public and media. A PR specialist communicates with the target audience directly or indirectly through media with an aim to create and maintain a positive image and to hold a strong relationship with the audience. There is so much that is public relations related. Examples include press releases, newsletters, public appearances and speeches as well as utilising the the world wide web.

During my experience at the internship, there is a blurred line between the public relations area and the marketing title. The difference between the two is that marketing is the overall mix of activities that you undertake to get your product or service to market. By contrast public relations help an organisation and the public adapt mutually to each other. Public relations broadly applies to organisations as a collective group, not just a business; and the public encompasses the variety of different stakeholders. I think that the two areas really should complement each other in order to maximise the company’s benefit.

There were so many different projects we have started on together. It is very hard to distinguish the difference between public relations and marketing because we worked together as a team. When we had a new project or client pitch, we had brainstorming sessions with the supervisor through mind mapping. We all laid ideas out on a whiteboard allowing us to follow the direction of those thoughts and add onto them in a very visual way. This also gives us a sense of being part of the company’s movement. We would then work on our own to come up with recommendations to accommodate what is required. I generally would make a detailed PR plan for the project with issues and tactics. And of course we communicated between each other to make sure we were on the right track.

In conclusion communication is the key to success. A business is often made up of more than one person and at the end of the day we are all working for the same company and our goal is to work together to accomplish both long term and short term goals.

Attention to detail

One of the biggest things that PSO has taught me is 'ATTENTION TO DETAIL'. 

PR is about communicating with your publics and this communication takes many forms. PSO believes that everything they do communicates a message. Even if it's something small, like setting up a volunteer briefing or sending out thank-you presents, PSO always takes pride in everything they do and so too am I proud to intern for them. 

In that sense, although there is no dedicated department for PR, PSO essentially uses PR all day everyday.

For example, we went to the shops the other day to buy items for their volunteer briefing. Everything from what colour the napkins are, to what fruits sync well with PSO's vibrant branding was well thought of and decided on. Even the food that they provide in the office on a regular basis must somewhat resemble PSO. I noticed that one of their signatures has to be those amazing purple grapes that they seem to have an endless supply of; and also those 'Smarties' packs which they always send, along with a thank-you card, to people who have helped them out. 

It also appears that their home, Scotch, has picked up on this memorable trait. 

Scotch knows the way to an intern's heart.

Apart from all the things that they do to look pretty, they also have team that is very capable of picking up all my spelling and grammar mistakes.

(Sighs)

Even though this should be something that a third year student studying PR should be able to master by now, it's still something I often overlook and sometimes part of the reason why I discourage myself to enter the PR industry. I just don't know if I'm cut out for it. But what I do know is that I am glad to be making these mistakes now and more importantly learning from them, whilst I am still a part of this amazing and supporting family.

Reaching the Halfway Point

So I’ve finally made it to the halfway point! Only working one day a week makes it feel like sometimes this internship will last forever.

Looking back, I can see that I’ve already learnt so much and further developed my skills, and it confirms that public relations is definitely an industry that I want to work in. But it is not just my working skills that have improved; I feel that I have grown and matured further as a person. My department at Wesley College are constantly praising my work ethic and making me feel valued and respected here.  

One thing that has stood out to me in my time here is the way that the Community Relations department reviews each others’ work. One person will write a document, for example a media release, and it will be passed to someone else in the office where they “rip it to shreds” (as my supervisor calls it), making as many corrections as possible. Then it is passed to the Director of Community Relations, who does the same thing. The first time they reviewed my work like this it was quite disheartening to see the amount of corrections and suggestions made. But it was not just my work that came back with a million notes and red pen marks, and so after discussing the process with my supervisor I completely agree with the process! While it can be harsh for the document creator, it really does ensure that the best possible work is created. 

Thats all for now - I have something very exciting to share next time!

“Know Your Role and Stick to It!”

Today I had the opportunity to work alongside the Alumni Manager, Ian Fowler, at the Old Wesleyan Collegian Association’s (OWCA) Golf Day. It involved around 50 ‘Old Boys’ of the College coming to play golf at the Royal Perth Golf Club with Headmaster David Gee.

The morning was slightly chaotic, with people arriving for registration, having to pay at a different desk, and come back to the first desk to receive their team list and when the completion would start. My role was at the first desk, to cross their names off at registration and point people in the right direction to meet their teams. Some team members had never met before, so towards the end of registration I left my desk to assist a gentleman who was still looking for his team, as I knew where his team were currently meeting.  

When I returned, Ian asked where I had been as he had several more jobs for me to do. When I explained, he discussed the importance of staying at my desk and that someone else would have been able to do it - even though everyone else was busy and I was the person available. So obviously that confused me a bit! If something similar happened in the future I would definitely ask my supervisor before taking the task into my own hands – sometimes other peoples’ experience will override initiative!

While overall the day was a success, I felt it lacked communication within the public relations department to increase time management and share all necessary information with the guests. Upon being asked for my opinion for the next event, my advice was to have a team meeting before people began arriving to ensure everyone knew their tasks for the whole day, rather than one task at a time to ensure fluidity, and communicate this better to the whole department.

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.