If you are in you last semester or possibly even year of uni I’m sure you are familiar with this dreaded conversation;
Person A: “So what are you studying at uni?”
You: “Commerce: PR and Marketing (or insert
your major here)”
Person A: “Oh cool, how long have you got
to go?”
You: “This is my last semester actually, so
only a few weeks”
Person A: “Bet you can’t wait to finish. HAVE YOU GOT A JOB LINED UP?”
If you do in fact have a job lined up this conversation
is probably happy and does not cause a sense of panic. If not this conversation
probably leaves you anxious and wondering through a range of scenarios.
What
if you never get a job?
What if you spend the next year waitressing?
What if your uni degree was for nothing?
How long will you be searching for work
for?
All year I have been petrified of finishing
my degree, and then not being able to get a job. In my ideal scenario, I
graduate, have a job lined up, start getting paid, and then move out of home
within 2 months of graduating. In my worst case scenario, I can’t find a
job and am working as a waitress or sales assist for months, still living with
my parents, uni degree wasting away. My fear of this may be worse by my
sometimes fear of uncertainty, I like there to be some form of structure.
In PR consultancy I still remember our
lecturer blatantly stating that there are many waitresses out there with a PR
degree. This is probably where my fear of being unemployed stems from
Yesterday though this fear and burden was
partially lifted off me. Platform – the organisation I’ve been completing my
internship at offered me part-time. I would work their full time, but I would
only be paid for two days work a week. This has the high potential to lead to
full time employment with the company, they just feel that they haven’t seen
enough of my skills, and I still have some skills to learn before they want to
move me to full time paid work.
I am happy about this as this is taking me
closer to my ideal goal of graduating with a job and moving out. I am thankful
for this unit as it is this unit that challenged me to research a range of PR
consultancies and then chase after the one I wanted. Now I have the potential
to work full time at the consultancy I chose when I started this course.
I feel I do have more to learn and I
understand why they want to wait a bit longer before putting me on full time.
Theory and practice are slightly different and the realm of PR is wide and varied.
I look forward to soon be working everyday and being able to complete projects
on my own. Reflecting back from my first day I have really gained the knowledge
and confidence to know I would be able to get a job and I will be able to
complete projects on my own
.
I hope everyone else has enjoyed their
internship and have gained some pieces of work they can add to their portfolio.
Rest assured everyone that you do have the skills to work in the real world,
and let this experience be proof that you have what it takes.
Heres a video my PR consultancy lecturer showed us.
Oh the places you'll go
4 comments:
How lovely to hear that you have secured yourself a job post-graduation, Kat. I reckon it is safe to say that your concerns are now out of the window; congratulations on this wonderful opportunity.
More often than not, we have been told that the theories we read in school have to be married with practice, so as to truly understand the realm of PR. How apt it is with this placement, we are given just that platform to do so.
Indeed, the learning process is not just limited to the four walls of a classroom, instead it also takes place in many other aspects of our lives – from the people we meet and interact with, to the places we go, as well as the jobs we perform. Every new day is a day of discovery.
Nevertheless, it is so surreal knowing that our academic journey is soon drawing to a close. They say graduation is a rite of passage, so I reckon what we are left to do now is to welcome the future with open arms.
Your post reflect what i really went through, because even during my placement some of the staff kept on asking me what i will be doing after the internship and guess what i said the same thing.
My practical was interesting and i learned a lot since i was the first international student intern to work in UPM, that showed me that i can now work anywhere around the world.
Happy that you still working with them to gain exposure of PR in real world.
What is now left is upon us since the journey of our studies is about to end and open opportunities for us.
Hello!
While reading your post I just couldn’t stop relating to what you went through with my own personal experience. It is true that when you’re in your last year of studying and getting closer to graduating, a fundamental moment in your life, you are filled with an apprehension of the next step and you keep wondering what will happen next.
I had the same apprehension that after graduating I would not be able to find a job and dreaded that working hard for these three years will be of no use. This is why I really appreciate the fact that you get to do a work placement before graduating because it not only helped me to learn and extend my own perception it also helped in being aware of my own capabilities and limitations.
It was also a great opportunity for networking and building your contact list. Eventually, like you I was offered a job at the advertising agency I was training. This made my day because I felt a personal satisfaction that I was able to actually achieve something in life!
Now, I cannot wait for after my graduation when I will be able to start working and really start my life independently. This is a new stage in our lives and I reckon that we will enjoy every moment of it.
Wishing the best of luck for your future endeavors and who knows, a full time job!
Cheers
Pearleen
Hi Kat,
Congratulations on landing yourself a part time job at your placement organisation! I must say that your blog post is really an interesting one because I can relate to that really well.
As compared to my other peers that are majoring in accounting and finance that have landed jobs even before graduating, I do feel a severe lack of confidence on my skills and knowledge as I have yet to land a job offer yet. However, I do believe that everyone are unique in their own ways and there will be something that they are better than others at, so please do not give up so easily at this stage as it will be a long way to go in life.
There are many ways to improve your knowledge and skills and all it takes is to go that extra mile in achieving what you really want as well as strong determination in life's learning process.
I hope that you are able to succeed in a PR career and good luck in your future endeavors.
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