As the last few days of my placement at the City of Kalamunda creeps up on me, I am overcome by this bittersweet feeling. Happy that I do not have to wake up 6am to trek to work on time, but sad that my time with my supportive and lovely team is nearly over and I will probably not see them again in the near future.
Going into this placement, I was extremely afraid of my abilities as a public relations student as I never had any real-world experience in the industry prior to this. With more of a hands-on experience in the journalism industry because of my degree, I was afraid I would not be able to switch off my journalistic mind and switch on my PR mind. But being able to be fully immersed in this experiences, I have learnt three things.
Firstly, I learnt how to work in a team setting. Before this placement, a lot of the work I had done based on my degree was isolated, I wrote articles and submitted them to my editor, and the only interactions I would have with people would be with the interviewees and my editor, no one else would really have any input or feedback on my work. After being thrown into this room filled with 5 other people, and you have to communicate with them in order to get a project done, I have learnt that it is important to establish good connections with your colleagues, and make sure you’re helping them in any way you can, as 9 times out of 10, they would do the same for you.
Secondly, I learnt valuable industry skills. I knew I could draft up a media release because of my writing skills, but other than that, I was pretty lost in terms of drafting a website release and professional social media posts. With the help of my supervisors and colleagues, they guided me through the City of Kalamunda’s communication team’s process, and I finally got the hang of it. Remembering some of the activities I did in ‘Campaign Planning and Evaluation’ at university, I managed to draw some lessons from there, reminding myself that not all projects and campaigns are successful, but what is most important is that you learn from your mistakes and be better for the next project. I can also do more than just media releases now which is great!
Lastly, I am more than just a writer. Coming into this experience I was scared I was going to have a biased view on public relations as I have more real-world experience in journalism. I saw myself as a writer and was scared to venture out of that skill set. However, with the support from my colleagues, the practical skills I have learnt on the job, and the self-evaluation I had to undertake at the end of everyday, I realised I am more than just a writer, I am a growing individual who has learnt a brand-new set of practical PR skills, and I am excited to see how this placement will alter my view of PR.
Overall, I am extremely grateful to have been given this opportunity to work with an amazing team and to broaden my world view and skill set, and I am excited to walk out of this placement as more than just a writer.
Til next time!
Dhanya
