As per title, I have made the decision to extend my work placement with Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad (SOPB) to another one month. I have gained a lot of experiences in various aspects of the public relations field, beyond what the textbooks or theories could enlighten me. I have seen an improvement in my confidence, communication skills and work ethic which I will use as a stepping stone for any future career that I may endeavour in.
To reflect on my internship, I have learned the following.
Time is of the essence - I think this can apply to any profession in general. In public relations, however, deadlines are extremely crucial and the tasks given needs to be completed so that we can move on to other tasks. Pressure due to deadlines is not uncommon
Do one thing at a time - It's better concentrating on one task at a time rather than trying to suffice the alloted time by doing multiple things in one go. Your brain will go haywire and I would only advice doing this if you are a brilliant multitasker. Besides, it would only make sense to concentrate on one thing first so that you may identify the valuable bits of information that you can incorporate in further assigned tasks.
Time management - This is one thing that I still have to work on as admittedly, slacking is almost inevitable for me. The further you delay the set of tasks given the work will only keep on piling until you'll find yourselves in hot water, unable to work from A-Z with the time constraints being a hindrance.
Every little detail counts - Luckily enough, I have an eye for the small bit of information that may seem insignificant at first but then puts you in a predicament when you can't remember the details effectively for a write-up or while talking on the phone with a client, coworker and others.
You don't have to be good at everything, it's fine to make mistakes but don't make it a habit - Many athletes, singers and actors out there really work on their craft and sharpen it over time so that they can distinguish themselves as the best thing to have happened to their industries since sliced bread. It would make more sense to be a master of something rather than trying to be a jack of all trades, because as humans, we tend to have our shortcomings no matter how much we try to deny or mask it. If you plan to further your career in a public relations career, find a suitable PR category that fits your personality and expertise and work won't feel like it's too much of a drag.
Life begins at the end of the comfort zone - Being thrown in the deep end is very common among fresh graduates who are just getting their foot in the real world, so don't be surprised when things go beyond what you expect it to be. What you can do, however, is to do what you have not done or have missed during your schooling times. This means rising to the occasion, whether it would be having to present yourselves in front of a large audience, having to pick up the phone knowing you're representing not just yourself but the company you're working for and also being professional at all times - this means controlling your emotions and remember that work is called work for a reason. It does not have to be laborious at all times but it's not going to be all fun and games at all times either.
SOPB will be holding its third blood donation drive on the 28th November 2015 and I have been assigned a number of tasks in relation to this event. I can't wait to showcase my design skills as I will be designing the roadside and background banner for this event, as well as liaising with several clients and writing the press release and newsletter for the event too.
Hopefully all of you have learned a lot during your internship so that you can use it to your advantage in your future endeavours.
This is me wrapping up my time at SOPB on this blog and it has been a splendid 22 days working with them. I have yet to complete my internship as there is more to learn in the span of the next four weeks. For me, the journey has only just begun.
Jaafar Mohamed.
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Curtin Miri
1 comment:
Hi Jaafar, i do agree with what you said here. Time management is important. I had a few bumps when it came to time management. especially with impatient clients. but i turned out that they too had bad time management on their end due to wrong informations given by their representative and the wrong date and time hence the delays on some materials. but as a professional PR practitioner, we must not put the blame card onto others but come up with a contingency plan in case something goes wrong or what not
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