Adios Programmed!

With only two days left at my internship at Programmed, I reflect on what I learnt from the experience and reminisce on the best things about my time at the company.

1. No, PR is not like that seen on Sex and The City with Samantha Jones

2. No, PR is not just party planning

3. No, PR is not just spin-doctoring

4. PR is none of these things.

Just kidding. These aren’t really the things I’ve learnt. But definitely are some of the questions I get on a regular basis when I tell people I'm studying PR. I think I'll just start linking that video (as above) to people when they ask me those questions.

Anyways...

Below are some of the things I ACTUALLY learnt from my internship experience that I will take with me into my future in public relations:

• Work efficiently: don’t leave things to the last minute, tackle tasks as they come to you.
• Be organised: stay on top of everything and always know where and when things are so that when you are asked to do something or asked for something you aren’t racking your brain to remember.
• Improve your memory: having a good memory is really important in PR as you are required to be able to recall peoples names, places, ideas etc. on the spot. This was definitely something I need to improve on and my time at Programmed definitely helped to improve my memory.
• Know how to use all forms of social media: prior to my internship I had no clue how to use Twitter or LinkedIn. This is definitely a key knowledge factor in being in PR.
• Multi-task: I am definitely a good multi-tasker, managing three jobs, uni, social life and intern this semester. This internship taught me however, how to multi-task efficiently and effectively as mentioned above.
• Communicate: communication is key in public relations. You should communicate and create relationships with every person you come across (even rude customers), as you never know when you might need their help.

These are just some basic things I learnt and improved on during my time at Programmed. Although they may seem really basic, I believe constantly improving skills in all the above areas is really important when working in public relations.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Programmed, it has really been an amazing experience. Being involved in the Fremantle Dockers photo shoot, creating posters and designs for Dockers/Programmed branding, and writing interesting stories for the Programmed intranet have definitely been some of the best times I’ve had during my experience at Programmed. I really believe that this “real-world experience” internship has improved and helped form my public relations skills and knowledge and I will take this with me into my future public relations ventures.

I hope you have all enjoyed reading about my time at Programmed and hope that you too enjoyed the experience as much as I did.

Bye for now!

Becky

All good things must come to an end

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. It’s been a fantastic two or so months of interning at The Freeform Foundry and now I face a bittersweet moment as I reflect on the intense coming of weeks that dawn, with reports to write, essays to research and of course more readings!

I do believe that Professional Practice has equipped me with the skills to excel in the public relations world and I cannot wait to put it all to practice when the whirlwind of my last semester of university studies is just a fleeting memory.

The Freeform Foundry was definitely the most unique workplace I have ever come across, and I’m saying that in a positive way! A small boutique consultancy of around 11 employees in the west-end of Fremantle, Freeform for short is full of young talented and creative minds. There is always a very relaxed feeling in the office, with most wearing jeans and t-shirts, which made my transition into the public relations department of the Freeform very comfortable and easy. I gained a huge insight into the lifestyle of a public relations consultant in a boutique firm; multi-tasking is definitely your best friend!

As this is my final blog post, I’d like to take this time to list a few key lessons I came across during my internship.

•      Communication is key!
•      In this digital world, speed and dexterity are everything
•      Social media is all about being transparent
•      High writing standards and skills are a must!

Although all my reflections are mostly positive, I must admit this past semester has probably been the most difficult out of all. Completing Professional Practice with three other units has been intense to say the least, however I wouldn’t of had it any other way. I have met some amazing people during my internship, and am proud to call myself a permanent employee at The Freeform!

I wish everyone all the best in their final days and good luck for the final report. I cannot wait to take on the public relations realm with of you talented Curtin graduates!

To finish my last post I’ve posted a few photos of my time at The Freeform that I hope you enjoy. The first is our blackboard the week before the AFL Grand Final, an office of designers and being located in Fremantle made this week one to remember. The second photo is a few of Freeform’s employees on our new wooden desk, hard at work of course!  

Best of luck,

Rachel Chandler.