Candice Toh: The Super Intern
Was working at a PR and Communications agency all you thought it would be?
Candice: Yup! Providing services like marketing, public relations, social media management, and events planning to help our clients to enhance and promote their brand. When things turn awry, we need to communicate quickly and clearly.
What is one of your most memorable work experiences?
Candice: Having a range of different clients, from fashion to F&B to shopping malls. We get to plan and attend events, host influencers for food tasting, as well as updating client social media platforms.
What was your biggest accomplishment? What did you learn from your mentor?
Candice: Being exposed to different clients is an opportunity to learn different skills, as well as challenging myself to improve. I also learnt the different ways to pitch a story and write press releases that will attract media attention. I have great mentors like Cecilia, Bobby, and Ilyas that will always be there to guide me as well as clarify any doubt or queries.
What's your funniest memory from Publicist PR?
Candice: The talks and jokes we share during lunch time are the best moments that I'll remember for a lifetime.
What will you miss most about Publicist PR?
Candice: Colleagues turned friends and of course getting to meet the media.
Would you recommend this internship to others?
Candice: Yes, this internship will be challenging but enjoyable. Every day here is a learning experience. Apply to Publicist PR and experience it yourself.
Meet our PR Extraordinaire - Krista
Was working at a PR and Communications agency all you thought it would be?
Krista: It was everything I thought it would be indeed – challenging, tiring but incredibly fulfilling. Every connection gained with someone new, be it an editor or a client, is exceptionally uplifting
What is one of your most memorable work experiences?
Krista: Food tasting! At a Thai restaurant to boot. I love food, and I love the F&B industry. I had the opportunity to accompany my mentor to host a food tasting with social media influencers. Initially, I thought it might be awkward as I was not sure if we would have anything to talk about, given their online personas. However, we ending up chatting the whole lunch away! The influencers I had met were really down-to-earth and authentic as well, making the hosted lunch a pleasant one.
What was your biggest accomplishment? What did you learn from your mentor?
Krista: Being able to speak confidently to so many strangers in a day. Especially when it comes to media pitching. It is not just about reminding yourself to not stutter through a sentence, you also have to remember to be engaging and fun! I am glad I can speak a lot more confidently now.
Having mentors such as Cecilia, Ilyas and Candice were great. I have had so many valuable takeaways from each of my mentors. Such as the method to style a media pitch, the importance of visual to entice, and the proper way to write a press release. These are skills that will last me a lifetime.
What's your funniest memory from Publicist PR?
Krista: I recall calling up new clients that were based in Thailand and Indonesia. The marketing manager of a certain hotel had a really complicated name. As the conversation was going on smoothly, I tried to ease through her name by speaking really fast (thinking that she wouldn’t notice that I actually did not know how to pronounce it). In the end, my tongue got all jumbled up and I laughed awkwardly, hoping that she would see it as a joke as well. Fortunately, she did.
What will you miss most about Publicist PR?
Krista: The team. I love working with people who are not just enthusiastic about the things they do, but also remember to have fun while doing it well. I am very fortunate to be able to take away sincere friendships that will last me a long, long time. Oh, I will also miss the daily hustle. Haha.
Would you recommend this internship to others?
Krista: For sure. The learning curve is so steep, I actually have to remind myself to stop and breathe, then continue hustling. The beginning might pose as a challenge, with all the new terms to grasp, but that is how you will know that it is worth it. Apply to Publicist PR and experience it yourself.
PEARLYN
Why did you choose to come to Publicist PR?
Pearlyn: I chose to intern here because the job scope offered by PublicistPR covers a broad range of roles, which I find extremely enticing. I felt that this would provide me with a larger room for experience and allow me to immerse fully into the PR industry. Furthermore, I am one who loves interaction and flexibility. Given such circumstances, I am able to thrive in terms of productivity. This is what gave me assurance that my personality would be compatible with the nature of the internship. As I am intending to pursue journalism at the tertiary level, I believe that my experience at PublicstPR will prepare me, and perhaps give me an insight of what is to come in the future.
What do you do at Publicist PR?
Pearlyn: I am currently learning the ropes of media pitching, writing key messages, media monitoring, branding, event planning and drafting press releases - the essential basics of press relations that I need to master. I am also assigned to handle some food, health and fashion clients to build their profiles.
What do you like about working at Publicist PR?
Pearlyn: The opportunities I get to meet people from various walks of life - the different ideals, values and goals which they hold as special individuals. These are the chances I get from being able to attend meetings with clients, presentations, and the daily interactions I have with my colleagues and my boss.
How has Publicist PR helped you build your career?
Pearlyn: My term at Publicist PR has helped build my stamina for unexpected changes in our day-to-day tasks. What I’ve learned is that when setbacks occur, the best way out is to accept them, learn from them and move on with a sharper mind. Also, being compelled to step out my comfort zone as part of the job has polished my confidence a great deal. Apply to Publicist PR and experience it yourself.
Meet our Super PR Assistant - Amazing Rebecca
I was part of the Publicist PR team from May to July 2016.
As the social media assistant, I supported my small but dynamic team comprising of Cecilia and Peijun in conceptualizing both content and design for the social media content and digital assets for our clients: Orchard Scotts Dental and One Raffles Place.
As I love writing, I was able to put strong editorial skills to great use by writing the creative social media content.
One of my first assignments was to create a one-minute video interview for One Raffles Place - Find Your Eco Style to be used by Mediacorp TODAY. It took a long time but in the end, the client was rather pleased and the video reel was shown on the giant billboard screen at the facade of the One Raffes Place building.
The job as a Digital and PR assistant requires a high level of intelligence. I am glad I was given a huge amount of freedom and managed to accomplish work that has helped expanded my portfolio.
Farewell Lunch with my supervisor Cecilia and colleague Linh who did an amazing voice-over for my video reel.
DIANA
Was working at a PR and Communications agency all you thought it would be?
Diana: Yes! - Hosting events, meeting celebrities and getting to meet a lot of people! There were many glamorous moments like meeting MTV VJ Hanli Hoefer for the PR launch of GIUDI. I am also more aware of the amount of effort needed to make a PR launch successful.
What is one of your most memorable work experiences?
Diana: Going for my first media tasting at Ricciotti with a Weekender journalist, Nicole. I expected some awkwardness but by tapping on my love for food, it turned out to be an exciting experience and the forging of a new friendship.
What have you learned from this internship?
Diana: I am grateful for the opportunity to work closely with the senior team, especially two of the directors, Cecilia and Ella, both whom were very willing to mentor me. They were constantly brimming with ideas and very encouraging.
Working with various health and lifestyle clients have been a great opportunity for me to practice people skills. The bonus was working on Medhatter.sg, an online health site which I was responsible for.
When Cecilia first asked me to develop a project timeline, I recalled not having the slightest clue on what a timeline was and it took me several weeks to grasp how to prepare a working timeline. Look at me now! I am able to guide newbies. The icing was Cecilia’s regular treats of cupcakes and muffins.
What’s your funniest memory from Publicist PR?
Diana: I had to call our usual printer to check if our client's marketing collaterals were ready. As I had been calling other printers, in a moment of confusion, I introduced myself as being from a rival printing business instead of Publicist PR. THERE WAS AN AWKWARD SILENCE [laughs]
What will you miss most about Publicist PR?
Diana: The amazing team, of course. It has been challenging working as part of a team that focuses on measurable results. The office is full of laughter and I will miss the open office and collective brainstorming and planning.
Would you recommend this internship to others?
Diana: It is a great place to learn new skills and be trained.
No two days are the same and there are always opportunities to pick up new skills. As this is my first internship, I enjoyed working with a close-knit team and learning about the working world. Apply to Publicist PR and experience it yourself.