Jessica Davis

Jessica is currently handing in her final semester assessments at Charles Sturt University and is eager to enter the PR world full time. Good luck Jess!

jess.davis31@gmail.com

When I exited Central Station on a brisk [and I mean brisk] Monday morning in August I wasn’t too sure what to expect from my internship with the small yet mighty PR and marketing collective, Klick Communications. I had all the usual symptoms of nervousness: short of breath, legs like jelly and that fluttery feeling in my stomach. I was so determined to make a good impression and not make anyone regret taking on this third year PR and communications student from the small regional university [Charles Sturt University that is].

Upon entering the very cool office space of Klick Communications the butterflies in my stomach flew away and I smiled a genuine smile – replacing the ‘I’m smiling but think I might throw up’ smile I had plastered on my face while in the elevator. Klick Director Kim McKay and Communications Specialist Florence Sandford greeted me with open arms and I knew in that instant that I was going to have the most incredible month.

When I think of the term ‘intern’ I imagine the youngest person in the office doing all the jobs no one else wants to do, has time to do, or feels overqualified to be doing. While I did a few coffee runs and post office visits I feel it is imperative that in the role of intern you pay your dues; to an extent. This payment needs to be coupled with new and exciting challenges that you can really sink your teeth in to and achieving that balance is why I value my time at Klick Communications so much.

Klick doesn’t use the term ‘intern’ but calls their university-aged PR Assistants ‘Happy to Help’ and ensures every ‘Happy’ is given on-the-ground training in digital PR and marketing. The scales were actually tipped towards giving me more than enough challenging tasks once my supervisors were able to observe and evaluate the quality of my work and speed in which I was able to complete set tasks; giving me numerous opportunities to display my talents throughout the month, particularly in the latter two weeks of the month I spent as a ‘Happy’.

My first day with Klick was the Monday following the Splendour in The Grass weekend and, as Klick was representing Richard Ashcroft while he was in Australia, I was able to witness firsthand how Klick Communications handled the backlash of Ashcroft exiting the stage during his set at Splendour. The phones were running hot with journalists after a statement and myself, responsible for tracking all media coverage of Klick’s clients, clipped and sent close to one hundred articles so that no comment or remark was left unread by the Klick team.

During my month with Klick Communications I worked across their entire client base and was able to sit in on meetings with potential and current clients. I independently worked on press releases, PR proposals, mail outs and research tasks; demonstrating to me the trust that the team at Klick had in me while also providing me the opportunity to show them how seriously I took each and every task assigned to me.

For an organisation at the start of its second year of operation, the calibre of clientele who visited the office was impressive and I was able to observe and work on large-scale campaigns including Youngcare’s national Thong Day and the commencing preparations for the annual Havaianas Thong Challenge that takes place on Australia Day. Being at Klick Communications I was made to feel like a member of the team and I have never witnessed [or been a member of] an organisation that is comprised of people who are such good friends and are able to interact in a friendly yet professional manner to achieve symbiosis and the incredible results that Klick Communications achieves every single day. I am eternally grateful for the experience Klick Communications gave me and am eager to enter the PR industry, knowing that the education I received through the KlickStart program will stand me in good stead for a long and prosperous communications career.

Kaitlin Hines

hines0@purdue.edu

This past summer I decided to study abroad in Sydney, Australia.  Being born and raised in the United States, I had no idea what to expect while being in a foreign country, let alone how I would be able to handle work experience abroad.  Fortunately, I was placed with an incredible team of people who not only made me want to do my best, but also made it very obvious that they wanted their clients to be as successful as they could be.

During my internship at Klick Communications, I was able to gain an understanding of the day-to-day tasks of working within an international PR agency. Along with that, I learned how to work within a team, how to plan a media event, how to acquire media contacts through different publications, and how to put together end of the month financial reports, which are sent to the clients.

I was lucky enough to be a part of Klick, not only as their “Happy”, but also as a part of the friendship that holds their team together.  Within the short seven weeks there, I was a part of 3 o’clock tea, PR events that were held by other media relations, and even dinner and a movie with not only a company, but also a team of talented PR specialists that just “Klick”.

I couldn’t have asked for a better hands-on experience, and I do not think that I would be as excited for my future career if had I not had the opportunity with Klick Communications.  The time that I spent with them most importantly taught me how to meet deadlines under pressure, build business relationships, and most effectively work within a team in order to make your company and your clients as successful as possible.