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Georgia Taylor is studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Communication) majoring in Advertising. These holidays, she learned about communicating what she has to offer. She spent a month as an intern at PHD. Here's her take on it:
Getting a foot in the door in an industry that is as multi-faceted and competitive as media and advertising is no mean feat, pun intended. So when I applied for an internship, and sent my resume out into the world of media, I was the last person to think that I would be interning at PHD Media for a month during my uni holidays.
After sending my CV, which was in no way awe-inspiring, as university doesn’t seem to prioritise the importance of personal creative execution, I was called in for an interview. I was grilled rigorously about my past experience in both the advertising and fashion industries, and why I would now want to experience the workings of a media agency. The most challenging part of the interview process was having to self-promote while demonstrating my ability to be a team player, something that I have learned is very highly valued in this industry.
Afterwards, I comforted myself by imagining the hundreds of university students that the HR department would experience breaking out into nervous sweats during these interviews.
Then I received the call. I’d been accepted.
During the first week alone I visited Nova radio, and was given a comprehensive insight to the various aspects of working in media, and how media intertwined with other channels, such as television and radio.
Later in the month, the interns were lucky enough to check out Google’s offices in Pyrmont, complete with sleep pods, a talking parrot and some very cool themed kitchens. In all seriousness though, it was amazing to learn about Google’s expansion from search, and to discover the ever-developing world of innovations that is at the heart of Google. The Google experience has inspired me to try my luck for an internship there next.
On the days that we didn’t have tours organised, we worked with our designated teams at PHD. I was assigned to the HP account, doing everything from competitor research and data entry, to brainstorming creative placement strategies. I got to sit in on meetings with several publishers and network representatives, as well as with the client. I also discovered that provided lunches and snacks are one of the many perks of working in this sector.
The experience I have gained over the past month has been invaluable for me starting out in the world of communications. We all think we’re going to graduate into strategist and creative roles and that just isn’t the reality in my experience so far.
So it’s all about adaptability and the experience you can muster up before the end of your degree. Being unpaid ain’t so bad when your time is exchanged for your weight in free food. Can’t complain about the view from down here!
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