Final thoughts on my time at Devahasdin

I am a bit late with posting my final blog post for my internship, I guess in a way I didn’t want it to end!

Throughout my internship I was involved in countless activities and projects for the many Devahasdin clients. In the beginning I was nervous and the thought of writing even a media release all on my own was daunting. Even though I had learnt the theory and certain practical aspects of what is required in such a document, I was still worried that it would not be good enough. I shouldn’t have worried though, everyone at the organisation was extremely helpful and understanding and most importantly, always took the time to explain why and how we would do certain things.

Some of the highlights of my internship include:

Mundaring Truffle Festival

The Mundaring Truffle Festival was held on the weekend of the 28^th and 29^th July and I was involved in many aspects of media relations. For example, ensuring media attendance, press and VIP passes, event preparation and many other small tasks required for such a large event. I also had to collect and value the large volume of media coverage the festival received leading up to the event. I really enjoyed working on this event, as I got to experience the enjoyable world of event co-ordination. Obviously the best part was going to the event and seeing all the hard work of the Devahasdin team going into such a wonderful and successful event.

Qatar Airways Perth route launch

I started my internship while the planning for major events surrounding this client were underway. As such, I had to learn all about what was happening, what events were planned and exactly what Devahasdin was doing for them very quickly. Being involved with such a major client was exciting and gave me an idea of the hard work and long hours are involved for the account manager (and others within the organisation). I saw major logistical issues resolved, ongoing communication between Perth and Doha (capital of Qatar) and perfectionism in all aspects of planned events. One of my tasks was to drive to DHL at Perth airport and collect items for the Qatar Airways media launch, where I was given a fluorescent vest and escorted through the busy storage area to where the items were. They weren’t what we were expecting. Of course I panicked and frantically said there must be more somewhere and called my supervisor. It turns out this wasn’t an issue and we had been given the wrong description of the items by the sender. They were the right ones after all. However, it really demonstrated to me that public relations requires clear communication at all times.

I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity to do work experience at Devahasdin. I was also very lucky to have been offered a paid position at the organisation, where the director was happy for me to work around my uni schedule until I could work full time. It was very unfortunate that I was not able to continue with the job offer, due to the very high demands of my final semester. However, I do believe the experience has opened my eyes to the world of public relations and I cannot wait to start full time work in the industry!