Three quarters of the way...

At the end of my third week here at Professional Public Relations, I've learned several important pieces of wisdom that I will be passing on (or at least, trying to) in the next three blogs.

The first and probably most important in any intern position, and indeed in any paid position, is attention to detail.

Why attention to detail is important:

I was asked to draft a media release as a writing exercise one slow afternoon in the office, and although I proofread it for spelling. grammar and punctuation I missed an entire sentence that I hadn't wanted to include. When it was brought to my attention I told the supervisor it was an accidental oversight, a comment met with a stern but fair "that's not good enough."

Initially I was a little taken aback by the abrasive comment but I realised very quickly that it was more than fair. If someone took a piece of work to a client and made excuses to do with not being thorough, how would that reflect on the standard of work? It was pointed out that agencies have been fired for less, which in a cut-throat business world makes a lot of sense.

Attention to detail is a vital skill to have and, admittedly, one that I'm still learning. I've been listening to my tutors say how important it is for almost three years but until it's made that obvious in the real world the message doesn't entirely sink in.

It doesn't just apply to writing work though - even checking media lists, or putting together a mail out, the importance of double-checking everything can't be overstated.

What you should be doing now:

• Always get someone else to proofread your work - it's surprising and scary how often small errors in grammar, spelling, syntax and general flow can be overlooked. If nothing else, an objective opinion is always helpful;


• Spellcheck everything. That sounds like something a year 6 teacher would say, but even now I'm noticing things I, and other people, have spelt wrong and not noticed. Spelling errors look incredibly unprofessional;


• Re-read, re-read, re-read;


• If you have time, have a couple of versions of your work. This comes down to idea flow and structure - sometimes arranging or phrasing things differently can change the meaning entirely, and having two versions means you can have the best of both worlds;


• Concentrate while you're working, and;


• If you're not sure of a word, look it up or, ideally, use a simpler word with the same meaning.

I hope that doesn't put anyone off - consider it advice, don't get freaked out by it.

This week has been so busy with writing work, media lists needed ASAP and generally a lot of work that needed to be done yesterday. It's a great experience to be working so furiously, knowing your work may be used in a real life scenario. Needless to say, though, I'm looking forward to the weekend!

Wishing you all a good weekend after the first week of Semester 2,

- Morgan Riley