Two days on, 1 day off and still did so much

This week I only managed to do two days since I was sick for the third day. I, however got to work on website content for the events/projects page and help out at an event organised by our organisation, 32dsg.

The events page content is looking good and I am learning to set it out exactly how they want the web designers to produce it. There are so many skills I thought I would never use from university, especially the units that I started off doing in Mass Communications before I changed to Journalism and PR. For example the skills of text wrapping where you format pictures within the text so that the words move according to where the picture is. The understanding I have from ‘wiki’s’ we did in PR corporate and PR International gave me the knowledge to be able to link documents to the page and realise how all the pages will be connected in the end. There are so many little things you learn in university that can help you so much in real life.

The interns were asked to help out at the oZAPP Roadshow event being held in Perth at Spacecubed in St Gorges Terrace. We were told we were going to do the meeting and greeting, give out nametags and information as well as help out with food and drinks. The manager of the event space did not help out all the ‘girls’ all carrying drinks and heavy glass ware up to the room. It was amazing how this portrayal of rudeness can change the opinion of a company hosting an event in this space. 32dsg’s events coordinator immediately said she would never use this space again.

Although there were a few things that were working against this event such as the fact that there was another event straight after ours, in the same space, and that many of the people registered were not on the list for nametags, no one really noticed anything was wrong. The glassware was hired and therefore we needed to take them home but people for the next event were using a lot of them. However, we managed by kindly explaining the fact that this was for a different event. We solved the nametag issue by getting attendees to write their own names on a nametag. Overall people enjoyed the event and we were able to enjoy it too. I think one of the things I noticed was that there is little time for a person organising the event to actually enjoy it. There is always something to do or something to coordinate and therefore you really have to sit down and debrief to realise what could have been done better or what was successful to truly appreciate your efforts.

This coming week I will be making up the extra day I missed because of being sick and therefore I will be able to do a lot more in terms of website content and helping out with the content writing of a clients website that is about to launch in a couple of days.

Until then,

Thanks for reading.

Martine

xxxx

A Fast Paced PR Lifestyle. .

I have loved everyday of my placement and I don't want it to end but the one thing I've realised during this placement is that there is always so much to do and too little time to do it when you have four jobs and uni! Luckily I work best when I'm under pressure and have a lot to do. I think thats why I have realised that this is the career I want to be in and one that I can be successful in.

Ive always known that the PR Industry is a fast paced industry that doesn't operate in the confinements of a 9-5 work day, but I think thats what has appealed to me as well.  

Since my last post my mentor has moved back to Paris and I have been communicating and working for her through emails and phone meetings. Although the last thing I expected to be doing was working for someone on the other side of the world, it has been an opportunity for me to establish communication and organisational skills and the ability to trust my instincts. This has allowed me to work more independently under the direction of the Company Director which has been a scary but amazing opportunity! Following Globcom I have now had two semesters practice constructing proposals through online means- but practice makes perfect right?! 

This placement has opened up the opportunity for me to let my creativity flow and make suggestions in all areas of the company, stretching from client proposals, to the company's image and uniformity throughout all official documents. At the beginning of my placement, I personally approached the Director and asked to redesign the media release template, along with numerous other small tasks to contribute to developing the company's image. Through doing so I have been asked to implement some of these ideas including designing media release layouts for all regular clients of 32dsg. Following this I am now asked to proof and edit all media releases before they are sent out to clients and the media. This has developed a uniform layout for all media releases distributed by the consultancy and has given me the chance to develop my media release writing skills, while also providing me with confidence in my ability to develop suitable media releases for numerous clients.

This placement has also given me the opportunity to think outside the square and have in put to company decisions. I have been asked to attend numerous meetings, have been given the opportunity to have input in all areas of PR in the business and have even made it to the website! My mentor even calls me the 'PR Guru'- thats got to mean I'm doing something right!