Lesson To Learn; Public Relations Is Not Easy

Now I’m at the end of my work placement, this is my last journal entry. Since my last journal I’ve had the opportunity to focus on the non-profit sector. Definitely different when the focus changes from all about profit and being the best company, to actually making changes in peoples life’s who are in need of it. It’s definitely a lot more satisfying. I’ve found it prompts you to utilize your creative skills and think outside the box when you have a limited budget, which is the case for the Greater Good Foundation. I have been given more freedom and my ideas aren’t so scrutinized. I really have enjoyed it and I think that I might look into the non-profit industry when I leave University.

Although it has been great working with the charity, there is where I stress my point, that PR isn’t easy. While I was given more responsibilities nearing the end of my work placement, it also added more stress. And this stress came from the fact that people aren’t always that reliable. While we study PR; we are good communicators, that sometimes we forget that not everyone is as good as us at communicating. I found out the hard way. While finding people to help out with the charity was easy, many people were on board and were happy to discuss the promotional benefits. When it came to answering emails, filling out simple forms, and calling me back these people just seemed to disappear. It was after about four emails through to the same guy who’d I’d talk to three times already on the phone, that he realised that he had actually given me his wife’s email address.

Another issue that we are all facing now that we are almost finished our degrees and about to go out in the workforce; is the economic downturn. Which I’m sure we are all having mixed feelings about, unfortunately for Fashionate Events, being a small company during this time has affected them pretty bad. With corporations trying to cut costs to improve their financial status during the economic crisis, the first costs to go usually are holding lavish style events and promoting the company, which is Fashionate’s core. But even though public relations may be the first to go during these hard times, it is also the first to start up when everything starts to build up again. An example of this is Verve Energy is in the process of conducting a public relations campaign, which is where I’m heading off to next to gain some more work experience before getting out in the workforce.

So what have I learnt throughout my work placement, well I’ve pulled through the tough times where I wanted to give up because it wasn’t going my way, and I’ve had that awesome feeling of accomplishing a task that has gone really well, making all the hard work you’ve done, worth it. But back to my point; public relations isn’t easy, you can’t slack off and ride on the back of others, in this business that wont get you anywhere. You have to work hard if to you want to make a career for yourselves, and that feeling of knowing you’ve done something great only feels as good when you have put in the hard yards yourself.

Good luck and I hope you all enjoy the rest of your work placements.

Stacey