**Because your mind can be dead-set confusing!
It would be remiss of me to forget about the lead up to my placement as an Intern at The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) or, as my internal narrations depict this era, ‘life before reality’ (LBR).
Now, I put a lot of thought into where I was looking at doing my Internship. I mean A LOT. I was taken aback by how the process completely consumed me. It wasn't that I had anticipated securing a placement was going to be a quick and easy process, or that I was nonchalant towards the whereabouts of the placement – the opposite was true.
Let’s take a quick look back…..
I left my demanding job at a global mining company nearly four years ago in search of a career with ‘substance’ and ‘meaning’. What a cliché, right? Absolutely. I was a 28 year old chasing the educational foundations I needed to guide my future away from the working-to-live mentality I had developed, and instead, look towards a career path that roused enthusiasm, creativity and pride within me.
This may sound extreme, but I was having dreams about being totally lost at forty with no qualifications or confidence to change up my life. One word. Scary.....
Why is this walk down memory lane relevant, you ask? There is a link i promise! It all came to a head when I started seriously looking for a placement. My biggest fear about heading out into the 'real world' was that I knew nothing about the 'normal' things in day-to-day PR practice. I didn't know how a typical day would progress, I didn't know how a client meeting was run--I didn't know a lot.
Yes, I know, I was getting exceptionally pent up about something that I really wasn't expected to know, but it made me think about how important this placement should be to me, how much I wanted to learn, and most importantly, how much I needed to learn.
Cue the Rocky theme song.... I was now a soon-to-be-graduate on a mission to find relevance, excitement and, with all my digits crossed, hopefully a job. I sat down with PR professionals from different industries and picked their brains in hope that at the end of it, I would have a definitive answer to the question "What do you really want to do".
You guessed it, I came out the other end with less clarity than I went in with. My mistake is that I was hoping that someone would tell me what i wanted to do. How is that even possible? It's not.
I was lucky enough to gain some incredible insight from organisations such as FTI Consulting, Shout for Good and Form, so not all was lost, but I had some more soul searching to do. My "Eureka" moment came when I was speaking (yes, probably sulking) to a friend about the fact that I've been warned against working in not-for-profit of Government roles, but that I had envisaged my career path heading in that direction.
My friend sat me down and fired endless questions at me, until "Eureka!", I realised that I shouldn't be letting what I've heard, or been told completely rule my decision making process. Yes I should definitely take heed of others experiences and suggestions, but that should not be what I base my decisions on.
So with a clear and open mind, I recalled a conversation I had with with my friend Lauren, earlier this year. We were catching up and swapping life stories, and mine paled in comparison, as she spoke about her role as Media and Corporate Communications officer at the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). The enthusiasm and excitement that she spoke with was all encompassing, and SO different to the response I have come to expect when discussing a government position. I was hooked!
I said jokingly (with an obvious, but fruitful motive) to Lauren in passing, "So.....are they open to interns at DFES?", and before I knew it, I was conversing with the MCC manager Laura, and the rest, as they say, is history.
It has been an incredible ride so far. Overwhelming, exciting, confusing, scary, insightful - just to reference a small portion of the emotions that have been consuming me.
Watch this space as I delve into the dynamic world of emergency communications, community engagement and more at DFES.
Chat soon!
Lou McGown
Media and Corporate Communications Intern
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services
I left my demanding job at a global mining company nearly four years ago in search of a career with ‘substance’ and ‘meaning’. What a cliché, right? Absolutely. I was a 28 year old chasing the educational foundations I needed to guide my future away from the working-to-live mentality I had developed, and instead, look towards a career path that roused enthusiasm, creativity and pride within me.
This may sound extreme, but I was having dreams about being totally lost at forty with no qualifications or confidence to change up my life. One word. Scary.....
This may sound extreme, but I was having dreams about being totally lost at forty with no qualifications or confidence to change up my life. One word. Scary.....
Why is this walk down memory lane relevant, you ask? There is a link i promise! It all came to a head when I started seriously looking for a placement. My biggest fear about heading out into the 'real world' was that I knew nothing about the 'normal' things in day-to-day PR practice. I didn't know how a typical day would progress, I didn't know how a client meeting was run--I didn't know a lot.
Yes, I know, I was getting exceptionally pent up about something that I really wasn't expected to know, but it made me think about how important this placement should be to me, how much I wanted to learn, and most importantly, how much I needed to learn.
Yes, I know, I was getting exceptionally pent up about something that I really wasn't expected to know, but it made me think about how important this placement should be to me, how much I wanted to learn, and most importantly, how much I needed to learn.
You guessed it, I came out the other end with less clarity than I went in with. My mistake is that I was hoping that someone would tell me what i wanted to do. How is that even possible? It's not.
I was lucky enough to gain some incredible insight from organisations such as FTI Consulting, Shout for Good and Form, so not all was lost, but I had some more soul searching to do. My "Eureka" moment came when I was speaking (yes, probably sulking) to a friend about the fact that I've been warned against working in not-for-profit of Government roles, but that I had envisaged my career path heading in that direction.
My friend sat me down and fired endless questions at me, until "Eureka!", I realised that I shouldn't be letting what I've heard, or been told completely rule my decision making process. Yes I should definitely take heed of others experiences and suggestions, but that should not be what I base my decisions on.
So with a clear and open mind, I recalled a conversation I had with with my friend Lauren, earlier this year. We were catching up and swapping life stories, and mine paled in comparison, as she spoke about her role as Media and Corporate Communications officer at the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). The enthusiasm and excitement that she spoke with was all encompassing, and SO different to the response I have come to expect when discussing a government position. I was hooked!
I said jokingly (with an obvious, but fruitful motive) to Lauren in passing, "So.....are they open to interns at DFES?", and before I knew it, I was conversing with the MCC manager Laura, and the rest, as they say, is history.
It has been an incredible ride so far. Overwhelming, exciting, confusing, scary, insightful - just to reference a small portion of the emotions that have been consuming me.
Watch this space as I delve into the dynamic world of emergency communications, community engagement and more at DFES.
Chat soon!
Lou McGown
Media and Corporate Communications Intern
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services
1 comment:
Hi Lou,
Wow! I feel exactly the same. I keep looking at others for answers I'm too scared to find myself. I think that if someone just tells me what to do it will be a lot easier then figuring it out for myself. This way as well if it doesn't turn out right it's not really my fault. I think so many of us can relate to your story and shows why this internship is so important. I tend to listen to others who have 'more experience' and let that guide me, but what I have realised throughout my internship is that we don't all like the same thing, and to just give it a go. If it doesn't work out thats ok you still learnt from it. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time there, and everything falls into place for you.
I look forward to reading more about your experiences at DFS.
Briana.
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