Throughout my internship immersion at Katz and Associates, a public relations agency focusing on government projects, I’ve learned more in detail about their core values within the work that they do; Communication, Public Outreach, Media, Environmental Concerns, and Striving for Success.
My experience during internship changed the way I view the world, and the way I see things. Working on various projects gave me a different perspective on issues throughout San Diego County. I am more educated on different issues we should be concerned with, more aware of the diverse areas within the communities, and more motivated to work towards a better San Diego. I shared my knowledge of what I know to other co-workers within my office through my experiences, and what I have learned at High Tech High Media Arts. I was also given an opportunity to share my opinion with one of our clients about what I feel works best, not as a Public Relations intern, but as a member of San Diego. I brought different ideas on ways to communicate to large amounts of people, particularly using social media as an effective way of communication. Since I’m not as familiar with the typical public relation ways, I gave a clear point of view to ensure clarity, precision and efficiency.
A lot of the work that is done involves communication with the public, either through letters, door hangers, phone calls, printed or emailed newsletters, or attending public meetings. It’s important to be organized with your contact information and with your excel spreadsheet. I learned quickly how important it is to be confident while speaking on the phone. You need to be direct, speak loud and clearly so that your message can be delivered efficiently. Sometimes you have only a moment of their time, and making sure your message is understood, and you leave an impact on them, and hope they understand the importance of what you’re saying. It is also essential to show sincerity within community concerns. Doing your best to address community concerns will result in a successful project.
With hard work comes rewards and recognition. Although you start a project not intending to be given an award, receiving such recognition is a way of judging your success. The clarity, efficiency, number of complaints, and satisfaction of your clients are all measures of success. In public relations, there isn’t always a final product, making it hard to measure the success of your effort and work. Working with the media is crucial in promoting your project. You want the new stations, radio, websites, and newspapers to help promote and raise awareness of the issues being tackled. Using these resources can help. The media can also be a burden rather than assisting during a project. False reports can influences the opinions and choices being made. Specific ways to get around this burden is to publish the information yourself, write your own news story, or contact the media to share your issue.
Being environmentally friendly, and choosing environmentally friendly options such as using soy ink, recycled paper and wind powered machines for paper handouts, and mailers is a way to increase environmental efficiency. Simple tasks like printing double sided, using the backsides of used paper for note taking, and emailing meeting agendas instead of printing them are all trouble-free ways that overtime help improve the quality of our environment. When dealing with large quantities of handouts, by decreasing a three-page handout to a two-page handout can sometimes save hundreds of pieces of paper. Most of the projects are involved with protecting our environment. I worked on projects working to raise the size of dams to increase the amount of water San Diego can accommodate, and to repair water main pipes to avoid disasters. Realizing how important our environment is, and doing what we can now to protect our environment will help us in the future.
“No matter what the situation or crisis is today, you are going to survive it, and next year it will be in the past. You can’t take your job so seriously that it’s consuming you. You have a life as well and that is important,” says Joseph Charest, an associate who has been involved in Public Relations for over 30 years. Balancing your time while working on different projects is crucial. There are many directions to turn when working on a project. To create the best final product, and to accomplish your goals, map out the different areas and paths that may be taken. Figure out the best way to balance your time, and your efforts. Move on from each project, learn from your mistakes, and use your knowledge to accomplish new projects.
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