BANG..... THE END

Fifth week

The last week, was an enriching ending. The week started with doing a list of tour operators and airlines as there were mails to be sent and I had to search for emails and phone numbers. I had to look at the website of the tour operators or the airlines to find a contact person, number or email. After that I had to contact   the company, get the name a responsible person and their email address. It was all about research and making calls. In many similar situations, you also realise that the Internet become your best friend because before calling a company, you go through their website to see if they have any details.

My last two days were very enjoyable because, a student in her last year of college came, and wanted to have talk about the function of the company as it was for her project.  So we had to prepare the conference room for the next day before 11 O’clock. There were 20 students present so some refreshments had to be prepared.

On the day of the meeting, the promotional video was shown to them, then the consultant talked a bit about the company’s history, and overall about the different departments. At the end the students were given a book, a promotional video about Mauritius and a map of Mauritius, which is usually given to tourists who visit the company. Although it was not something official or a a big event, but it was interesting to be put into last minute situation and how to tackle it.... 

Some points to remember, whether it is a meeting, conference or  and important event, it is important to do a check list and to make sure that all is in place before the event.

So, that was my last week and my last post

Overall it was a good experience as I have seen the importance of PR in a company. When dealing with tourist, it is important that you bear in mind that you are representing your country and the company, thus it is essential to give a good impression. 

A relaxing end to a busy internship

Hi everyone!

Here is my (overdue) blog post about the last quarter of my internship at the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR).

My final few days were really relaxing compared to the rest of my internship. I finalised my assigned stories for The Chronicle publication (due to be published early October-can't wait!) and continued to do the media monitoring. After that, I was assigned to proofread the 2014 annual report before it got published and printed.

Proofreading the annual report took up the rest of my internship as there was hundreds of pages to go through and each division within the Department kept making changes to it, meaning that I had to go through it several times. Since each division wrote their own section, there were inconsistencies in terms of the spelling, language, acronyms, grammar etc. which I had to look out for and correct.

My last day of the internship was on the 12th September and it was really fun! I attended the Pie Lunch (which is where members from different divisions within the Department get together for lunch at the local restaurant every Friday) and we shared funny and inspirational stories over good food. When we got back to the office, my supervisor went through the DSR's communications policies with me to help prepare for the PR internship report. Afterwards, the communications team surprised me with a delicious cake for a goodbye afternoon tea.

I am really going to miss the communications team. I have done a few work experiences before but I have definitely learnt the most from this experience. 

(Goodbye DSR-Thank you for everything!)

Thank you so much for reading my blog posts over the past few months! I hope that you learnt something valuable from my posts.

I wish you guys all the very best for the future!

-Michelle

Time flies when you’re having fun!

Today has come around so fast. It marks the last day of my internship with the City of Perth. I have but one question, where has the past four weeks gone?

The past four weeks has been a whirlwind of authentic work, great conversation, lots of relationship building and many, many fantastic learning experiences. I will cherish these moments as I venture out into the Public Relations industry at the end of this year. This has been an awesome journey where the theoretical principles I have acquired in my degree have been applied in a practical (and fun!) environment.

My last week has been spent finishing up on various jobs, namely speech writing and production of articles for internal and external newsletters. I have also spent time with the team, asking them questions about their specific role/procedures for inclusion in my placement report.

I have been profoundly moved by the kindness that people have shown me in my last week. A colleague asked me to “connect” with her on LinkedIn, offered to be a referee as well as offering to look over my CV when I start applying for jobs upon graduation. Additionally, we have made plans to catch up for coffee in the coming weeks, which I am looking forward to. Other colleagues have also offered to write references for me which I am eternally grateful for. While being here, I was never made to feel like I was “just an intern” but instead a legitimate member of the team.

Update: On my last day, the team surprised me with a beautiful vase of flowers and a Myer voucher to say thanks. I was so surprised and humbled. The most lovely part was reading through the kind comments in my card. I felt like I was leaving a real job, not an internship!

The friendships I have made, I know will hold me in good stead in the future. 

So now, as I reflect on my internship, one thing has become abundantly clear; I have chosen the right profession. The life of a Public Relations professional is the life for me and I cannot wait to embark on my career. 

I wish everyone all the best on their placements, and their careers going forward.

Claire

15115685

Last day of internship

It comes to the end of my internship, I was so happy to complete my internship smoothly and I really learned so much things from this internship. Firstly, I really appreciate all my colleagues because they taught me a lot, they very passionate, hardworking in their works yet friendly and helpful. Besides that, I feel thankful for my supervisor because she also taught me a lot and take care of me from the first day until the end of the internship. From this internship, I had learned so much things that will not be able to learn and experience in University such as dealing with customers, planning for a real events, and preparation for different kinds of events before and until the end of the event. Another important task that I need to highlight is to become a professional photographer, it was also one of the task for pr person, we need to take a meaningful photo to publish on the newspaper or magazine. As a pr person, we all should be very clear about the news angle, the main purpose of the news and the type of readers, in order for us to take a photo that is catchy and able to get the attraction of public. Last but not least, I feel so blessed to work at Shangri- La hotel which is a well-known five star hotel with good environment, good facilities and passionate staff. Thanks, Shangri-La hotel! 

Certificate received from STAR hotel. 

Group photos with my colleagues. 

Saying Goodbye

Well today was my last day at the Starlight Children's foundation, and what a roller-coaster it has been the last four months. There was never a dull moment in the office and never a second wasted. This week alone I have assisted in the organisation of and running of the Peruginos "Lunch with friends" Fundraising event on Sunday, A Melbourne Cup Lunch on Tuesday, A Volunteer Appreciation event last night, A CEO Corporate Breakfast this morning and supported two pitches to NIB Bank and The WA Police respectively in the hope of achieving a Corporate Partnership relationship with Starlight this afternoon.

It has been a fun few months and the amount I have learnt has been astronomical. I have learnt there is a huge deal of time and attention that goes into planning events, how to churn out press releases at the drop of a hat, contact making, media management, how to ask companies for donations and support and primarily exactly how the worlds of Non Government Organisations and the corporate sector intertwine.

Now this seems like an entry of lists, so let me go into a little more detail. Throughout my time at Starlight I have learnt so much about Public relations yes, but also about the human spirit. Both through my own experiences and through the eyes of others. During my time at Starlight I have been fortunate to witness exactly what the fundraising of the charity goes towards and to meet with people that's lives have been transformed through what Starlight does every single day. One of Starlight's major Partners in WA is KFC and they had their leadership training day about four weeks ago. As a part of this day staff from around the state were divided into teams and were required to build a children's bike as a competition. My Supervisor Karen, one of our team Members Kelly and myself attended this event as representatives of Starlight along with Ten Starlight families. Each bike that was made was given to a Starlight Child as a gift, the gratitude and excitement of these children and their parents is something i will never forget.  The parents that I had the opportunity to meet were all inspiring with some never thinking the day would come where they would see their children ride a bike. The day I met them one particular family was getting ready to go on their "Wish Holiday" granted by Starlight - an all expenses paid holiday to the Goldcoast. This particular family had spent virtually the whole life of their six year old daughter in Princess Margaret Hospital and had never left perth little own gone on a real family holiday. To see the excitement and gratitude of the children and the parents was enough to make all the time and hard work that has gone into this internship worth it, one hundred times over.

My time at Starlight truly has been a wonderful experience and one I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I hope everyone reading has had an equally fulfilling Internship Journey.

You are all Stars!

Shine On!

Experienced the real world!

My final days

As my internship now comes to a close, it’s sad to think I will no longer get to spend my Mondays and Fridays with the people from the office.

I like to think that I have really settled into the work place and become a lot more confortable than my first few days. From the range of jobs and challenges I have been faced with, it has truly given me a real insight into what PR is all about. Although not having to always deal with ‘typical’ public relations work, by doing my placement in a small organisation, it has given me the opportunity to see all things you may have to deal with. Ranging from photocopying, media contact list updates, spreadsheets, editing, photo shoots and agricultural shows, I believe I have been exposed to a lot more areas than you would have to undertake in a larger organisation’s public relations field.

My final day with Bauxite Alumina Joint Venture was just tying up the loose ends, we finished facebook to a manageable level for rest of the staff and I handed over notes about what to do regarding it. We also had a meeting with Clarity Communication to sort out and start planning what social media tools to use. All in all it was a wonderful last day and it’s been fantastic working with BAJV to gain some real world experience!

Here are some photos from the Ag shows and my day as a photographer!

 

Saying Thank You Doesn’t Begin to Cover It!

Before I began my placement at the City of Perth I was unsure about whether I wanted a career in public relations or whether I would use my degree to work within a different field. Sometimes University work can become monotonous and the idea of a career in that certain area can become increasingly less desirable. Being able to undertake a public relations placement unit demonstrated to me the difference between a University environment and a practical working environment within an organisation. I am sure I’m not alone in saying that this placement unit has been an eye opener and provided invaluable experience.

The best thing about working for a local government organisation like the City of Perth is the diversity of work that comes across your desk. One day you can be writing a speech for the Deputy Lord Major and the next organising stilt walkers as an advertising tool for Carnival Macabre. By the way, if you have some spare time (what spare time!) then head down to Northbridge Piazza to enjoy Carnival Macabre 25 October – 3 November. Carnival Macabre is a week-long festival to celebrate Halloween and Mexican Day of the Dead. There are a variety of ghoulish, spooky and interesting events and activities planned.

Leaving the City of Perth is one of the hardest things I have had to do, cue the tears. Everyone I have had the pleasure of working with in my role as a Communications & PR Intern have been welcoming, supportive and above all, friendly. I constantly looked forward to my Thursdays and Fridays at the City of Perth and its true what they say, if you love what you do then you will never work a day in your life.

On my last day the Marketing, Communication and Events Unit put on a morning tea to say goodbye and thank you. I managed to say a few words without crying, which is a big thing for me. I hope the entire unit and especially Natasha, Sonya, Adam, Di and Kate understand how grateful I am for the opportunity and how much they have helped me develop into a capable and confident public relations practitioner. Oh and the chocolate cupcakes I brought in for the morning tea were a great success!

Below is a picture of the beautiful flowers I was given by the Marketing, Communication and Events Unit.

 

 

On my first day at the City of Perth I was given an access keycard (picture below) which is required to be used in the lift, to get into the office areas of each level and also to get into the levels if you use the stairs. I cannot tell you how many times I forgot my keycard and just as I was getting the hang of taking it with me everywhere I had to go, I had to hand it back!

 

 

By now I am sure most of you will have finished your placements. I hope they have been enjoyable and provided you with excellent experience.

This is my final blog and I would like to wish you all the best for your future career, whether in the field of public relations or wherever your degree takes you.

Good luck, I am sure I will cross paths again with some of you in the future!

Rachel.