Hi All,
Well with our placements all over, and our reports looming ahead, I thought I would reflect on things learnt in my placement.
It has been so rewarding finally putting the knowledge we have learnt at uni into real life situations. I never thought I would see so many pitches in my time at the zoo. Having just done consultancy, my knowledge of pitches was fairly fresh. Being able to have constructive questions for the presenters made me feel like a valued member at the zoo.
One thing I think everyone has at Perth Zoo is passion. It's one thing to build relationships with stakeholders, it's another to be motivated by saving endangered species. Throughout my time at the zoo, I have found myself becoming more and more passionate about the work being done there. I have watched videos of the zoo releasing orangutans, moving giraffes to new zoos and saving silvery gibbons in the wild. I have held a quoll, seen a private feeding of the African painted dogs and fed an echidna. When doing all these exciting things I couldn't help but think that, although these activities were exciting, they were hardly public relations. However looking back, I can see that it was these activites which have made me so passionate about the zoo.
This passion is what makes the staff at Perth Zoo work that much harder because they aren't just working for a salary, they are working for a cause.
1 comment:
It sounds like you had a great time at the Zoo Ali!
Although I can see why you say those things you did hardly felt like public relations, but I think in a way they were. It gave you an understanding as to what you were working for and make you feel like a true member of the organisation because you are there for your love of animals. I think this understanding and passion is what makes a great PR practitioner, as it is great motivation to do the best you can for something you really believe in. It think getting along with other staff members can also make the experience all that more enjoyable as well.
At my work experience at the record label, I get to listen to music and attend gigs for free so it also doesn't feel like work. But on the other hand it's a way to understand the client and meet them, providing a greater working atmosphere as well as securing future business. Having listened to the music, it also makes contacting the media regarding these bands, what I feel is a more legitimate task (how can I ask for media feedback, if I haven't listened to it myself?).
Congratulations on completing your work experience!
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