Hi guys...
It feels kinda weird blogging about finishing up my internship as so many of you are blogging about starting yours. I wish you all heaps of luck and good times - it is a great opportunity to learn about what things are like outside our lecture theatres.
I guess the biggest thing I got out of my internship was the overall experience.
My blogs have all pretty much said the same thing - it is what was happening around me and the opportunity to be a part of it that made my internship so worthwhile. I also wish I had attended the introductory session we had last week before going out into the workplace!
I was at Rio Tinto Iron Ore, based at their global head office in Perth. I was part of their summer vacation program. Placements were all over WA, mainly for engineers and occupational therapists (I was the only PR/Comms student). There were approximately 90 students from all over Australia, which was a great opportunity to make friends with students from interstate universities.
In the weeks leading up to my placement beginning, I was half expecting a call to say, "Due to the current economic situation, we are now unable to offer you this placement."
When I did get a call around this time, I was almost too scared to call back!!
It was about the economic situation – we all had to take compulsory leave over Christmas. Since we all still had our summer jobs, we didn't complain too loudly
And that sets the scene for my placement.
The week before I started, BHP Billiton gave up their aggressive take over of the company.
After a couple of weeks, London announced global retrenchments.
What does that mean? Change.
Change, change, change....
We all read about change management. I was in the middle of it, and I am impressed with how Rio Tinto dealt with it.
I guess it is worth clarifying - a lot of the changes were directives coming from Rio Tinto in London. I can't comment on their corporate decisions, but I was impressed at how the Communications and External Relations team in the Iron Ore global head office (Perth) dealt with the decisions that were being handed down.
It was an environment of budget cutting and job losses. It definitely wasn't the "fluffy stuff" the PR profession is often accused of partaking in. It was hard, sometimes sad, work.
(the whole HR team working on the summer placement program was made redundant – all of the students had been liaising with these women for months)
A lot of the projects I was assigned to got postponed or put on hold. This was frustrating for me, and the people I worked with, as they looked for things to keep me occupied for three months.
In the end, I did a lot of great things - I helped prepare speeches (including one delivered for a Curtin graduation ceremony!!), I have written and updated a large portion of their Community Investment website (check it out... http://www.ciwa.riotinto.com/), I met with community partners, started compiling data and writing annual reviews, I attended brainstorming sessions on how to paint a jet aeroplane (definitely not something I was expecting!!) and got involved with employee and external relations.
I attended the annual planning sessions, fortnightly safety meetings and the annual briefing from the global CFO of the company. My office was beside the global CEO's - which meant personal presentation (and desk cleanliness) was a priority.
The team was great. The resources were amazing - they have plans that relate to almost any possible crisis or issue. From a fatality to dust management, they have created draft media statements, key messages, communication plans for a wide range of worst case scenarios.
Although I feel like I missed my summer at the beach, the three months full time was really worth the effort. I learnt more about the company than I would have otherwise, and also got to development better relationships with the people I worked with. They got to know me, and I got to know them.
Being inside the company was the biggest highlight.
I hope the same goes for all of you starting out. Like someone said in our introductory session the other day - it is okay to fold letters into envelopes. Just make sure you’re taking in the surroundings while you're folding!!
I was told before I started my placement would not lead to direct employment offer. But I am now well placed for a graduate position if I want to go corporate when I finish my degree.
On the topic of career paths… quirky fact!
Did you know..?
From my deductions, most people currently working in the Communications and External Relations department at Rio Tinto Iron Ore come from a government/politics or consultancy background. Definitely something worth considering as we all contemplate "where to next...?"
This probably won't be the last blog from me... I am heading back to work in PR with a state government department over the next few weeks so I will share some comparisons, thoughts and observations with you then.
Good luck!
Amanda :)
