Some ups and downs- the half way mark

Hello Everyone,

I’m about half way through my placement now, and I’m learning so much! Some good things- and some bad things!

I’ve written a media release and a few short articles, done a bit of admin work, and I’ve made LOTS of phone calls. One thing I didn’t expect was being so nervous about making so many phone calls! I always feel quite nervous about saying the right thing, not getting tongue tied and basically just trying to get everything right- but making lots of phone calls is all part of a PR person’s job, so the experience and practice is welcomed (even if it does make me feel nervous).

I’ve also found, surprisingly, that one of the biggest things I’m learning about is using Excel. I had no idea the extent to which Excel is used- for all kinds of data, such as media lists, invite lists, task lists, and the list goes on. My experience with Excel before starting my internship was limited (to say the least), so it’s been a real learning curve, and it’s good to get my head around an incredibly useful tool. Frankly, I’m a bit surprised that no tutor has mentioned how important a good understanding of Excel is.

On the downside though, through some of the conversations I’ve had with some of the younger consultants and other people, I’ve been feeling more and more disheartened about job prospects. Of the people I know who have graduated from Public Relations at Curtin, only a handful have gotten jobs. It’s all a bit of worry, and I find it saddening to know, that after graduating with two degrees, my job prospects aren’t very bright.

How does everyone else feel about this issue?

Nevertheless, I’m so happy with how much I’m learning. I had a lot of pre-conceived ideas before I started, but I’ve been so pleasantly surprised. I truly thought that I would just be doing coffee runs and photocopying, but not the case at all!

Hope you’re all well!

Daisy