Loyalty and commitment in the realm of Corporate PR

The role of a public relations officer in a company is not an easy role to shoulder. With that said, I hardly think that it is fitting role for me to take on in the future. From my observations, when working for a company a whole lot of loyalty and commitment is required is do a job well done. In the context of corporate PR, the level of loyalty and commitment is even higher when it boils down to safeguarding and improving the reputation of the company. 

Thankfully, my role as intern did not require me to shoulder such a responsibility. However, the purpose of this post is to reflect on the requirements of practicing PR in a corporate setting. Throughout my placement, I was mostly exposed to the company's CSR activities and some industry events. Nothing too heavy considering which industries (Timber production and property development) Interhill is involved in. As an intern, my tasks were satisfying enough. 

Going back to the role of PR in a corporate setting, my experience has taught me that it is necessary to have a strong sense of loyalty to be able to constantly plan for activities that will be able to change public perception and improve the reputation of the company. 

This may seem like a simple task on paper but add in all the challenges a corporate job entails, it comes to a point where the only people who are willing to do a good job are those who are truly enthusiastic about the industry and committed to the company. 

My point is to say that before considering for a PR position in a company, I would first have to be enthusiastic about the industry that the company operates in and be inspired to work in a company with a conducive environment.

Daphne Margaret Jolly
17895620/7E4A2937
Curtin Sarawak Campus

From Little Things Big Things Grow

Looking back to where it all started I remember dreading starting my internship, where do I begin, where do I want to go, can I really do this, were all questions circling in my mind.
I think I speak for a lot of students when I say I was not looking forward to working for free and that some of the intern adverts looked a little dry, not quite as exciting as Samantha's office from the Sex and the City. But could I really be picky? I'm just a university student, and I'm definitely not the only one looking for a placement, so I should just be happy with anything I can get, right? Wrong!
If you start early enough and do your research you can find somewhere that fits you as well.

Fortunately for myself whilst social butterflying around Perth I began talking to someone who worked for Rugby WA and the Western Force. This organisation was the dream for me as an internship, because of all the rugby players walking around the office? Maybe, but mostly because I had always taken extra interest in sport. Throughout school I was always the sport captain and that didn't change when I arrived at Curtin becoming their sports captain in 2014. All my work experience and volunteer work had been with sporting events so Rugby WA just seemed like the next step up for me.
Networking is a handy tool for any students toolbox and thankfully that is how I found out that they were looking for interns for the upcoming season and eagerly asked for a direct contact that I could submit my interest to. After handing in my resume and acquiring an interview I received an email congratulating me on my new role in the partnerships team at Rugby WA and Western Force.

For a moment I had a sigh of relief, the hard part was over, or so I thought. Day one rolled around and I began to doubt my ability to 'PR', the 'what ifs began to appear in my mind, what if I have to write a press release on my fist day, what if I end up sitting alone at lunch, what if I forget how to send an email, what if I make a mistake. But day one interns don't stress, most tasks are simple, like spread sheets and data entry and all my tasks always came with a set of instructions to help me along the way. I also quickly learnt that the ability to ask questions was my greatest ally, no matter how silly I thought my question might have been, my manger was never frustrated at me and never thought my question was stupid. Asking the question helped to get the job done quicker and ensured it was done to the best of my ability.

As my internship continued my confidence built and the more tasks I was given. Towards the end I was able to walk into the office, sit down at my desk and continue working without any instruction from my manager. My what if's had faded away and I realised that every mistake I made throughout my time at Rugby WA had built me up to be a better intern, learning how to fix things myself and how to avoid making future errors.

Now at the end of my internship I realise that I was never working for free. Hands on experience teaches you things that you could never pick up in a classroom and I am so grateful to Rugby WA and Western Force for giving me this opportunity to grow and develop as a PR student. I now have the confidence I needed to take me into the next stage of life beyond university and I owe it to my internship.

'The Interns' and ladies from commercial services, celebrating our final Western Force home game together

Reflecting on my internship

www.tourism.wa.gov.au

As my internship comes to a close, I have begun to reflect on the valuable lessons I have learnt from my time at Tourism Western Australia in their Corporate communications department.

www.tourism.wa.gov.au

From being absolutely terrified and intimidated on the first day to feeling so comfortable and confident on the last, I can safely say I have come a long way.

I believe that the most important thing that I have gained from this experience the confidence I feel when completing tasks now.
I used to question everything I was doing and  talk negatively about my work but now I feel proud of what I have achieved and happy for people to read over what I have accomplished.
 I notice that a lot of other people have shared the same or similar experiences, but as cliché as it sounds it’s true.


To be honest I wasn't really looking forward to this unit because I was quite time poor and as I had just comeback from a exchange semester overseas I couldn't start my internship as early as I would have liked. Despite no looking forward to the unit and facing various challenges along the way, overall I had a great time and expanded my knowledge.

www.tourism.wa.gov.au

I'd like to acknowledge the staff at Tourism WA and especially Kelly Eadie my supervisor who went above and beyond to accommodate me in the agency, acted as a support network and encouraged my learning. I would recommend to anyone unsure of where to undertake a placement to consider working within Tourism Western Australia, because it was an utterly rewarding experience.




Thanks for reading my blog. I hope that those who have completed their internships had a great and rewarding experience and to those who haven't started yet- it's not as daunting as you think- good luck.

All the best Caitlyn Rintoul (*insert breakfast club fist pump here).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv1I4q6lOpo

Caitlyn Rintoul

http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Pages/welcome_to_tourism_western_australia.aspx

An ending is a new start

My one month internship just ended. Looking back to this very short period, I feel lucky that I have so many supports from my department and their trust in me for me to try.

As this is the last post, I will be sharing my opinion of how to be a better PR person.

1) Be flexible

This is a “must have personality” in workplace, especially in PR field. I was assigned to do social media operation and daily media monitoring. But I was expected to contribute in other tasks (In charge of two campaigns which are not related to my main job) and dealing with emergency (As what I mentioned in the first post: a girl committee suicide in one of our hotel branch in a Sunday morning). Only the weak people see challenges as bullying from the surrounding people. I have told by the others that how to say “no” for extra works. But I think it is better to say “yes” because we know every challenge is a chance for you to learn and grow up.

2) Move fast, and faster

In real world, it is not always giving you three months to plan a campaign. It can just start from an idea on the weekly meeting and you have to make it real in one week. There is not much time for you to organize and hesitate. You have to move as fast as you can, with a clear mind.

3) Build your basic skills

Many people criticise that learning in university is more on theory and practicing in real world is another thing. It is true sometimes. But if you did not pick up those theories in university, you don’t even have a chance to practice in real world. You could feel blur when you are given a task. To avoid this, you have to make the theory into practical skills before you even enter the workplace. People say don’t bother with crisis management and so on because an intern will probably doing media clipping every day. Who knows I met a potential crisis just the 7^th day in my internship? Have the basic theories in mind and build some skills will help you, even though you don’t know when it can be used.

4) Be ethical

As we all know that PR is bridge between the organization and the public. It is called “Guanxi” in China. You are going to face a lot of temptation. I am serious. You have to build good relationship with the others but also a lot of people out there are approaching you to seek some opportunities for future cooperation. And what they use sometimes is money or unethical benefit. We have to be smart enough to say “NO” unless you are pushing yourself to prison.

So be flexible, be prepared, be ethical and move fast in your PR career and I wish all of us a bright future.

 Have a good PR day!

Claudia Xinyin Xie 

Time for Reflection

Its not until reflecting on my internship that i really value understanding the history of the organisation. Perth Fashion Festival truly is a dynamic organisation which has adapted and reflected the changes in WA's, and mostly Perth's, society.

 A little bit of history....

Director and co founder Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan established Perth Fashion Festival in 1999. However, the festival originated as WA Bridal Awards in 1996. With the success of the awards, Mariella expanded to the event and renamed it the WA Fashion Awards in 1998. By 1999 the Fashion Awards was renamed WA Fashion Week. Mariella describes the development as, “It was a progression. I kept thinking that there was a gap in the market and that we needed to celebrate all the creativity going on,"(Martin 2010).

PFF isn't just about running a festival filled with glamour and fashion. Instead it is about showcasing the talent and beauty of Western Australia to the rest of the world. PFF has projected the success of many emerging and established designers, make up artists, stylists, models and photographers internationally. The festival also puts Perth on the map and calibre of fashion destinations such as Melbourne, Paris and London.  Economically PFF provides Perth with a large stimulus which can be felt over many retail, hospitality and tourism sectors. Last but not least, PFF contributes to the overall culture of WA as it reflects the importance of creativity within our society.

Now, i really am proud to have contributed to such an exciting and dynamic festival!

Thanks for reading x