Taking Risks

A few things I have learnt throughout my journey as an intern at 96FM is just how much of an impact public relations can have on an organisation. When I started I knew there wasn't a straight out public relations department within this company, they have a strong focus on promotions and sales but throughout my journey you begin to see that PR has a small role within everything.

PR requires a high level of communication skills and working in this environment has helped me to really extend my skills in this area. Studying something such as PR, we all naturally probably have quite good communication skills but it's when you're in a professional environment that you realise how important it can be to convey exactly what it is you're trying to say and do. I realise the importance of working as a team to each achieve your individual tasks but the most important thing i've learnt is also to have a bit more faith in myself.

In the classroom there's definitely a safety net to make mistakes and learn what is right and wrong, in a professional environment you feel as though you need to constantly get it right. And in the past i've found I always second guessed myself and needed the affirmation of class mates or teachers that I was doing the right thing. When you're put in a position like an internship, you're often given a task and you need to go about it how you think it's best, often with not as much guidance as you may like. If there's anything I want to take away from this internship it's to remember what you've learnt and ask questions, but mainly to try your best and if you get it wrong it isn't the worst thing. The main thing is to show you've tried, have a bit of initiative and give everything a go. At 96FM i've been given numerous tasks I had never done before and used a lot of programs i've never seen before. Although it was daunting it's been a great experience to learn to push yourself. 

I also learnt that you should always refer back and question yourself about how your position and the work you are doing could make a difference in the organisation cause the, how could you go wrong?

Alicia 

The little things

One thing I knew was inevitable about being an intern is having to do the tasks that nobody else wants to do, or has time for. And as much as it sucks it's all a part of the experience and this was something I wanted to talk about in one of my blogs.

Even in a fast paced environment like 96FM there still needs to be organised chaos! And lets just say there filing system before I started was just pure chaos.
On numerous occasions when asked to file away client information I was faced with over flowing cabinets and some seriously confusing clutter. So one of the less busy days of my internship I took matters into my own hands and took to those cabinets with some archive boxes!

So, there is only suppose to be this years and last years client information within each folder and they had some dating back to before it was even called 96FM so many hours and numerous paper cuts later I had about 5 head height piles to be archived and some sparkly clean, organised filing cabinets.

So even though when I began my internship I had such high hopes of the tasks I would undergo, I found myself trying to figure out how to put together archive boxes and doing administrative tasks. But all in the name of the game, and i'm happy to say it was appreciated as who doesn't love an organised office! And whilst doing this task I learnt so much about Perth's media industry and the relationships that 96FM has with both small and large companies throughout the state. Seeing who they are currently working with for competitions, advertising etc and who they use to in the past. Gave me a broad understanding of just who's out there and what they're up to!

Sometimes we feel like we are doing things that wont further our skills but one thing I found from my internship is that even when it seemed boring it was furthering my overall skills that may help me in the future and is most definitely appreciated by those you're helping out.

Alicia

Making 'mates' in the name of West Mate

When you start out somewhere new there's always that apprehension and panic of meeting new people. 

Starting out at 96FM couldn't have ran smoother with the aid of an office full of the friendliest people! On arrival it's rather intimidating exiting the lift into the reception of a radio statio - music blaring, famous faces plastered on the walls. But all fear faded as I became acquainted with the busy flow of radio station life. 

On my second day we were given the new West Mate Magazine as The West Australian is working with 96FM to promote this new mens mag that comes out weekly in Fridays paper! So after having a chuckle at some of the articles we wrote up a script to play over the radio to make sure everyone was aware of this new liftout. 

After reading it about 15 times and realising that West Mate Magazine in The West was almost impossible to say without stuffing it up we laughed it off and set off in the 96FM car to take the paper to the people (with bribery of course). Stocked with over 50 Brownes products in varying flavours and degrees of caffeinated goodness we called the station to record the cross amongst Perth's busy Friday morning traffic (hands free of course). 

Setting up in Bunnings Innaloo, cause that's where all the men are apparently, we listened out for the cross and  and within seconds of it playing people came running. I never realised people actually do this, but lucky for us they do! I was given the task of making sure we had enough photos for the social media and unfortunately ended up in half a dozen photos with the overly friendly tradies of Innaloo, one very hairy man in a hippie van who clearly just wanted free iced coffee and a grumpy little kid who didn't like the flash on my camera! 

After another few stops and a busy morning of handing out newspapers we hopefully made Perth aware of this new mens liftout and made some peoples day with some free tickets. Then it was back to the office to upload all the photos and make sure the clients were happy with our promoting skills. But not without me accidentally standing in the way of James Hird and the Perth paparazzi chasing him down the street. I had no idea who he was even though i'd been looking at his face on the paper all morning, oops! 

Loving the fast paced and exciting atmosphere of this great station and more adventures and incidents to tell in upcoming blogs.