3 October 2014
I’m fast learning that it pays to
up skill yourself! The more proficient photographer, photo editor, and stylist
you are, the more likely you are to have articles published.
Meet Joan, an amazing 105-year-old woman, whom I had the pleasure of
meeting and photographing for an online and local reporter, neither of whom
could send their own photographer to cover the story. If I couldn’t send them
photos and set up a telephone interview, the story would not be covered. I
therefore had to coordinate the photocall and telephone interview for this story
that resulted in it being published online. This story can be viewed at Aged Care Online.
Transferable skills
There is definitely such a thing as transferable skills. I am so fortunate
to have previously studied and worked in various organisations over the years.
The administration skills I’ve picked up have been invaluable, as have my
photography skills. Having said that, I am yet to complete a photography
course. But after my brief experience in the world of public relations, I’ve
decided that this is a necessary skill to possess. I’m also looking into an
advanced photo-editing and design short course – these skills are never wasted,
in fact they are a massive advantage, especially in a boutique agency. I’ve
learnt that my transferable skills are an asset.
My previously-mentioned promotion was largely attributed to the fact
that I made a series of small changes to the day-to-day operations of the
business, that resulted in time saved, which in consultancy, equals money
saved. These changes were small yet necessary. My previous jobs have all
incorporated elements of office management, and it was this previous experience/skill
set that helped me recognised the need for the changes to be made and allowed
me to make suggestions for improvement. Fortunately, my director recognised
that there was a need for change and loved my suggestions for improvement,
resulting in these changes being immediately implemented.
What I’ve learnt
Everything that I can do to develop my transferable skills and up
skill myself is important. These skills will always provide me with an
advantage in industry, especially when interviewing for jobs. A multi-skilled
candidate is always a stand out, a more valuable addition to a team.
2 comments:
Hi Sonja,
I enjoyed reading your post because it really is so true when you say that PR professionals need to be a "Jack of all trades". I quickly found this out during my own internship experience when I had to design a poster for a client to promote their services. Whilst I had done a graphic design unit in first year as part of the Mass Communication course requirements, I had forgotten how to use Adobe Photoshop. Nonetheless, for the task I was given I taught myself to relearn how the use the software in order to produce something that I was happy and proud of. At the time I thought having to do a graphic design unit was completely pointless, I was wrong! As PR is such a dynamic industry, I think we all need to prepare ourselves for the fact that we will be continuously learning in order for our practices to stay relevant.
All the best,
Tahlia
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