Intern Diaries: How Has Your Perception of PR Evolved Since Your PRecious Internship?

Movies often shape the perception of a PR professional’s life as one full of glitz, glamour and intrigue, portrayed with red carpet events, toasts of champagne and launch parties rounding off any PR professional’s typical schedule. Some may have embarked on a PR career, expecting to rub shoulders with celebrities and get exclusive invites to events. And while some of these perks do exist, there is more to PR than meets the eye, as most PR professionals would come to realise after some time.

PR is a very dynamic field, and the truth is, it is something that you’d need to experience and see for yourself to truly understand. We ask our PRecious interns how their perception of PR has evolved since embarking on their PRecious internship.

The importance of having an open team, collaboration and sanity checks

Having studied PR before in school, I was exposed to the theoretical side of PR, which served as a good foundation for building a career in the field. But my internship at PRecious has given me a first-hand experience of what PR really entailed, beyond books and classroom lectures.

I learned that PR is not just all about writing press releases and media relations. As PR practitioners, we also have to build relationships with clients, manage client expectations, and learn to maintain a level head when facing issues.

While working in the field may be challenging for neophytes like me, being in an open team like PRecious Indo helps me develop myself as a more well-rounded PR professional.  I get to share my concerns and my thoughts, the challenges that I face, and issues I need help resolving. Some sanity check every now and then also helps. I realised that teamwork really makes the dream work!

Contributed by Melisa Hanjaya, Junior Client executive, PRecious Communications (Indonesia)

From persuasive storytelling to brand advocacy, a journey of wisdom

Prior to my internship at PRecious, I thought that event details were all that made a story newsworthy. After all, our lecturer in school always asked us to focus on the details when writing press releases: when, where, what, how. I basically followed a template whenever I was asked to develop press releases: I included mostly event details and a one to two sentence spokesperson quote (which I believed to weigh only 10 to 20% in the marking sheet). As I immersed myself into the world of PR, I realised that strategically conveying key messages and thought leadership matters more than detailed descriptions of events. I embarked on my PRecious internship, expecting that I’d just be writing press releases and planning & executing events – but I got so much more than that. My internship continues to widen my perception of PR (I realised my previous perception of PR was merely limited to B2C). Now, I would say that I have grown as a PR professional. I learned that PR is all about persuasive storytelling, with an end-goal in mind: generating brand awareness, conveying thought leadership, getting brand advocates to speak positively about your brand, among some of the more common objectives. My PR journey is just starting, and I’m excited to learn and gain more insights in my PR internship at PRecious.

Contributed by Chang Sheng Chiang, Junior Client executive, PRecious Communications (Malaysia)

Upskilling and being adaptable, with no two days ever the same

As I was applying to PRecious, what I had in mind was more a matter of wanting to gain professional exposure in another side of the media industry, in a far less consumer-forward field of work. While I was not entirely new to the media scene, having come from a background of social media, marketing and video production, what I found in PR was a flurry of tools, client management, constant tracking and relationship building amongst the numerous other activities that give the PR scene its unique flavour of fussy. In the industry of ‘story-telling’, I would say PR ranks highly in this chase for perfection, given the amount of care and caution expected, while moving at a pace faster than light itself!

In this roller coaster ride that has been my introduction to the world of PR, my naive impression of the industry has changed from chill coffee chats and writing press releases in a calm setting, to that of an action-packed PR which was nothing like what I expected on the execution front. No day is ever the same and PR trains you in ways I had never discovered about myself before, being more sensitive to details and change, being adaptable while still staying calm and firm.

Contributed by Lim Cheng Sing, Junior Client Executive, PRecious Communications (Sparks)

Beyond the textbook definition: from making new friends to facing the future with confidence

Prior to my PRecious internship, I perceived PR to be typically how it was described in textbooks: a function of managing relationships between one’s organisation and the public, with media being one of the key stakeholders. I mostly jumped into this internship thinking it would be cool, exciting and packed with networking opportunities. As I got to learn the ins and outs of PR at PRecious, I realised that PR is not all about fun and glam. What I experienced – managing different interactions, crafting client reports, and swiftly adapting to changes in plans – was my own baptism of fire into the field. Having gained a fuller perspective of the job’s perks and downsides, I realised that the job is definitely not for the faint-hearted. The eye for detail and level of soft-skills required, along with the need to remain calm despite mounting deadlines and never-ending challenges has led me to gain respect for those in this field. I also got to experience hands-on some of the “highs”: getting coverage, securing interviews and making new friends in the PR industry. With a greater understanding of PR, I’m more mentally-prepared to take on new tasks and eager to learn new skills that enable me to face the future with confidence.

Contributed by Tania Seah, Junior Client Executive, PRecious Communications (Inc)

Keen on embarking in a career in PR? Contact us around our 6 months internship programme at PRecious Communications to gain exposure at one of Singapore’s leading PR firms. We welcome graduates and students from universities, polytechnics or junior colleges from all backgrounds who are passionate about communicating in an impactful way.