It’s my intern’s last day!

My internship in Curtin Corporate Communication Sarawak, Malaysia has officially ended. I started my internship on 8^th July 2013 and finished on 9^th August 2013.

I have learn and enjoy my one month internship, but unfortunate I have to leave this familiar working environment and my lovely colleagues. During my internship programme, a lot of things happened in between as well as faced a lot of problem and challenges, my supervisor and my colleagues are so kind to me and when I did some mistake.I want to take this blog for granted to thank to my respected supervisor, Ms Marcella really helpful taking care of me, she helped and guide me in every aspect, she keep giving me the opportunities to learn new things during my internship and include the outcome inside my report. She really guide me a lot and it was so appreciate.

I would like to highlight a few elements that I believe is key components to PR practitioner. All these components are based on my perspective throughout the internship programme, but I am happy to hear more different opinions from others, so feel free to comment below.

Confident

This is whatsoever very important which I strongly believe or even it has to be one of the characteristic of every PR professional. I am kind of person that lack of confident, I always don't dare to say "I can", because I scare “I can't”! But during this internship programme, I learn to build up confident through talking with people frequently by using English and try to accept every task and challenges. I believe that only if we do more practice and willing to accept the challenge, we are able to know the level of our ability and by knowingwhat alternatives ways to build up our own confident.

Willing to learn from mistake

No one are perfect, neither me. People always make mistake. The questions are how to handle and learn from mistake? I believe it is very important for every people in every kind of situation, especially when we come to the "real world". We need to have a heart that willing to learn! No one knows everything but only to LEARN! Learn from mistake make a man grow up. I very appreciate my supervisor, Ms Marcella, she always told me, "Nevermind, practice more and learn". Because of her encouragement, I don’t have to feel guilty overtime but move on to learn from my mistake and make it better!

Relationship

There is always a relationship between people. PR professional need to build up relationship with every people because you do not know one day you might need them, either your employer or client. Regardless who they are, as a PR professional, we have the responsibility to deal with people. So, smile can be a good communication tool for PR professional, smile with everyone. Not only can make people feel good, but also ourselves.

I think all of these key points are quiet useful for us as a future PR professional. I think through this internship programme, I really learn a lot of things in real world and outside the textbook. Wish I can use all of the skill i have learned from this programme in the future and I believe those points really help me a lot! Thanks to my supervisor, Thanks to my colleagues, Thanks to my lecturer, Thanks to UC and Thanks to this programme! Finally, Thanks all of you for being so patient in reading my blogs! All the best to you all! Have a super great day! :D

Best Regards,

Corina Ling

15108931

Curtin Sarawak

Useful Experience for me-- Writing Media Release!!!

This is my third week of doing internship. I would like to share my experience of writing media release. So excited that I have been granted the opportunity to write the media release! That day, as usual, I am reading the newspapers and doing the press clipping. And suddenly, my supervisor, Miss Marcella walk beside me and said, “Can you write a media release for me? I sent the information to your staff email address, just open it and take it as reference and you can see the sample of media release here in order to help you in your writing of media release. Please submit to me your works by today.” When I heard it, I feel super excited! Then I start to write media release.

As I have learned before, I refer to my experience and start to write the media release. I remember that I have learned to write media release when I was taking PR 220. I feel regret that I do not really practice frequent in writing media release at that time. Now, I am so desperate that times can come back. If the time can turn back, I really wish I can spend more time to exercise more. Now, it is not the time for me to regret of anything, but move on to complete my task.

So, I treasure this opportunity, I try my best, write, read through the sentences and think twice, research. Finally, I submit my task on time. Here is the link of media release that I have assisted in drafting:

http://www.curtin.edu.my/campusnews/mediarelease/2013/PR_13-065.htm

I have researched some useful tips of writing the body of the media release which include:

• Learn the format!

The strong headline always attract the attention of the reader and the opening sentence always sum up the most important detail of the message which include answer of five 'W' questions (Who, What, Where, When and Why). 

• Keep it short and on-point

• Set a professional yet engaging tone

Write with active words so that it can make media release sound like it is in motion and happening.

• Don not just think about your clientele- think about your media audience

Is it newsworthy? Is the valuable for media audience? Is it enough to attract them to read our media release?

• Have a release that can be read and accessed on multiple technologies and platforms

Include email and link where it can be viewed on the client's website to make things as easy as possible to find and explore.

• Keep the fluffiness to a minimum and maximise that how you economise each word

People like to read media releases which are shorter, simpler and straight to the point. Hit them in the heart, make a connection so that the media wants to keep reading your media release.

• Recognise that timing can be everything- down to the hour and day

Target the right week and day to publish the media release is important too. For example, If we send media release via email between 2-3pm, most people are just finished their lunch and the morning rush, we can get the best response during that frame.

• Quote

• include you and your company's contact information

Thanks for reading my experience and I hope you got the point. Have a great day! ;)

Best Regards, 

Corina Ling

15108931

Curtin Sarawak

‘Employee communication’ -- Learn it in the real world!

*Note: All pictures belong to Corporate Communication Department of Curtin Sarawak

After finished my first week internship, I would like to share with you what I have learned and observed while doing my internship. Due to the holiday period in Curtin University Sarawak, so our department does not have any event to deal with the students, but only event to deal with the staffs (internally).

There is an event called "Staff farewell & Welcoming Gathering for outgoing & Incoming PVCs" held in REC hall. They gathered all the staffs to give a farewell event to our Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor lan Kerr whom is leaving and also welcome our new Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Mienczakowski. After that, there was a photo-taking session and refreshment for all the staffs to allow them to communicate with each others. There are around 135 staffs who participate in this event. This event had been hosted for one and half hour. They manage this event so successful and well time-control.

Pic 1: Prof. Kerr and Prof. Mienczakowski proceed to the rostrum for 'handover'

Pic 2: Prof. Kerr and Prof. Samyudia proceed to rostrum for presentation of gift

Pic 3: Photo-taking session

Pic 4: During refreshment

Throughout this event, allow me to understand that PR responsibility not only to deal with stakeholder outside the company but also the stakeholders internally. Employees are the organisation's best possible 'goodwill ambassadors'. Employees play an important role of stakeholder because they help the organisation move on and achieve the objectives directly. Therefore, as a PR specialist, they need to concern of this group of stakeholder whom directly reflects to organisation’s success and failure. This event allows to me remember "employee communication" which I had learned on my PR 300.

What is the important of employee communication?

Relationships are based on communication and the functioning and survival or organisations are based on effective relationships between individuals and groups.

Communications help individuals and teams to coordinate and perform tasks to achieve goals. (Harrison 2012)

PR staffs play an important role in improving employee perceptions of their leaders through the interactions between employees and employers. In addition, translate corporate strategy into day-to-day basis and explain to employees also the responsibility of PR staff (Harrison 2006). As happen in the event "Staff farewell & Welcoming Gathering for outgoing & incoming PVCs", although it seems like a farewell party for outgoing and incoming PVCs, obviously the purpose for the event is to update the organization situation and everyday news to them. Besides, the purpose is a place for staff and management to interact with each other in order to have a same personal goal to achieve organisation's objective.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to attend this event during my first week internship. Hope all of you enjoy my sharing! Wait for my next post! ;D

Best Regards,

Corina Ling

15108931

Curtin Sarawak

Beginning of my PR Internship Journey

Greetings!

My name is Corina Ling. I am a student studying in Curtin University, Sarawak Campus. I am majoring in Public Relations and Management. So happy to say that, It is my final semester in Curtin University! Moreover PR 393 is my last unit of my PR course. Really treasure it and hope I can take advantages to learn a lot of things from this unit.

First of all, it is my first time doing intern and write blogs. And luckily I have been approved to start my internship experience in Curtin Corporate Comm.!! Thanks to Miss Marcella (my supervisor) for giving me the opportunity! Anywhere, I am so nervous on my first day work in the office but my colleagues were really kind and willing to teach me. They make me feel that "we are the family". Miss Marcella introduce each of my colleague and their job scope for me which include:

• Branding
• Advertising
• Design
• Publishing
• Campaign

And I can have the opportunity to have a try of all these area. By her introduction, I feel so wonderful because I learnt all theories in my previous class before, but till now only I really can learn how to implement those theories into the real world. I am working with all these awesome people right now! I am doing PR job right now! I can't wait for what will happen to me next!

Next is about my job, I have been arranged to read all of the newspapers (from everyday) which are being kept on the tables and collecting all the news and advertisement which are related to Curtin University Sarawak and then keep them into the files (news clipping) and also key in all the data into PC. I think it is my first time read so many newspapers in a day, never knew I have to read so much news in a day. The majority of newspapers that I have read are:

• New Straits Times
• The Borneo Post
• New Sarawak Tribune
• See Hua Daily News
• Sin Chew Daily News
• United Daily News
• Utusan Sarawak
• Utusan Borneo

By reading all these newspapers, I understand what is going on outside the organisation and how is the reputation of organisation in the eyes of its stakeholders so that we can improve or maintain organisation's reputation through communication strategy. Then I totally understand why my lecturer always told us that "As a PR student, you must read newspapers everyday, as good as read different type of newspapers in order to know what is going on in the real world". Reading newspapers really help PR person a lot especially on their research.

Through news clipping, we can keep all related information in the file and make it manageable, it can help PR person to find their information easily in the future and reduce time wasting.

Will be sharing more on my internship journey soon. Thanks and wait for my next post. :)



Regards,
Corina Ling
15108931
Curtin University Sarawak