My First Internship – Part One

July 13, 2017 2 Comments

Every communications students worst nightmare is not finding a job. So what did I do? Applied for every internship and opportunity possible, hoping I would be chosen for at least one. A huge thanks to my tutors and lecturers at uni, without you, I would have never gotten these opportunities to do great things. I hope to do great things in the future, hire my own interns and allow them to create great things also.

This ‘My First Internship’ story will be a series which I will post regularly and recite my first internship and the experience with the people and the event.

 

Getting an internship is quite an exciting experience. When you get your first one, its all exuberance, glitter and rainbows, your so excited to finally be doing work for something that your passionate about.

In my second year of university in between first and second semester, I decided to apply for a Public Relations Internship with a company called Actuex. They were creating and curating content for the social media channels of the 2017 Sydney Water Polo Youth Festival. It was the first international tournament of its kind and included teams from New Zealand, Indonesia and Thailand as well as all the great Australian states… And Queensland.

I remember when I got my first email to solidify my position as an intern, or a media volunteer (what they refereed to us as). My first employers, EEEP. The email was professionally presented with the t’s and i’s crossed and dotted, as well as company logo at the bottom of it. I thirsted for this moment.

The email (sent by one of the event managers) noted the times that I would have to be available for the event and what best suited me. In a flurry of words and fingers rushing through my brain and keyboard respectively, I responded in an instant.

I patiently waited to know when I would be assisting my peers, co-workers and INDUSTRY, in managing and creating content on the social media channels for the event.

Well actually not so patiently.

With four days and no reply i began to feel paranoid. “What if they didn’t want me anymore?” and “Did they get my email?” plagued my brain. So I called them. The dial tone was LITERALLY the longest one I ever heard.

“Hello, this is Rianne” A professional voice answered the phone and I was literally speechless.

“Um, Hi… I applied for the Water Polo internship. It said I got accepted but haven’t gotten anything back after i sent you my availability. I ah, wonder if you got my email?” what felt like an eternity passed. “My name is Kris by the way.”

“Oh yeah! Hi Kris, sorry we’ve just been hella busy at the moment! I’ll be sending you the roster shortly, thanks so much for applying.” I was relieved and somewhat confused, the professional sounding tone changed slightly and I didn’t know what to make of it. “We definitely got your email and cant wait to work with you.”

And like that the conversation was over. Lol.

A few days past and I received another email, this time from a person called Emma Brown. She sent me the roster which I would go by for the duration of the event which was four days straight. Commitment I know. The majority of the days were from 7:45am to 6:30pm. COMMITMENT I KNOW.

The absolutely hilarious part was is that I was completely content with it. WHAT NINETEEN YEAR OLD IS ALRIGHT WITH WAKING UP AT 5AM. Me, Me, Me! I left the email there and waited for the next week to unfold. I legitimately was more excited for this then when my sister was born (still love ya Chels).

 

Coming home from work one day, I received a call from a random number. Answering, a voice from a young woman filled my ears.

“Hi Kris, it’s Emma from Actuex.” Emma sounded like one of those professional business women in a black blazer, white blouse and just enough red lipstick to not look like a bitch. Little did I know how very wrong I was.

We began to talk and discuss the times a little bit and the first meeting which we would undertake the day before the event. Everything was going my way, so much so that it felt like a sort of dream. Did I pinch myself? Yes. Did I wake up? No, but that’s not the point.

After the conversation I noted the time of the meeting and realised something. I am chronically late to everything. Like legitimately. Everything. I will be late to my own funeral, don’t doubt me. So, I decided to set my alarm early for this one.

It was at 12.30pm.

 

That’s it for my first installment. Leave some feedback down below! I’d be glad to hear it 🙂

~ krisesandchrosses ~

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