Upon arrival on my first day, I had teacher after executive after teacher making jokes about how "Linda (my supervisor) doesn't do anything all day" and that "she has so much time on her hands". Linda had already informed me that she was extremely busy at the moment, but these comments made me realise that she wasn't just busy. She was REALLY busy, and everyone knew it. Apparently I couldn't have come at a better time.
I thought to myself, "how busy can a one-person PR department at a school really be? Maybe everyone is over reacting". Oh how wrong I was. It turns out the role of a public relations professional in a school encompasses so much more than the traditional role of PR we had spent so much time learning about at uni.
With only one person working in PR, Linda is the photographer, the graphic designer, the event manager, the liaison, you name it - it's her job. There is no team of people for tasks to be delegated between. It is just her, and now me.
Open Day is the biggest event of the year, and I was right in time to help plan and execute their annual event that showcases everything the school has to offer. There is huge pressure to communicate the right messages, as the school is only three years old and the brand is still being established.
I'm hopeful that through helping me learn and grow in my PR skills, I will also be able to provide a valuable contribution and actually be helpful!
4 comments:
Hi Bronte,
It was interesting to read that you interned at school where they only had one PR person! I also interned at an organisation where only one PR person was employed and I was constantly amazed at how she managed to get everything done! It showed me that PR can be really challenging, but rewarding also, and how it's important for PR professionals to be skilled in ALL areas, not simply just events or media relations for example.
I hope your enjoying your internship and I'm sure your supervisor appreciates the extra help!
Kaitlyn Maughan
Curtin University Student
1624 3668
Hi Bronte,
Great to hear that you are interning at a school, I remember you saying that you wanted to study childhood teaching post graduation so I'm sure your learning a lot from your internship now!
Sounds like you've got a lot on you plate but I'm sure you'll make a great impression on your supervisor.
I entered my internship at Relay for Life Fremantle with a similar experience as they did not have any PR/ marketing committee members in which I was given full responsibility of promoting the event and liaising with the local community, teams etc. which required a lot of time. But overall I had a fulfilling and great internship experience and hope you do too! :)
Chermaine Leo
xx
Hello Bronte,
Firstly, what an interesting choice of placement. I would have never thought of a school, but of course it would need PR! Makes complete sense now that I think about it.
It sounds like your set to gain a wide range of experiences from your placement. Did you select a school for your placement for any particular reason?
I would love to know how your Open day went and what you found to be your biggest challenge on the day?
- Sarah
Post a Comment