Learning, networking, and keeping in touch.

Since the commencement of my internship to date, this week certainly takes the crown as my most hectic week (ever). Besides the imminent deadline of the final report, my colleagues and I at work are all kept on our toes with the fashion festival taking place concurrently – with back-to-back events happening each day till the 20^th of May. As hectic as it seems, I believe this period is going to help me immensely with building excellent time management skills, and honing my multitasking abilities; two of the many traits a public relations (PR) practitioner is known for.

Aside from perfecting the skill set required of us in this trade, another goal of an internship is to gain knowledge of its environment. What I like to call the 3Ps, i.e. policies, procedures and protocols. By allowing ourselves to become familiar with the internal and external settings, we are given opportunities to see how best we can complement each varying situation with our expertise.

What is more, the experience in the shoes of an intern does not stop here. A great takeaway from an internship is the countless platforms catered for networking. A series of on-site events, luncheons, and even days spent in the office, creates the perfect setting for you to meet like-minded individuals possibly from across the global – and of course, the cherry on top of the cake would be forming lasting relationships with these people.

In this present placement of mine, I am fortunate to not only meet, but forge friendships with the people I work with on a daily basis. Since my first day in the office, the intern community has expanded from a one- to a nine-man team. Us, interns, have all grown to love, support, and rely on one another – despite the occasional shenanigans each of us pulls (note: all in the name of fun and laughter!). Hence whenever a bad day arises, we can be sure to depend on the others to chase these dark clouds away.

Networking should not be limited to your co-workers, but should also include your superiors, suppliers and clients. In today’s world, relationships between people play a big part in business relations. Like they say, the world is your oyster with a few good connections along the way.

Consequently, with your internship drawing to a close, it is vital to sustain these relationships by keeping in touch. In this third millennium, we are spoilt for choice with innumerable mediums for communication, ranging from mobile messaging: WhatsApp, Blackberry messenger; social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter; e-mailing; et cetera. However, at the end of the day nothing can replace the good old face-to-face interaction – so always remember to always keep in touch because like the saying goes, no road is long with good company.

I, now, leave you with a video which enunciates why networking is imperative... enjoy!

Cheers,
Jac
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