When I first began my placement I was really eager and excited and was very committed to the job. I was almost nervous every time I turned up to my shift. So many thoughts ran through my head, were my clothes okay, am I on time, am I too loud, am I too quiet, can I go to lunch, should I stay back?? All of these thoughts went crazy in my head for weeks. I was really grateful for the opportunity I had been offered.
I have been in my placement for almost four months now and have certainly settled in a lot. I have my own tasks, I have my own desk, I am well known around the office and with various clients and I am confident to go to work each morning. I approach my placement supervisor just as I would my work supervisor who I have been reporting to for years, who understands my University and other work commitments. One thing we all need to remember is that although we are not getting paid (most of us aren’t) for the work we are doing we still need to act professionally and treat the position with the same if not more importance, than we would if we were getting paid.
Unfortunately this does mean a lack of flexibility, which can be hard for University students. Over the past couple of weeks I have been confronted with making the decision to either quit one of my two paid part time jobs or to continue pushing on and cutting back on my social life. This is a decision that all University students need to make at some point. Whether they get away with it for 3 years like I have or if it occurs after one semester.
A placement needs to be taken seriously. You must show up to work at the time you start and stay until the end; you also can’t take days off when you need to finish off that assignment you left until the last minute! It is a real commitment and I am now beginning to realise just how serious it is. Not only do you need to make the best impression on your employers for potential employment, but they are also a reference for the unit and for future employment. You can’t just do your days and leave when it suits. It is so important to form a good relationship and keep them happy and meet their needs.
There are many other students waiting to get a placement and get work experience who are also very motivated, so take your opportunity seriously. Don’t waste it and don’t ruin it. Make the sacrifices now and you will reap the rewards.
1 comment:
I understand what you're going through! Doing a PR Placement does take up a lot of time. I also have to do uni and work part-time when doing my placement, which does make me very busy. Some weeks, I don't get a day off... but I just keep reminding myself how beneficial this placement is.
I feel very lucky to have been given such a worth-while opportunity. I am interning at The Nationals WA and they are a very competitive workplace. The events manager recently resigned and I was given the task of putting potential new employees on to a database. My boss handed me about 200 resumes. He said these were the ones he had 'chosen', meaning he had been given several more. This made me realise how sought after PR positions are, and how lucky I am to have gotten an internship in this department.
I agree when you say that we shouldn't waste the opportunities we've been given. It's easy to complain about having no spare time. What matters is that we are learning everyday we do our internships and they are worth our time:)
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