Tag: Communications Internship

Writing news stories for radio

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Our intern Jordyn is using her time at university to the absolute max!

Not only is she interning with Pursuit and our sister company – Central Coast Chronicle, she’s also interning at Newcastle radio station 2NUR.

 

Jordyn has detailed for us what goes into each news broadcast. It may surprise you!

 

“I have recently started undertaking an internship with 2NUR-FM radio and after only a couple of sessions, it astounds me how much work goes into each broadcast. The sessions I’ve had with the station have been quite varied. I’ve been writing news bulletins, making calls to get news grabs and reading media release after media release for the 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm news bulletins and the odd story for the following morning.

 

These tasks aren’t always smooth sailing and will often take time depending on the story. If you’re waiting on a call back from a person of interest for some news grabs, time really is of the essence and not something you can get back!

 

Last week I was working on a bulletin for the new waste collection service around the Hunter Valley area and was waiting on a call back from Council. By the time they called back, I had half an hour to get a 30-second bulletin prepared (or “up” as they say in the newsroom) for the 12 pm news along with a grab from the call recording. This can be quite stressful, especially since I had to report on the same issue for 1 pm and 2 pm bulletins and needing to re-word each bulletin as well as using a different grab for each broadcast. So there was some variety with the same story for our dedicated listeners.

 

I had another instance that same day where I didn’t get a call back for another story I was working on so I just had to take a quote and information from the media release and create an angle to make it sound interesting.

 

What worked in my favour was having a background in PR, my internship at Pursuit, meant I was prepared and could hit the ground running.

 

I have already found interning for 2NUR-FM to be a positive challenge, it’s exciting and I have definitely learnt a lot in such a short period of time.”

Guest Blog Post: Charlie Bowcock – Intern

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Charlie interned at Pursuit at the end of 2017. Her drive and insights made Charlie an invaluable asset to the team.

Here I talk to Charlie about her experiences and future plans!

So Charlie, tell me what did you expect from your internship & what was the reality of your internship experience?

CB: “To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect but I surely was intimidated by the thought of it. It took a lot for me to even apply for internships because I didn’t think that I was enough. The idea of working with clients and contributing to the name that Brooke has built herself on the Coast with Pursuit Communications was not a task that I took lightly.

Coming into this role with this mentality, I thought that I would be a little out of my depth when it came to the practical knowledge that comes with this crazy industry. I felt like I had learnt so much theory at university but none of it had really prepared me for practical PR experience.

I agree, I think a lot of universities need to embrace an internship /placement program as part of their degree qualification. 

Yes! So true and now that I’ve experienced agency life the reality of my experiences interning here at Pursuit Communication were a lot less scary than I had originally thought.

A lot of the skills that I have learnt from working in other industries and during my degree are still applicable in PR work to be able to get the best results for Pursuit’s clients. I was surprised how much I relied on what, before interning here, I had assumed would be common sense for most. I have realised, during this experience that I have internalised much of what I had learnt at university into my everyday life but also, you cannot assume that others have that same common sense knowledge that I took for granted before coming into this role. I guess it is true what they say – you have to live and breathe this industry to do well and you (Brooke) have really instilled that in me during my time here.

Thanks Charlie! So say someone is feeling the same way you were before you started, sell them the benefits of participating in an internship program

CB: The biggest benefit of working at Pursuit Communications and under you (Brooke) is that you support your interns, their work and their ideas. I have been lucky in that from day one, Brooke had the confidence in me that I was maybe lacking in myself to get the job done.

Apart from the obvious benefits of having PR experience on your resume, this role has given me the ability to go into a job interview with examples of how I have helped achieve a positive outcome for a client. It has given me the confidence to know that I can succeed in this industry and I’m not going to lie to you, it is pretty damn fun!

So you’ve now completed your degree and heading out into the workforce – where do you see the PR industry moving in the next three to five years?
CB: I see this PR and marketing roles and functions becoming more and more integrated as businesses see and experience how beneficial a good PR practitioner can be, not only to their bottom line but also to the overall culture of the business itself. 

How So?

CB: PR is so diversified in how it functions on paper, but in practice, it really does take a village to raise a (campaign) baby. Good PR work requires the integrated knowledge of multiple people and perspectives to get a holistic picture of how a campaign should look and what will work for a public. With this in mind, I think the industry it will take a more interdisciplinary approach to PR practice.”

Any tips for those considering starting an internship program?

CB: “Take a leaf out of Nike’s branding and ‘Just Do It!’ That means getting completely out of your comfort zone, like when you are on a shoot and Brooke asks if you would mind being an extra (particularly when you get so nervous your organs feel like jelly).

Furthermore – there are no stupid questions, but there are definitely stupid answers. Do not be afraid to be a little extra, and always back yourself because if you don’t, why would anyone else?”

Thanks Charlie – appreciate your hard work and your dedication, it has been an absolute pleasure having you at Pursuit and I’d like to wish you all the very best in your future endeavours! 

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Charlie Bowcock – (seated right-hand side) taking part in photo-shoot for one of Pursuit’s clients in 2017

 

First guest interview – Lani Beaven

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I’ve been wanting to share some interviews with those who are part of the Pursuit Communications universe.

In this first interview, I spoke to our current Intern Lani Beaven.

The Pursuit internship program began in 2010 since then over a dozen individuals have come to Pursuit, to learn what life is like working in a boutique public relations agency.

What did you expect from your internship? & what was the reality of your internship experience?

LB: “I guess heading into an internship in the PR industry you expect all of the glitz and glam that you see on shows like The Hills, however, it was a bit more of a rude awakening. Instead, you find yourself working, for literally nothing. But the old saying goes – you’ve gotta give a little to get a little!

I expected to walk into this industry with an abundance of knowledge that I had accumulated over my University degree and to be a professional from the get-go.

The reality of my internship experience, so far, has proved how much further I need to grow and how much more I need to learn as an individual. It’s showing me that a lot of time, effort and hard work needs to be put in, in order to be successful in this industry.”

Benefits of participating in an internship program?

LB: “Brooke is an amazing mentor and great role model for young people wanting to make their way into the PR/media industries. (edit: aww shucks Lani!)

It’s amazing to see someone flourish in success and I can honestly say that the benefits of participating in an internship program are endless. Real life industry experience, work history to list on your resume, starting to network and build relationships within the industry and the added bonus of motivation to succeed!”

Where do you see the PR industry moving in the next three to five years?
LB: “I remember reading in one of my textbook’s that PR industry professionals are being told to forget everything they ever knew about the way traditional PR works. The industrialisation of the web and social media has revolutionised the way the world and the PR industry operates.

How So?

LB: “I can see the industry moving into a more popular field, which we can already see happening and the services that PR professionals offer greatly expanding to include things like social media, web development, video/photography..”

Any tips for those considering starting an internship program?

LB: “One of the greatest tips that someone once told me was to start participating in internship programs as soon as you begin your degree!

 

Lani

Lani Beaven, Pursuit’s current Intern

 
By the time you graduate you would have an abundance of practical experience to list on your resume.Make sure that you have a resume that stands out, above and beyond everyone else. We are working in a creative industry so show a little bit flair, add some , maybe a pop of scented paper (thank you, Elle Woods!).
Research local businesses in your area and make sure you know what the company does and how they operate. Find who their PR guru is and get in contact with them.
Don’t be afraid to attend networking events, this is where you will meet people who can offer you support in landing an internship that you’ll love.”

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I’d like to thank Lani for her contributions to Pursuit week in and week out.

To my previous interns, Pursuit’s success is your success. You’ve all contributed in your own way and for that, I thank you.

If you’d like details on the Pursuit Communications story, I’m available for speaking opportunities. CLICK HERE for more information.

Our Intern program is open

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First things first, this ISN’T us looking for a great tea or coffee maker!

Pursuit is looking for an “all rounder” Intern – who isn’t scared to jump right in to a task and give it all they’ve got.

The successful applicant will be interning with us one to two days a week (We are flexible around family commitments / study / assessment / exam time).

The tasks will be varied. As our intern your day will cover everything from creating / updating media lists, scanning media coverage, writing a press release, assisting with content for our clients newsletters, brainstorming ideas for our clients, to assisting with events. Just some of the tasks a Junior Account Executive would generally do (so you really are gaining some fantastic experience!).

In return you’ll get fabulous hands-on experience and a written reference. We make it a policy to talk through each task before it’s assigned to you, so you know exactly what we’re after and we’re a huge believer in the “there’s no such thing as a silly question” policy.

It is recommended that applicants are either those returning to the workforce or second or third year communications / marketing / events students.

If you would like to join Pursuit as our next intern simply email your CV and cover note to brooke(@)pursuitcommunications.com.au addressed to Director – Brooke Simmons and we’ll be in touch.

It’s that easy!

Looking forward to hearing from you.