In the Shoes of a Job Hunter

In the Shoes of a JobHunter

Goodmorning All,

My blog today reveals about the secrecies of securing a work placement as a current graduate student.  Pursuing a career in public relations may be at the same time rewarding and challenging due to the numerous dimensions that this career and profession bring in the work arena.  From the discourse of public relations officer to communications officer, or social media coordinator, one should always consider the different possibilities and opportunities that a Job Title holds.  It was in December 2015 that I started my search for a firm where I could exert my assignment and role as a public relations intern. My first try under the compliance of the Charles Telfair Institute internship programme occurred at Cread Ltd in Mauritius, an agency responsible for the creation and designing of commercial brochures, video clippings and T.V commercials for high-branded companies, ranging from technological appliances to home furnitures.  Without much difficulty of securing an internship at Cread Ltd, I was convinced that I would contribute to the company and bring forth my knowledge as a third year Curtin student.  I had fulfilled my role as intern there for two weeks in December 2015, only to realize that this Communications Firm, was not really contributing to my professional development. As an intern, I am sure you all must have gone by the chaotic opportunities of filing databases or having printing/ scanning jobs.  Hence, my role often resulted in such works, and although I was always on the front, keen and eager to perform at my best, I would feel limitations that would result in a guilt-feeling of not performing at my highest standard.

It was during the same month that I had challenged myself to try opt for a different industry. As fascinating as the tourism industry seemed in Mauritius, I was convinced that I wanted an internship within the tourism background.  To mention that it was a festive season, during the month of December, where most companies would call off for holidays and vacations, I was right there with my cellphone and hotel chains to contact, who for most part rejected my internship requests due to the fact that they would only hire full-time and permanent individuals.  I believe that the month of December must certainly be well-known for the peak-seasons that would hence call in more staff and recruitments, and eventually I finally got a glance of a tour operator. 

Yes, I had made it!  Suggested by my sister, I had called to one of the most trained tour operator in the island and it was Odigos Guiding Services.  Established in 2011, as new as I was in the industry, it was a challenge and a blessing at the same time to work in a company that had not been here for too long.  As previously mentioned, December for sure is a season of holidays and parties, diverging from Christmas celebrations to New Year preparations, could it also mean renovations for certain businesses? Calling in, sending emails, calling in back and forth and back and forth finally got me an internship on 13th January 2016 when I was ultimately called in for an interview.  Stepping in the office seemed challengingly one of the scariest part of a young 20 year old university student, walking on her own aspirations and doubts to get a glimpse of the working world.  Humility saved me and shaped my career on this particular day!  Yes, I was asked what I could bring in for Odigos Guiding Services, and conversations about Facebook and the virtual existence of businesses were the main reasons my supervisor believed had baffled him. Struggling with tact to give his company an online existence, I would carry on giving in tips on how to keep the Facebook page of Odigos alive.  Liking your partners/ collaborators page, sharing their posts, commenting on their feeds, and the list would go on and on.  I had finally won a first battle by being honest about my Web 2.0. knowledge.  Yes, humility and honesty helped me into securing this internship.

How did you get your internship??

Please feel free to comment below.

Until next time,

See you

Karishma Shanto