A Reflection on Personal Professional Development

I remember at the beginning of my degree when I sat in the introductory lecture for the course of public relations, the lecturer was going through and stating the attributes of an individual that would make a good practitioner in this area of Commerce.

I sat there listening intently, taking notes, and thought to myself that I checked off on most of the attributes, except for one; and unfortunately being one of the most important – time management. I have unfortunately struggled with time management all my life, but have made considerable efforts to improve upon this short-fall.

During my professional practice placement, this experience has also brought to my attention areas of my own professional development that needed improvement; such as time management.

I found that whilst I was completing tasks and projects I was assigned to during my work experience, I was failing to manage my time well and was spending many hours outside of my placement just trying to complete them.  I suddenly realised I was going to have to review the way I was approaching tasks, and the process I would take to complete them.

Whilst at Sinclair Consulting I was also asked to research and then create a stakeholder list of prospective industry employers for surveying company. In particular, of prospective clients in the mining and construction industries, that was involved with or contracted to, large scale projects. As I did not know much about the mining or construction industry it took me much longer than anticipated to deliver what was required of the task.

On review of my work with my supervisor, he drew to my attention that I had actually missed most important objective at hand – the HR details with the direct person of contact. Whilst compiling the list I realised I couldn’t remember the specific details of my task and had not written myself an outline of what was to be included upon delivery. I decided I didn’t want to ask any questions in embarrassment of looking silly (like I didn’t know what I was doing), especially for such a straight forward task.

Luckily my supervisor was understanding and gave me the opportunity to fix my error, however it taught me a few key lessons about time management and the process of my completing work.  From this I learnt that it’s better to ask questions than not to ask any at all, even if it’s for asking for clarity on information that may have already been given. It also taught me much about the processes involved in identifying an organisation’s target market, and where to start when doing research, such as beginning with analysing the client, and then proceeding from there.

It also In turn it has taught me to never assume the complexity of a task, and demonstrated the type of timeframes and workload, I could expect in similar roles of future employment.

Money Cannot Buy Experience

Throughout my time at the Fremantle Football Club (FCC) I have been fortunate enough to sit in on a number of meetings with the Corporate staff. The majority have been Pre-Game day meetings however, in addition there have also been meetings involving stakeholder relations initiatives and how events can support the following. One such initiative is the Dockers Live the Dream school camp. The Live the Dream school camp is a concept designed to give twenty Year 11 and 12 students (a mix of male and female) to experience a week in the life of a professional AFL football player at the FFC. Participants will spend the week with a select group of FFC staff, gaining an insight in to all aspects of an AFL footballers life including strength and conditioning training, nutrition planning, psychological training and a whole other range of meaningful and insightful activities. A money can’t buy experience, I was flabbergasted at the luck of the key target stakeholders: West Australian high school students aged between 16 and 17 years and their respective high schools across urban and regional centers.

A state brimming full of talented young sportspeople, so many students (or budding athletes if you prefer) should be jumping at the chance for such a rare opportunity. Thinking of the broader picture the experiences of the lucky participants could make such an amazing impact not only on the skills and confidence on them but also those within the communities in which they live; amazing potential! As a Marketing and PR student it was fantastic to see the planning and interdepartmental organisation of such an initiative to really understand what it takes to make these things happen. Often as a student I find that coming up with creative and sometimes wacky ideas is the easy part, it’s the putting into action part of the strategy that takes the hard work. Now having been given the template (in a sense) to action thoughts and ideas in to the physical application I am feeling confident and excited to take on whatever future workplaces throw at me! It’s having that understanding and practical application of tasks that this internship has given me to really drive home the meaning of Public Relations within professional organisations; brilliant! 

To see the practical application of PR theory and techniques was in invaluable experience, and just like they always say the pin finally dropped! I always thought I understood the concepts on paper and when push came to shove would be able to come up with a text book PR plan off the top of my head just like ‘hey presto’. After witnessing the application of a communications and PR plan by seasoned professionals I now understand that it is not only the PR theory that I need to understand, but also have the practical application of so many other business principles combined- finally I understand why I had to do my most hated subject of all time, Accounting 100!

Having come to the end of my placement at the FFC I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a unique mix of organisation. Unlike any other professional organisation that I have spent time at interning, I have found the FFC to have a great balance of corporate business and elite sports, both industries I have discovered to be passionate about. Getting to understand the complex relationship between a professional sporting organisation and its varied publics and seeing the fantastic potential for diversity within an organisation has seriously made me consider a career within the industry. Before understanding behind the scenes of this high profile club I had absolutely no idea of the opportunities available within. Now having made some fantastic contacts and experienced the hands on application of the elusive PR theory, I feel more than ready to enter in to the workforce; an exciting prospect after so many years that’s for sure!

So for all those that have been kind enough to read my blog posts, sayonara, and bon voyage. I wish you all the very best for what you have in store after graduation!  

You can't get rid of me that easily!

Wednesday, 8^th May 2013 was my 20^th day at Via Appia NetworkingWA. It was extremely bittersweet. I must admit when I first began, I was so nervous and shy that I could not wait till my 20^th day there so that I could just say ‘bye’ and leave for good. The thought of waking up before 8am on the upcoming Mondays and Wednesdays were killing me.

Yet, 20 internship days or 11 weeks later, I found myself not wanted to leave just yet! If I went through and listed all of the memories and things that I’ve learnt through this journey, this blog post would never end.

Before I began my internship at NetworkingWA, I had no idea that they were an intern-focused organisation – meaning that they primarily “hire” interns who are looking for an internship either to gain additional work experience or, like me, are looking to complete a placement unit for university. During the time that I was there, I met and befriended eleven different amazing girls whom I never would’ve met if not for this.

I’ve also developed a newfound respect for my bosses, Rebecca and Adriana for always being able to constantly deal with everything – mainly the ability to professionally deal with difficult clients. In addition, their feedback and constructive criticism on every piece of work has helped me grow a lot as a potential PR consultant.

My favourite part (as I’m sure you guys already know), was the adrenaline and satisfaction I get when I see my contribution being a part of something big! 

What I learnt most, was the importance of time management. Evidently, in the event industry, datelines are set at least two days before the event is being held and the process to plan the event would've taken at least six months. That might seem like a long time, but when the creativity and resource juices start to run tight, time just flies by.

The most challenging aspect of the whole industry, is locating resources within the budget. It's true, what most people say about events - they don't bring in profits. This just emphasises on the importance of sponsorship from other companies. Till today, it still surprises me on how difficult this is to achieve.

I will never forget this journey, as it is the first time I’ve been able to experience what it’s like to work in an event management company.

I couldn’t bare to leave just yet so I’ve decided to continue on with my internship until the end of semester! - just when they thought they could get rid of me ;)

I hope that all of you enjoyed your internships as much as I did for mine.

Thank you all for reading my blog posts :)

Don't forget to keep a look out on their website for any events that you may be interested in!

Laura Ng

14865060

News Headline: Women take over the corporate world.

This topic has been numerously and vigorously discussed since before women had a right to do...well, anything really. Yet, women today are still trying to prove men wrong about this issue - that is, that we're as capable in the corporate sector.

If we think back and reflect on what women must have felt like then, the way they were ignored, mistreated and controlled, just because they were born on a girl. It's really saddening, isn't it?

When I was younger, my mum would constantly remind me of how lucky I am to be born in this time where women have their rights. Despite that, I can’t help but think, have women really come a long way? Have we really managed to gain respect yet?

To me, the answer is no. You must be thinking that I’m out of my mind - that we now have the freedom and rights to do what we want, say what we want etc. The way I see it, even though we do have rights, we still get constantly judged and criticised for everything we do.

I cannot tell you the number of times my driving has been criticised because I’m an 'Asian woman driver'. In the workforce, women who have higher-tiered positions are seen as heroes and it was no easy journey - to get up there to the top.

As NetworkingWA has an all-female team, we understand the importance of this topic and have had an increased interest in successful women in the workforce over the years. That's why, we have taken the initiative to celebrate and inspire other women to do the same.

Last year, NetworkingWA hosted “Women leading the way” where Non-Executive Director of Wesfarmers, Diane Smith-Gander provided us with an insight about her career journey and how she managed to juggle and prioritise in between family and managing one of Australia’s largest listed companies. The MC for the event, was Channel 10’s Co-Presenter, Narelda Jacobs is an idol whom many female look up to as she was the first indigenous female news anchor for a commercial channel.

Due to the success of this event, NetworkingWA has decided to re-create this event by making it bigger and better! This event is scheduled fr either June or July so everyone at NetworkingWA has been all hands on deck trying to locate the perfect venue and speaker. We can't wait for this event! 

Details about last year's event

Via Appia NetworkingWA

Laura Ng

14865060

Santa’s little helpers go to the ball

Ok, so it’s not exactly Christmas and I didn’t exactly attend the ball but on Saturday, April 6^th, I got to be behind the scenes at one of the most spectacular and breathtaking annual event; the Interpeople Charity Ball.

It was exactly what I have been waiting for. Finally. After so long, a nice reminder about my passion for events. Sometimes the effort and work that is demanded for a smoothly-ran event can get a little stressful and hectic but when I see it all come together; I know that it was all worth it.

Before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you guys a bit about the event and its cause. It’s an annual charity ball hosted by Interpeople and each year, they choose a different charity to donate 100% of the proceeds to. This year, Interpeople decided to raise awareness to Parkerville Children and Youth Care by showcasing the work that they do and some of the children whom they support. There was no better way to do it than to make the theme, glow in the dark! There’s no way you can turn down an event like this!

Of course an important day like this, calls for a lot of helpers. As NetworkingWA primarily hire interns, Rebecca [the founder] was able to split us into three shifts; 9am – 12pm, 12pm – 6pm and 6pm – 12am. I was asked to assist during the second shift so I managed to watch the entire set up! After placing flowers and jars filled with glow sticks as centerpieces and getting lighting all perfect, the venue was absolutely breathtaking!

Unfortunately, there were enough people to help assist during the actual ball so I didn’t get a chance to see the whole thing but Interpeople and NetworkingWA has received nothing but good feedback from the attendees. We can’t wait for next years!

I’ll make sure to volunteer for the night shift next time! It was evident that the people at Interpeople wanted to cater for everyone and they did not hold back with the details and prizes. Attendees got to experience Chris Nixon, paint right before their eyes, businessman whom enjoy golfing got to play in a Par3 golf stimulator, others got to enter in both live and silent auction that included eighty-nine different prizes including singing on stage with Australian rock legend Daryl Braithwaite. To add a little surprise, The Dance Collective put together a spontaneous flash mob routine – attendees were extremely shocked when the waiters suddenly jumped onto the dance floor!

If you don’t believe me, you can see for yourself!

The ball was held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre

Entrance / Registration

Entrance to BelleVue Ballroom

Cocktail Area - before set up

Stage view from the side

Tables with flower centrepieces

Tables with glow stick centrepieces

Par3 golf simulator

Blank canvas for Chris Nixon

Silent auction prizes include signed jersey by the Eagles and Dockers team

Videos; I apologise in advance for the shakiness and poor quality of this video as it was filmed live on an iPhone

Ballroom during light check

The Dance Collective flash mob
Via Appia NetworkingWA

The smile and excitement shown on the team's faces were absolutely priceless!

Laura Ng

14865060

First day as a Networker

Before I begin my story about my first day at my brand new internship, I must first tell you a story. After emailing (and getting rejected or no replies) by at least ten different event management companies, I decided to email two final companies before moving on to look at different areas of PR.

By now, I’m 3 weeks away before the commencement of Semester 1, 2013 and I am desperately trying to land a placement so that I can get one step closer to graduation. Now, let me just mention that I emailed a specific lady for Company A (I managed to get her direct email) whereas the second company (Company B) only provided a general email account (no name was provided).

Within 2 hours of sending the emails, I got a reply requesting for an interview. I was ecstatic! At this point in time, I was completely unaware that I was emailing two ladies who had the same name!

So it’s Monday afternoon, I arrive ten minutes before my appointed time and I walk through Company A’s doors requesting to see this lady. I was shocked when she said that she was unaware about our meeting and requested to see the emails that we had apparently been exchanging. I guess I was too excited about actually landing an interview that I completely forgot to even see which company was emailing me.

It’s a hot summer day, by now I’m a few minutes late to meet the lady at Company B and to make matters worse, I get lost.

After 5-10 minutes of running up and down the same street, staring at every single building number, I arrive at the doors of Company B. The moment I stepped inside, I knew that it was the perfect environment for me.

Rebecca (the Founder of Via Appia NetworkingWA) interviewed me and after a few questions, I was given the opportunity to intern for them and was given a tour of their cozy office.

On the first day, all interns are required to write a blog post about who they are and why they wanted to be an intern at NetworkingWA. After submitting my blog post, Adriana (Event & Marketing Manager) introduced me to Highrise and DropBox, websites that they frequently use so that all documents could be easily accessible.

My first task that was I was assigned to, was a really fun one! In the upcoming weeks, NetworkingWA is hosting a conference in Bali and the event programme included an “Amazing Race” challenge for all the attendees. Rebecca and Adriana wanted me to create all the activities for them and research about what a nearby orphanage desperately required as the prizes that the winners receives, would ultimately be donated to their children.

Planning the Amazing Race challenge definitely took longer than expected so I did not manage to complete until the end of my second day but it was definitely something new that I had never gotten the opportunity to do before so I was glad that I was given this task on my first day.

What I learnt in PR Techniques definitely helped me complete this task, as I was able to refresh what I had learnt from 2 years ago and actually apply it at work. It’s the first time that I have been giving the opportunity to do this and I cannot wait to experience more of this.

Via Appia NetworkingWA
My internship blog post

Laura Ng

14865060

To be, or not to be, that is the question....

Thirty days ago when I started my internship at PPR – I set out in search of an answer to a question which has plagued me since the beginning of my degree – ‘To be or not to be a PR consultant?’ I am happy to report that after my finishing my last day at PPR on Friday – I am now a whole lot closer to finding that answer.

The world of PR consultancy is an exciting one to say the least with a multitude of clients that subsequently come with a multitude of different projects, experiences, deadlines and demands.  It is because of this versatility, that in the past month at PPR, I have had the privilege and the opportunity of working on a range of different projects for different clients. I find this versatility to be a very attractive characteristic of working in consultancy and one that I will attempt to explore more when I begin my search for employment in July.  Having said that, there is still a large part of me that is curious about working in corporate PR and I think that I will need to experience this before I can confidently choose the path that appeals to me the most. Have any of you ever had experience working in both fields? And if so, which one do you prefer?

As I write this, I can’t help but also smile at the fact that in only 20 working days, I can say that I have done everything from media clippings, reports and releases through to invitation drops, research, phone interviews and writing for some of PPR’s professional publications.  When regarding the writing I have done in particular, three pieces of my work were officially published in my last two days at PPR – which I think was such a great way to end what I would definitely call a great internship!

One of these pieces of writing was a media release entitled ‘Dalwalinu Channels Its Own Rottnest Swim’, which was published in a regional WA newspaper that you can read here.  As some of you would know, that feeling that you get when your work is published in a public space is like nothing else and has certainly given me the confidence and self-assurance that I need to believe in myself as a professional writer and PR practitioner.

Another thing that I have learnt throughout my time at PPR is that though Uni definitely has its place in teaching us the fundamentals skills required in the PR industry, there is still nothing quite like applying and refining these skills in a real working environment. I am thankful for the opportunity that PR Professional Practice 393 has given me in this regard as I have been able to use what I have learnt and expand on what I have learnt in all my classes in a way that I believe will serve me well when I graduate and begin my career.

Thanks everyone for following my updates over the past month and it's been wonderful reading all of yours. Though these entries have been useful for reflecting on my own experiences, I’ve also learnt a lot about other aspects of the industry through reading yours. I wish you guys all the best in the remainder of your internship and your degrees, and best of luck in your careers.

alas, the end.

After completing my placement at Corporate Sports Australia i'm so glad i was given the opportunity to gain some practical experience in the real world of public relations - and to be able to this as part of my degree.

While hours spent stuffing envelopes and sifting through survey results wasn't exactly my idea of fun, you've got to start somewhere!

During my internship i was given some great opportunities to put my skills and knowledge of the Public Relations industry into practice through media release writing, producing business reports, media guides and stage managing on event day. I was able to build on this knowledge through attending a press conference, communicating with key stakeholders and working alongside industry professionals.

I've gained invaluable PR experience from interning at CSA, as well as some great insights into the world of Marketing and Event Management. Receiving great feedback from my supervisors has given me a great confidence boost and reinforced just how relevant everything i've learnt at Curtin really is.

And i think, just maybe, i am ready to enter the challenging and fast paced world of Public Relations. Look out.

So many "lasts"!!!

This will be my last post onto the walls of PR 393 Reflective Blog, and that I am proud! This blog will also be apart of the last assignment I submit for my degree! And, today, was my last ever day at Curtin university, where I completed my last presentation and tute! HOORAY!

On that note, I just wanted to wind up my experience at Bowls WA and really thank my supervisor and the team for welcoming me into their world. They gave me an insight into the public relations industry and for that I am extremely greatful! I was given the opportunity to full-fill a wide variety of communication activities, from e-newsletters, magazine articles to event coordination. The theory practice I learnt at university have definitely shrined through within my internship experience.

I have learn some new skills too! I learnt about Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and website maintenance! These skills I hope to further even more once I step out into my industry.

So on that note, I hope you all had as enjoyable internship experience as myself, and that your final reports have come together smoothly! Good luck with all of your exams, and I'll see you at GRADUATION! HOORAY!

Kind regards,


Lauren Hannah
(14863239)

Underestimating the importance of good internal communication between employees

Corporate Sports Australia is a very small office. There would not be more than 15 full time staff squeezed into one floor of offices above bar 1907 – and a lot of the staff don’t even have an office. About 6 of them (plus the interns) work from adjoining cubicles.

In such a small office , when you are constantly within a metres distance from another colleague, you would think it would be easy to maintain good internal communication. Apparently it’s not.

During my 10 weeks at CSA I heard a few of the employees mention how bad internal communication was within the organisation and how much better it had been in previous years. As an intern I imagine I did not experience the full extent of where it was lacking, especially as I had no idea of what ‘good internal comms’ looked like.  

While there were 15 staff in the office, only five of these were really involved with the City to Surf. And despite them being in constant contact with each other (where it was essential to the management of the event) there seemed to be a lack of general support.

Over the course of my internship a few instances gave me an indication of just how bad there communication was – and it really impacted my view of the organisation as a place of work and my relationships with senior staff – which in turn affected my attitude to work and possibly my work ethic.

About 2 day before ‘event day’ i’d received no information on what I’d be doing at the City to Surf – so I assumed I would be assisting in the media tent with the majority of the interns. Nope. On the Friday before the City to Surf (Sunday) myself and another intern were walking down to a press conference when she said, ‘hey congratulations on getting the stage manager role for Sunday.’ Stage manager? I had no idea this role existed nor had my boss mentioned it to me. Ever.

Later that day, i was ‘briefed’ on the role by the intern. Having been put in this role at such late notice, made it feel as if I were simply thrown in there as an afterthought. The fact that my boss had not bothered to tell me herself made it feel like a really insignificant job – which was reinforced by being briefed by an intern. Having now fulfilled this role I know one thing:

There was A LOT of information that no one bothered to tell me.

Funnily enough, my next task was to create a formal brief for the next intern who would be assigned the role of stage manager. How nice for them.

Following event day (Monday was one of my normal office days) I was ready to head in when I got a message from another intern making sure I knew we were not needed in the office until lunch time. Thankfully I got her message before I left, because all the senior staff had neglected to share this information with me.

On my last day of interning I spent 5 hours by myself in the office sifting through stats. The other staff had not bothered to mention they would all be out of the office until the afternoon.

These do seem like quite petty examples of bad internal comms and as an intern I never expected to be treated on the same level as senior staff, but as a result, it really changed my impression of the organisation and the people I was working with.

Until next time (hopefully with less whingeing)

Alanna

Welcome to the bottom of the food chain.

Hi everyone and welcome to my first blog post. Like many of you, I have recently completed an internship as part of the Curtin University unit, Public Relations 393 (Professional Practice). This blog will serve as a forum for reflection on the day to day experiences (good and bad) and musings of a third year Journalism and Public Relations students trying to get by in the ‘real’ and not always glamorous world of PR, marketing and event management.

So, where to start?

I have a serious problem with making decisions. When it came to applying for university, along with PR, I was tossing up between marine biology, environmental science, English literature, politics, history, archaeology and about a billion other things.  I feel exactly the same way when it comes to looking beyond my PR degree. Not-for-profit? Fashion? Events? Music? In house? Consultancy? Whatever Samantha does on Sex and the City?

So, when it came time to look for an internship – let’s be honest, I was lost.

When I saw that Corporate Sports Australia (CSA) was taking on PR interns, I thought why not? While sports was never an area I’d considered working in, I figured this would be a great opportunity to get some practical experience in a challenging environment – working behind the scenes on Western Australia’s largest community sporting event – the ‘City to Surf.’ 

Day 1 – ‘Lets feed the interns to the sharks’

I was pretty nervous about my first day – mostly because I have very little experience in the ‘real world’ of PR. While I have gained excellent knowledge of the industry through my studies, it is still a huge leap to go from assembling a communications plan for a client you have never met, to providing practical and feasible recommendations for someone who is actually asking for your assistance.

Nerves aside, my first day at the CSA office started off much as I expected. Myself and another intern were introduced the small team of about fifteen staff. Throughout the internship as a PR/Events intern I would primarily be working with three people at CSA; the Event Manager, the Marketing and Media Coordinator and the Volunteer Coordinator. While CSA is essentially a consultancy, for the duration of my internship I would be working solely on the City to Surf.

We were then given a DVD to watch as an introduction to the event. While I was able to gain an insight into what the event is and it’s history, I was left with no knowledge of the organisation itself, the vision and mission of CSA or the role of PR/Marketing/Advertising within the organisation.

With this in mind, I was giving my first major and completely unanticipated task.

Presumably, my supervisor had not intended to make my head explode on my first day. Or, maybe she had. Nonetheless after watching the DVD and perusing the City to Surf website, I was asked to create a ‘Marketing Operations Plan’ for a major sponsor.

I feigned some confidence and gratefully accepted a very brief document with a list of headings I was to include in this ‘plan.’ They included things like contra management, sponsorship details, services offered by CSA, volunteer coordination plus many, many, more. (cue head exploding)

Looking back now, the report seems relatively straightforward. Yet on my first day at a new organisation, I was absolutely lost. Ahem, Contra management? Yet by some miracle and after many questions, I managed to create an altogether not-too-shabby report!

To sum up my first day of interning:

•       I think it would have been beneficial to both the interns and CSA itself to conduct a formal briefing session before we commenced our internships. Looking back now, there are many things I would have done differently and possibly better, had I received some initial information. 
•       Being an intern was not as daunting as I had anticipated. The people were friendly and happy to answer any questions I had.
•       No one asked me to get coffee or collect their dry-cleaning. WIN
•       I LOVE having an excuse to dress corporate and power walk through the city with an air of self-importance like the other business people!

Alanna

First weeks at the City of Joondalup

Hello everyone, 

This is my first blog post written after completing four days at my placement within the Marketing Department at the City of Joondalup. So far I have been going in every Monday, however will be beginning to go in several times a week as the semester progresses and as we get closer to some of the events they hold.

At City of Joondalup public relations is incorporated into their relatively small marketing department, specifically focused on by the media advisor. As a result of this I was exposed to different activities some more marketing orientated and some more public relations based. The variety kept things interesting and I have definitely learnt a lot.

So far I have had a great experience here with everybody being extremely friendly and more than happy to help me on things I am unsure about as well as having me sit and work with them to get a better understanding of each of their roles within the department and the jobs they carry out on a day to day basis.

Being a local government, the City of Joondalup hosts a lot of corporate events, but it also hosts plenty of community based events where they are currently really focused on getting more awareness and increasing attendance.

Because of this I have been assisting with a lot of the work developing advertisements, fliers, booklets and signs to be distributed to the public before events including the Joondalup Festival, Joondalup Esteddford, Little Feet Festival and more.

I have been asked to do a competitor analysis for some of these events. Looking at the websites run by other local governments and seeing how events are run and what type of advertising is used. I am then asked to make any suggestions for things that City of Joondalup could do for upcoming events or events they have next year.

I did a lot of this for NAIDOC Week, the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. This is celebrated by many local governments and companies around Australia every year and City of Joondalup always holds an opening ceremony and several community activities. I was asked to research and come up with ways that the City can increase attendance and encourage more of the public to attend. In the past they have found that the activities are mainly attended by City employees which the marketing department wants to change by increasing awareness.

So far I have had a great time in my placement and look forward to what I’ll be learning in the weeks to come!