“Marge, I agree with you – in theory. In theory, communism
works. In theory.” – Homer Simpson
Graduating high school and entering university during a
recession has been an interesting and sometimes anxiety-producing experience. As
students we’ve been told to follow our dreams, focus on our studies, enjoy
university (“It’s the best time of your life,” says Almost Every Adult) and the
rest will follow. The other side of the coin is everybody telling us how rough
the job market is and that there are no jobs. Youth unemployment is at a peak,
did you know? Specifically as public relations students we’ve become accustomed
to industry professionals and tutors telling us, “All the jobs are over east”
(Good thing the coffee in Melbourne is so
much cheaper) and that you have to stand out from the crowd; a big part of that
is volunteering and work experience. Let that all sink in and then anxiety
ensues.
So I have always been glad that a part of our degree was a
compulsory internship unit. Whilst it has consistently engaging for me to delve into the theory of public relations in the past couple of years, I’ve been looking forward to seeing all of this in the “real world”. Yes we’ve learnt a
lot about the ethics of PR, all about managing relationships with stakeholders, digital communication, how to write a media release, but how would this all
translate into the reality of public relations practice.
Beginning my search for an internship has given me a little
taste of looking for a job as a post-grad. That would include:
· Writing cover letters
· Interviews
· Not hearing back from people
· Checking my emails regularly to see, “You have no new email(s)”
· Feeling disheartened
After sending out a few expressions of interests, I heard
back from Magenta, a boutique creative agency focusing on fashion and lifestyle
asking for me to come in for an interview. When I heard the words, “When can
you start?” I was equal parts excited as I was just very grateful I had the
opportunity to gain experience in a consultancy.
Beginning my internship I entered with the mentality to
treat it as I would treat a job, and even though I felt I knew close to
nothing, I would just have to do my best. I have learnt so much even from the
first few days of my internship; public relations theory and academia is
valuable, but there will always be a disparity from theory to practice. I could
get a high distinction mark in a public relations report at university, but
being able to get along well with a variety of people in the workplace is also
equally important. I could write a great social media plan that considers
two-way communication and provides benefits to the consumer, but if it garners
close to no likes how will we measure the value of PR to deliver to our
clients? These are just some of the revelations that I have come across beginning
my internship, and I guess that’s why our tutors and lecturers keep telling us
just how vital work experience is.
