Data auditing is a task we usually perform during our internship. To most of us, it’s a boring yet unbeneficial task. I used to feel the same, until I figured out how to make the best of it.
What I find to be the most beneficial of this task is it improves my attentiveness to details. PR is all about effective communication with the stakeholders. And to be an effective communicator, one has to have a sharp mind to know what their stakeholders want. Hence, the ability to observe every detail or movement made by the stakeholder is essential. One of the main things I learn from data auditing is this skill. Last week, I was told to do an audit on 500 forms that were filled up by seniors. My task is to ensure their written names in the form match the company’s database. Though it is a simple and tedious task, I find it very useful in improving my observance, especially in detecting minor and subtle errors. An example of this type of error is the word ‘pubic relations’.
Another benefit is the appreciation given. Upon the completion of my auditing work, I was immediately given another task to work on. This time it included some minor designing jobs, which I found interesting.
I guess these types of tasks are just a way to test how serious an employee is towards their job. If I don’t bother to do a simple task, what is the chance of me getting a much bigger task in the future?
The best advice I guess is to always show enthusiasm in every task given to us, be it coffee making or photocopying. Your supervisor will be observing you from a distance, determining whether you should be awarded a more important task in the future.
Having said that, you ought to speak up when a mundane task has become your daily routine. In one of my past internships, I was once being called in, instead of the maintenance staff, to fix my company’s photocopy machine that has broken down. From that, I knew I’ve been on the photocopying job for too long.
Will be posting more soon, my fellow pubic relations practitioners
1 comment:
Sometimes you can learn a lot form jobs that people would consider boring. I have had jobs that involve tracking down people because their email address keeps bouncing back, and calling companies to tell them about upcoming events and more about the organization.
The company where i am doing my placement rely on their weekly newsletter to communicate to most of their stakeholders. So even a job that appears to be a small boring task is actually important to keeping the company moving forward.
I find being on the phone talking to people for a day let me talk to a number of people across a wide range of professions. I'm defiantly much better on the phone now that i've spent a lot of time calling people.
The best part is seeing how i've been able to open up communications to new customers, and to fix broken lines of communication with old customers.
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