An Ode To The Last Four Years And A Half Years.
It is always emotionally hard to reminisce on a part of your life that absorbed your every waking minute…hang on, scratch the “waking” university life is notoriously known for giving students nightmares even when they are asleep. In saying that, I promised myself I will not let a tear shed, I will be strong and embrace that change, even though that last sentence wasn’t convincing anybody. here I go;
The warm summers day, nerves jittering, the scorching heat, $50 Kikiki K notebook in my hand, matching $60 pen hanging off the front page, money shockingly spent but no time to think about my finances, knee-deep in a student loan and haven’t even attended my first tutorial, and there I am. The first day at uni, not knowing what I am about to be in for, excitement and terror all mushed up in a fun ball of crazy I call feelings.
It all started from that day, my whole life changed, university was what I breathed day in and day out for 4 and a half years. It became my way of life. Attending classes, going to the library to study, mingling with students, making lifelong relationships, and striving towards my ultimate goal of graduating (well actually, I really just couldn’t wait to throw that top hat up in the air as they do in all the movies).
I had enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Public Relations and Management. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do until I had researched Public Relations and realised that everything about that course was me.
I grew a sense of euphoric motivation, that lead me to open different doors where Public Relations had a huge influence. I wanted to get myself involved in internships, to be able to mold myself into this Public Relations person that I knew I can become. I had the will and motivation and I knew that it would pay off.
My determination landed me four internship experiences, one of them being HUSH Communications which as you know if you have been reading my blogs, is currently where I am interning. It is crazy to me how my skillset has strengthened since interning remotely. My time management skills, writing skills, communication skills, and creativity skills have definitely been put to the test and for that, I am grateful. I was eager and willing to learn everything I can, listen and watch the PR professionals hard at work, pick up on their ethics and really study the art of Public Relations. I feel so blessed to be able to have landed myself four internships where I got to take a piece of each company with me and the experience that I lived through. The opportunity to be able to participate in these internships definitely had a huge impact on me as a striving Public Relations Professional. The difference from when I first walked through the door at the internships, with limited knowledge, no experience, to walking out of uni, head up high, knowledgeable in my Public Relations area and swarming with experience from the internships, is a huge achievement,
I learned an ample amount when I put theory into practice at the internships. It really shaped the Public Relations Professional that I can confidently say I am today. Without the two ingredients of theory and practicality, I wouldn’t be beaming with the confidence that I have in myself today. I know I have chosen the right career path and I am eager to see where that path leads to in my future endeavours and the challenges that I will face. I know I can tackle anything that comes my way. (I just pray it isn’t a yellow brick road path like Dorothy – that I really can’t handle right now).
Concluding my emotional reflection blog, I am ready to move forward. It has been an amazing four and a half years but I know it will be a lifetime of amazing moments that await my journey ahead. I am thankful for my internships, every experience has been mentally noted and absorbed into my new way of life. Lastly, thank you university, you have been amazing and stressful all at the same time.
Now if you will excuse me, I may need that tissue after all….
Eleonora
Exceeding Expectations and Standing Out As An Intern.
The life of an intern is certainly not glamours but it is definitely rewarding. I am currently in week 5 of my internship with HUSH Communications, and I can definitely say that my life as a remote intern has been an experience I will never forget. If you read my previous blog on managing work, university, and social life (If you haven’t I suggest you go and read it!) then you would know that I previously went through a 2007 Britney Spears phase…
However, I can confidently say now that things are starting to look up and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel ever so slightly.
During my time at HUSH Communications, I have managed to overcome stressful challenges (if you know me then you know I am a stress head!) and exceed expectations. I never thought that during the last semester at university, I would get the chance to showcase my creative abilities and use so much of my knowledge from my Public Relations Techniques and Transmedia Storytelling units in one internship.
With my internship experience exceeding my expectations, I thought I would base this reflective blog on providing advice to other interns on how to stand out as an intern so that their experience exceeds their expectation.
- Set goals and ask your mentor what their expectations are.
At the start of your internship, it is always good to discuss your expectations with your mentor so you know what is expected of you. I believe that this is so important for all interns to know because then you can always find ways to exceed expectations.
2. Ask for more opportunities to showcase your abilities.
Being an intern can sometimes only be for a short amount of time therefore, take these precious times as a way of learning and showcasing your abilities as much as you can. If you have a chance to provide your opinion or involve yourself in any projects, then I would suggest talking to your mentor and suggesting ways you can help out in any way. This will aid you in learning and building relationships with employees.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
In the first few days of my internship, I was nervous about asking questions as I thought that the agency would think I’m incapable of completing my given tasks. But seriously, a piece of advice I can give to anyone reading this is don’t think this! You are an intern and the company knows you are wanting to learn and grow so use it to your advantage!
Overall, to be clear, I am not an expert in internships, but I wanted to share my experience and help out others so that the process of interning is a bit less overwhelming. From following my advice, I have found myself in a remote internship that exceeds my expectations. I am able to showcase my talents whilst receiving feedback that I know will help with my future in PR.
If you have time, then here is a great short and concise video summarising tips for effective time management!
Balancing My Work, University And Social Life All At Once. – 18854266
They say university is supposed to be the best time of your life…. so why do I feel like I am Britney Spears going through her bald hair phase in 2007? At 23 years old, I have forgotten what it feels like to have a social life.
At the start of my internship, I was already halfway through the semester and felt that I had my whole life organised. Now, life is not the same. I have assignments due left, right, and center and work is incredibly busy. I currently feel like I am Regina George in Mean Girls getting hit by a bus….
The one thing I can say is that I have managed to continuously be ahead of the game when it comes to my internship. Although I am constantly stressed and tired, interning at HUSH Communications has made all the worrying worth it. From writing press releases to creating coverage reports, this internship has given me the chance to put my PR skills to the test.
If I can give anyone reading this some piece of advice, I would say that in order to manage work, study and a social life correctly, you need to have great time management skills. Although work and study are two of the most important things, having a social life is important for mental health. I have realised from this semester that if I do not at least take 1 or 2 hours out of my day to do something for myself I will go insane.
Overall, the word that explains how I am currently feeling is “ambivalence” – when feeling love and hate simultaneously that they don’t substitute each other, but rather coexist together without replacing one another. To be more specific, although I hate being constantly stressed and anxious, I love that this experience has prepared me for the high-pressure working environment that the Public Relations world entails.
*Side note*
Interning Remotely…Is It Good Or Bad? – Eleonora18854266
Before the start of the semester I was researching and figuring out which Public Relations companies I would love to intern for and believe me when I say, I emailed over 23 different companies (crazy I know). Internships are not really a new thing for me since I previously interned at 3 unique companies in 2020. However, this time around I struggled to find a company in which aligns with the direction that I want to head into after my degree. I always thought about remote internships and what they would be like… would they be insightful? Would I still have a good learning experience? Would employers still treat me as if I am in the office? All these questions ran through my mind when I thought about it. After 4 weeks of thoroughly looking, my questions would be answered.
HUSH Communications, a Public Relations company in Sydney, NSW placed an ad on LinkedIn searching for remote PR interns from Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane. I was uncertain about applying, however with nothing to lose, I submitted my resume. A few days later I got an email saying that my application was successful (cue the loud instrumental music). The thoughts that were previously in my head popped up again, “Am I good enough to intern here? ‘Will I be able to gain experience from interning remotely?’ Nevertheless, I put those emotions aside and headed into my first day the following week.
So here I am in my pyjamas with a big cup of coffee ready for my first day as a remote intern and what can I say, it really doesn’t get better than this. Who would have thought that remote interning would be this good? My expectation was that I would receive simple emailed tasks with a minimum explanation and a small time frame to complete them, however, I was wrong. Each task that has been given to me has been engaging and insightful and I must say I have already learned so much in such a short amount of time. I am able to share my opinion and create my own content which pushes me to get my creative juices flowing.
But let’s just say that remote interning is not all rainbows and sunshines…
As I am naturally a bubbly person, I enjoy social interaction and being a part of workplace culture. As I have experience working within a team, I think the one thing that I don’t exactly enjoy is not being in the office and learning face to face. Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced remote work for many employees, I have come to realise during this internship that face-to-face interaction is so important in learning how to interact with employees.
Overall, remote interning is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. If you immerse yourself into your work and have a positive outlook on how things will be then everything will work out in the end!