I have completed my 20 day placement and it was one roller coaster of a ride. It challenged me mentally and some days physically.
The theory and practical I have learnt at university was the stepping stone I needed to put my abilities into practice through an internship. It allowed me to work in an environment and challenge the skills I learnt into the real world. 3 year of education helped me gain the theory I needed to put in place what I needed for a business environment.
As a requirement for my Mass Communication Course I was completing a double degree in Journalism and Public Relations, the unit Internship allowed students to find a placement and put the skills they learnt into practice. This would also give students an insight into the working world and an opportunity to put this on to their resumes for completion of their studies.
I applied for an internship with the company Platform Communication a Public Relations consultancy, the requirements was I had to commit to 3 days a week for 3 months. At first this commitment was difficult as I was living out on home and had to pay expenses and work 2 jobs, however I have made it work in my favour. The skills I have learnt from this internship have not only tested my abilities but made me love the career path I have chosen.
At first I did not know anything about the PR firm I was working for. I have not done any work in a consultancy before, after successfully passing the interview stage I was excited to work for an organisation that will allow me to test my skills and abilities. It was a struggle coming from working in the Gym and Hospitality industry and transitioning into the office world. The protocols, procedures and ranking in an office environment was different.
After my first 3 weeks with the company I felt more comfortable approaching the firms director and working on the team with the other consultants. I was able to be involved with real client accounts and activities.
My placement was involved in a wide variety of Communications which involved the following:
strategic communications,
marketing,
graphic design - corporate identity, print and online,
issues and reputation management,
corporate positioning - media, investor & industry relations, events & branding,
stakeholder relations and advice,
project management,
corporate publications including Annual Reports, Sustainability Reports and websites,
community consultation,
investor relations and
issues and crisis management.
Overall my 20 day placement was a challenging experience, it was a rewarding placement. I had the opportunity to put into practice the theory and skills I have been learning for 3 years, I was mentored and given industry feedback to help me grow and excel in my future career.
The most rewarding part was the privilege of working on client projects and developing strategies for PCP up and coming photo media gallery, my work was implemented and it will be wonderful to see the outcome of the project in the next few months. I believe I learnt alot of skills in structure and managing a client and project.
However I found the placement difficult at times with staff treatment, being verbally abused and my ability to do the job degraded I believe this placement has taught me a few life lessons, I will leave the placement with the mentality to treat people with respect and I will never use inappropriate language to get my point or message across amongst staff.
This part of my studies was a challenge however I have left this placement stronger, knowledgeable and ready to further my career in the industry.
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