I'm writing this blog post from my internship desk, on the second last day of my placement. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm devastated to be leaving tomorrow. I have enjoyed my internship immensely, all the while learning invaluable skills and making important connections for my burgeoning communications career. But before I move on to the next stage of my career, I thought I'd write about how I plan to make the most of my last precious hours here at Perth Theatre Trust. Maybe some of these ideas will help you too!
1. Maintain momentum
With a finish date looming, you might find it tempting to 'slack off' - why start any new projects when I probably won't have time to finish them?? Although this idea has crossed my mind, I am determined to at least maintain, if not improve my supervisor's opinion of me. Taking on additional work and ensuring any ongoing projects are finalised before 4:30pm tomorrow is my #1 goal.
2. Write a progess report
So you've taken my first point of advice and started some new tasks you haven't had a chance to finish? Write up a progress report for your supervisor so they know exactly where you left off - don't leave them in the dark. And here's a bonus tip for anyone starting out - practice this every week, especially if you're only in the office a few day each week. This will allow both you and your supervisor to keep on top of things, and at the end of your internship you can look back at everything you've achieved.
3. Schedule a formal debrief with your supervisor
Feedback is a crucial part of the learning process, so schedule a formal debrief with your supervisor. This will give you both the chance to discuss the internship and any areas which you can improve on. It's also a great opportunity to ask for things like references or LinkedIn recommendations.
4. Say thank you!
This one seems like a no-brainer but it's probably the most important tip. Leave a lasting impression by thanking your supervisor and the team you worked with on your final day, and follow up later. As tomorrow is Melbourne Cup day we're already having celebratory lunch as a team, so my baked treats won't do the trick. My plan is to have a bunch of flowers delivered to the office on Wednesday or Thursday with a thank you card - it's something the whole team can enjoy in my absence.
Good luck to any new internship students completing their placement over the summer break, and for all you students like me completing their degree in the next few weeks - go get those jobs!!!
- Kimberley
Showing posts with label Arts PR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arts PR. Show all posts
Monday, October 31, 2016
Saturday, October 15, 2016
On being "just" an intern... (Or how to make an impact in only two days a week!)
I've been at Perth Theatre Trust (PTT) for eight weeks now, and it has been everything I could have hoped for and more. I'm not only working in my chosen industry (the arts), but I'm also gaining incredible insight into the particular idiosyncrasies that come with working for a government department. PTT is almost entirely funded by the Department of Culture and the Arts, which means there's almost never as much money in the marketing budget as my manager would like!
This usually isn't a problem, but when it comes to finding (or in this case, re-allocating) funds to hire a new staff member (fingers crossed!), this can prove particularly difficult. At the end of the day, I imagine many of us would love to get that unconditional job offer even before we graduate, based on our internship performance. So how do you make sure that your internship manager values your contribution to their team so much they want to give you a job??
I must admit, I struggled with the concept of being "just" an intern for my first few weeks at PTT. I was only in the office two days a week (Monday and Tuesday), which can make it difficult to maintain momentum on any larger tasks that you might be working on. For example, I do a lot of liaising with talent to secure new content for PTT social media channels. I really enjoy this aspect of my role, but it can be tricky when you have a Friday deadline but don't have a chance to remind the actor/singer/dancer/comedian you've been chatting with after Tuesday of said Friday deadline.
Only being in the office a few days a week can also be problematic if people are trying to get in contact with you. One of my main projects in the last few weeks was wrangling the comedians for the Mental Health Week Closing Ceremony Stand Up! for Comedy show at the beautiful State Theatre Centre in Perth. This project saw me being the first point-of-contact for seven amazing (and very busy!) comedians, which meant getting them all together for a photo shoot a few weeks beforehand, sourcing social media content and information, creating a running order, reminding them to be on their best behaviour (this was comedy under a state government banner, after all), being on-site on the night to take social media photos, welcoming all the comics to the event (and tracking them down if they were running late) and attending the post-show function with comedians, dignitaries and staff from both PTT and the WA Association for Mental Health (our event partner).
The night was a huge success and I feel incredibly proud to have been involved, and it is a project that I really believe I went 'above and beyond' on. As I said, I am only in the PTT office on Monday and Tuesday, but for the photo shoot I came in on Friday and of course I was at the event on Saturday night. I'm hoping that this will put me over the top when it comes to an offer of employment at the end of semester. With that in mind, here are my top tips for being seen as more than "just" an intern.
Do more than what is required of you
Volunteer for additional work/assignments
If you've finished all your assigned task, ask for more work! If there isn't any, find some! I've put together several social media schedules without being asked to that are now being implemented throughout our six facebook pages.
Change your language
I read a really interesting article about the power of language in emails (linked here if you're interested) but it applies to spoken language as well. If you refer to yourself as "just" an intern, people will continue to see you that way. Change your language - introduce yourself as 'part of the communications team' and that's how people will start to view you. And it's technically true!
Ask for feedback
Of course we have to have a performance review with our supervisor before the end of semester, but this shouldn't be the first time you seek feedback from your supervisor. I will often send partially completed work to my supervisor to make sure I'm on the right track and that I'm creating something she can use. There's nothing worse than spending hours on a task and then finding you've got the wrong end of the stick!
This usually isn't a problem, but when it comes to finding (or in this case, re-allocating) funds to hire a new staff member (fingers crossed!), this can prove particularly difficult. At the end of the day, I imagine many of us would love to get that unconditional job offer even before we graduate, based on our internship performance. So how do you make sure that your internship manager values your contribution to their team so much they want to give you a job??
I must admit, I struggled with the concept of being "just" an intern for my first few weeks at PTT. I was only in the office two days a week (Monday and Tuesday), which can make it difficult to maintain momentum on any larger tasks that you might be working on. For example, I do a lot of liaising with talent to secure new content for PTT social media channels. I really enjoy this aspect of my role, but it can be tricky when you have a Friday deadline but don't have a chance to remind the actor/singer/dancer/comedian you've been chatting with after Tuesday of said Friday deadline.
Only being in the office a few days a week can also be problematic if people are trying to get in contact with you. One of my main projects in the last few weeks was wrangling the comedians for the Mental Health Week Closing Ceremony Stand Up! for Comedy show at the beautiful State Theatre Centre in Perth. This project saw me being the first point-of-contact for seven amazing (and very busy!) comedians, which meant getting them all together for a photo shoot a few weeks beforehand, sourcing social media content and information, creating a running order, reminding them to be on their best behaviour (this was comedy under a state government banner, after all), being on-site on the night to take social media photos, welcoming all the comics to the event (and tracking them down if they were running late) and attending the post-show function with comedians, dignitaries and staff from both PTT and the WA Association for Mental Health (our event partner).
 |
| The stage at State Theatre centre ready for Stand Up! for Comedy for Mental Health Week 2016. |
The night was a huge success and I feel incredibly proud to have been involved, and it is a project that I really believe I went 'above and beyond' on. As I said, I am only in the PTT office on Monday and Tuesday, but for the photo shoot I came in on Friday and of course I was at the event on Saturday night. I'm hoping that this will put me over the top when it comes to an offer of employment at the end of semester. With that in mind, here are my top tips for being seen as more than "just" an intern.
Do more than what is required of you
This is a great rule for any job, whether it is paid or not. If you do more than the bare minimum of what is required of you, it will impress people. Go above and beyond and people will notice.
Volunteer for additional work/assignments
If you've finished all your assigned task, ask for more work! If there isn't any, find some! I've put together several social media schedules without being asked to that are now being implemented throughout our six facebook pages.
Change your language
I read a really interesting article about the power of language in emails (linked here if you're interested) but it applies to spoken language as well. If you refer to yourself as "just" an intern, people will continue to see you that way. Change your language - introduce yourself as 'part of the communications team' and that's how people will start to view you. And it's technically true!
Ask for feedback
Of course we have to have a performance review with our supervisor before the end of semester, but this shouldn't be the first time you seek feedback from your supervisor. I will often send partially completed work to my supervisor to make sure I'm on the right track and that I'm creating something she can use. There's nothing worse than spending hours on a task and then finding you've got the wrong end of the stick!
We're getting to the pointy end of semester now, so hang in there, and good luck finding those grad positions!!!
- Kimberley
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Negative Nellies - Dealing with Social Media Backlash
Grab your blankets and your torches everyone, I'm about to tell you a scarrryyyy story.
It's a cold, wintery day. The raindrops beat against the window. You shiver at your desk as a chilly breeze sneaks under the crack in the window.
You're at work, happily editing some images to upload to instagram when your phone buzzes. It's a notification from facebook - one of the social media pages you manage has been commented on. 'Great!' you think. 'I wonder what amazing feedback this happy audience member has!' You open the page and scroll down, and that's when it happens.
 |
| AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! |
Someone has an issue with the special discounted price for under 30s, and they want you to know about it. What do you do???
__________________________________________________________
Social media management is a relatively new string to the PR professionals' bow, and requires transparency, honesty and quick responses. Social media management is a massive undertaking at Perth Theatre Trust, where we manage one instagram account, six facebook pages (with all the relevant event pages as well) and six twitter accounts. Although social media comes somewhat naturally to us 'young people', I've had to change the language I use on social media to adhere to the strict guidelines provided by the Department of Culture & the Arts (our umbrella organisation). Generating content has proved a challenge (particularly with so many accounts!) but recently we have received a few negative comments on one particular event page.
Here are the most important things I've learned when dealing with social media backlash.
1. Pay attention
The most important thing when monitoring social media is to pay attention! If you don't know that the conversation is going on, you can't be part of it.
2. Address negativity quickly
Negativity on social media can quickly spiral out of control. Make sure you respond to any negativity in a timely fashion, otherwise you run the risk of your publics thinking you are hiding or being dishonest.
3. Acknowledge the person’s feelings
Often the person posting just wants to know they have been heard. Make sure you acknowledge their feelings without making it seem like you think they are correct. Consider something along the lines of "We're sorry you feel that way," or "We understand that you feel angry/annoyed/upset..."
4. Ask for solutions
Sometimes the negativity on social media comes from the feeling of lack of control. Ask the commenter how they would like to see the situation resolved. This doesn't necessarily mean you will act on their advice, but involving them in the conversation is an important step in making sure they feel heard.
5. Fix the problem
Once the conversation is over, make sure you let the commenter (and anyone who is following along) know how the situation was resolved.
Social media is an extremely valuable tool for communicating directly with your audience. Negative comments may even help your organisation offer a better product or streamline a process. Make sure you stay involved in the conversation, as most of the time any response is better than none!
Happy monitoring!!!
- Kimberley
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Stage Fright - How to Deal with Nerves!!!
So you've finally nailed down the dream job/interview/presentation/meeting, how do you manage those inevitable butterflies when it comes to crunch time??
I started my internship at Perth Theatre Trust (PTT) this week, and boy was I nervous! I remember being a little nervous for an interview with my potential supervisor, but that was nothing compared to this!!! I woke up anxious and fidgety after an restless nights' sleep - not necessarily conducive to making a good first impression! Luckily, my background is in theatre and performing, so I have a whole raft of tips and tricks up my sleeve when dealing with nerves.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who was faced with a few butterflies on my first day, and it certainly won't be the last time I feel nervous before attempting something. Hopefully these tactics are useful to some of you, even if it's only one or two. These methods are drawn from my many years performing in live theatre, but can be applied to anything - an interview, your first day at a new job, an important meeting or even those dreaded in-class oral presentations!
How to Deal with Stage Fright
1. Be prepared.
This is my number one, most important tip. I know from my experience on stage that the worst cases of stage fright come from feeling unprepared. If there is anything you can do to make yourself feel like you a totally prepared, do it! Whether this means reading up on notes before a presentation, practicing your interview answers or doing a test run of the drive to work to check out traffic, being prepared will help calm the butterflies enormously.
2. Get a good nights' sleep.
This might seem like common sense, but it is SO important to be well rested. Personally I find that I have a tendency to get a little cranky if I'm tired, and that's not what I want a potential employer or my supervisor to see on my first day! This might mean skipping something fun the night before, but at the end of the day we all have to decide what our priorities are. I was in bed by 9pm the night before my first day at PTT!
3. Arrive early
This goes hand-in-hand with getting a good nights' sleep - if you've managed to get to bed early, you'll have more chance of waking up the first time the alarm goes off instead of pressing 'snooze'. Nothing makes a worse first impression than arriving late. It's an easy way to make you supervisor think you are lazy and uninterested! In the world of theatre, if you aren't fifteen minutes early for rehearsal, you are considered to be late, so even being 'on time' isn't enough. And consider this: when you arrive late, subconsciously you are saying to the person you kept waiting that your time is more important than theirs - is that really how you want your supervisor/future employer/person marking your work to feel??
4. Take a deep breath
This tip is the simplest to implement, but a really important one to remember. When I get nervous, I have a tendency to race my speech and end up blurting out whatever pops into my head at an unintelligible speed. The best way I've found to combat this is simply to stop and take a deep breath. This usually gives me enough time to slow down and gather my thoughts so that I stop myself from saying anything unnecessary.
At the end of the day, nerves are a very personal thing, and some people deal with them better than others. My parting advice would be to try some of these tips for yourself, as well as anything else that keeps you calm, and figure out which works best for you. Maybe you perform better after a run first thing in the morning - something to burn off all that nervous energy. Maybe you need to have a leisurely breakfast in order to plan your morning so that you're ready to face the day. Or maybe you're like me, and you just need a few minutes to collect your thoughts and take a couple of deep breaths. Whatever method works for you, once you've found it, make sure you don't forget it! Nerves are designed to make our bodies function more effectively, and they can be extremely useful once you've learned how to manage them. Good luck!
I started my internship at Perth Theatre Trust (PTT) this week, and boy was I nervous! I remember being a little nervous for an interview with my potential supervisor, but that was nothing compared to this!!! I woke up anxious and fidgety after an restless nights' sleep - not necessarily conducive to making a good first impression! Luckily, my background is in theatre and performing, so I have a whole raft of tips and tricks up my sleeve when dealing with nerves.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who was faced with a few butterflies on my first day, and it certainly won't be the last time I feel nervous before attempting something. Hopefully these tactics are useful to some of you, even if it's only one or two. These methods are drawn from my many years performing in live theatre, but can be applied to anything - an interview, your first day at a new job, an important meeting or even those dreaded in-class oral presentations!
How to Deal with Stage Fright
1. Be prepared.
This is my number one, most important tip. I know from my experience on stage that the worst cases of stage fright come from feeling unprepared. If there is anything you can do to make yourself feel like you a totally prepared, do it! Whether this means reading up on notes before a presentation, practicing your interview answers or doing a test run of the drive to work to check out traffic, being prepared will help calm the butterflies enormously.
2. Get a good nights' sleep.
This might seem like common sense, but it is SO important to be well rested. Personally I find that I have a tendency to get a little cranky if I'm tired, and that's not what I want a potential employer or my supervisor to see on my first day! This might mean skipping something fun the night before, but at the end of the day we all have to decide what our priorities are. I was in bed by 9pm the night before my first day at PTT!
3. Arrive early
This goes hand-in-hand with getting a good nights' sleep - if you've managed to get to bed early, you'll have more chance of waking up the first time the alarm goes off instead of pressing 'snooze'. Nothing makes a worse first impression than arriving late. It's an easy way to make you supervisor think you are lazy and uninterested! In the world of theatre, if you aren't fifteen minutes early for rehearsal, you are considered to be late, so even being 'on time' isn't enough. And consider this: when you arrive late, subconsciously you are saying to the person you kept waiting that your time is more important than theirs - is that really how you want your supervisor/future employer/person marking your work to feel??
4. Take a deep breath
This tip is the simplest to implement, but a really important one to remember. When I get nervous, I have a tendency to race my speech and end up blurting out whatever pops into my head at an unintelligible speed. The best way I've found to combat this is simply to stop and take a deep breath. This usually gives me enough time to slow down and gather my thoughts so that I stop myself from saying anything unnecessary.
At the end of the day, nerves are a very personal thing, and some people deal with them better than others. My parting advice would be to try some of these tips for yourself, as well as anything else that keeps you calm, and figure out which works best for you. Maybe you perform better after a run first thing in the morning - something to burn off all that nervous energy. Maybe you need to have a leisurely breakfast in order to plan your morning so that you're ready to face the day. Or maybe you're like me, and you just need a few minutes to collect your thoughts and take a couple of deep breaths. Whatever method works for you, once you've found it, make sure you don't forget it! Nerves are designed to make our bodies function more effectively, and they can be extremely useful once you've learned how to manage them. Good luck!
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