Two weeks down, two to go. Hopefully they won't notice if I just never leave!!

Second week is done and the time is flying past me, I'm 1/2 of the way through my internship and I don't want it to end! In saying that though, the constant drone of my phones dial tone is now making its way into my dreams as I continue to tackle the database. I've got one page to go and I think I'll buy myself a chocolate when I finish it!

This week I was asked to re-write a writing style guide for PPR, there had been changes made to a hard copy but unfortunately the soft copy could not be located so I would have to re-type the whole thing with the changed included. Just a casual 35 pages long. It took me about 12 hours so I smashed it out pretty quick; I was always such a keen kid in typing class in primary school.

Watching intently on what has been going on around me gives me an insight into how the business really works and what my chosen profession is really about. Watching everyone work with and around each other, client meetings, deliveries, the rush around deadlines, and the final products, it all intrigued me and I enjoyed watching the inner workings of the organisation and how everyone meshed together.

I did some research this week for a new apartment complex about to be finished up north and did some background research on information for Little Athletics.

Speaking of athletics; this week I managed to do my weekly exercise in one day, one exhausting day. Myself and one of the office assistants had to do a letter box drop of flyers for Landcorp throughout the Cockburn area. Took us about six hours of constant walking. Got in a great gossip session but unfortunately I managed to twinge my calf muscle and walking that night and the next few days was a task, especially when I managed to come across stairs.

So the week is over and I keep becoming more and more attached to this place, it's got a certain charm about it that makes you feel welcome and makes everyone act like a family more than colleagues.

Until next time,
Bye!!

PR is not for the faint hearted.

Wow my second week has flown by in the blink of an eye and I can’t believe I’m already half way through my internship at PPR!

This week – as expected was also busy, in fact much busier than the last. My calendar on my desktop has quickly become my best friend and my saving grace, reminding me of all the things I need to do and when. This week’s tasks have primarily been public relations orientated which has given me a well-rounded and very real insight into the various duties that PR consultants do in their line of work.

One of these tasks was to write a profile on a mining company for a magazine that PPR produces. As someone who has little knowledge of and no experience in the mining industry, this was definitely a very daunting task. However, with a little of bit of research, professional guidance and a lot of trial and error, I managed to produce a piece of written work that I was proud of and so was the editor at PPR who is going to publish the article in the company’s publication. Needless to say, I was absolutely ecstatic and when offered to write a second piece, I gladly accepted! This task has taught me the importance of versatility in a PR consultancy as it is likely that you will have to write pieces on certain companies, events etc that you have little knowledge about. Research is therefore a very important factor and one that I’m glad is emphasized in all our PR Units at university.

One area that I felt I struggled with this week was working to a deadline. On Wednesday I was given the task of writing a response to a year 12 student regarding the impact of FIFO on rural communities. Again, with little existing knowledge of the industry, I researched previous documents to gain a good perspective of the issue and then set to work. However, because I only had a deadline of two hours to complete the task, I felt like my mind (and more so my ability to write) completely shut down on me under pressure. Although I did eventually get to work, what I produced, I can’t say I was completely happy with.  This ability to work to a deadline is certainly one of the most prominent aspects of the PR industry and one that I’m determined to tackle in the next six months before I graduate.  I’ll be seeking some good advice from the PPR team about what to do when those terrible nerves take over and how to focus when working to such a tight deadline. What are your tips for dealing with deadline stress?

My last major task this week was to produce a media release for a recipient of a grant given by one of PPR’s clients. The idea of writing my very own media release, something I’ve done many times at Uni, really thrilled me but once again I struggled with the pressure of producing something that I expected to be of a high standard.  The media release that I produced was edited and tweaked a little by the consultant that I was doing the work for and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment that my media release had to be altered a little bit to flow better.  After all the experiences I’ve had writing media releases at Uni, I felt that I would know how to write these better than anything else – but the reality this week was different. Although the consultant assured me that I’d done a great job, I just couldn’t help but a feel that I’d let myself down.

One of the Account Managers reassured me further by saying that most media releases, even his, often get tweaked by more senior PR people and that it’s all part of the creative process.

Has anyone else had these experiences before?

I think I just need to remind myself that I am an intern and I still have a lot to learn instead of always being an over achiever and striving for perfection –  it’s simply not realistic or beneficial to my sense of self and self worth!

Despite the sounds of it, I have still had a great week, which has taught me just as much about myself as it has about PR consultancy.  I know now that PR is not an industry for the faint hearted and in order to succeed, you need to stay strong, focused and flexible to the demands of time, clients etc.

I’m grateful that I have had this insight this week into the areas of myself that I need to work on and I am glad for every experience that I have at PPR because it’s all part of a learning journey that I imagine will only continue throughout the rest of my degree and my career. 

Until next time…!

Half-way mark

So I'm a couple of hours away from the half-way point of my internship here at Professional Public Relations in Subiaco, meaning it's probably time to start sharing my experiences.

Working full time for the last two weeks has been an interesting experience in itself. Coming from the student and hospitality worker life, adjusting to 7am wake ups (in winter no less) and fighting peak hour traffic twice a day sounds like the last thing I want to do on my Uni break, but I got used to it pretty quickly. The PPR office has fantastic coffee, which certainly doesn't hurt.

After my handover with Dominique, the last PPR intern, I was nervous about the amount and scope of work I'd be doing. She was telling me a lot of things that we haven't learned at Curtin so far, and I was concerned I'd be out of my depth.

As it turns out, most of the time the work is very manageable, but there is a lot of it. I discovered quickly that if I didn't know something or wasn't sure, I could ask my supervisors or someone in the office and they'd be happy to help. This is an important lesson to all interns - don't be afraid to ask for help. You're not expected to be compeltely on top of everything on your first day, and there's absolutely no shame in admitting something (for me, Microsoft Excel) has got the better of you.

On my very first day I was thrown straight in the deep end. Before I even had a chance to do my induction I was working on an urgent task for the digital department, and things haven't slowed down since then. So far my shortest day has been 8.30-5.15, but the environment here and the people I work with make the time fly. Again, the quality coffee helps.

At the half-way point of my time at PPR I'd recommend this program to any PR student without hesitation. The staff are incredibly supportive of the internship program and you feel like one of the team, not an errand boy (or girl). After hearing my classmates' conversations last semester this is a refreshing concept. The work isn't overly challenging on the whole (yet) but I'm gradually getting more involved and creative tasks as well as the many, many media lists I'm checking.

One final plug, I was asked to write a blog for c2030, Landcorp's future-vision initiative. It would be fantastic if you could check it out here and let me know what you think in the comments section. You can have your say on there too, or follow @c2030 on Twitter. No more plugs, I promise!

Well, no more plugs in this post.

Hopefully everyone else is enjoying their internships, or their holidays.

- Morgan Riley