By Pek Yi Tsing, Valedictorian (Class of 2019)
Bachelor of Communication, The University of Newcastle, Australia
“Real-life work and school, very different one ,” is a statement often echoed by my seniors or lecturers when I was still studying. As a working adult with the benefit of hindsight now, I have to agree that the transition between churning academic essays and meeting work expectations is strikingly different, and I’m infinitely thankful that The University of Newcastle, Australia (UON) provided us opportunities to propose solutions to actual clients.
In one of the modules we had for Bachelor of Communication, named Public Relations Strategy, we were given the chance to work alongside a real-life client to pitch a campaign. To introduce real-world experiences to the module, we were given complete independence over the project — as it would be if we were working in a public relations agency.
For that project, my group and I decided to do a communication audit for a local non-profit organisation that helps elderlies in Singapore. We reached out to potential “clients” via cold-calling, set up a meeting with them, evaluate their current communication strategies and worked on a proposal to help them meet their objectives and solve an actual business problem they were facing.
Of course, our lecturer, Mr Robert Conceicao, was always there to assist groups who needed help. He monitored each group and conducted weekly consultation sessions to guide us in transforming what we learnt in school to real-world public relations strategies as well.
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Towards the end of the semester, our “client” was invited to our pitch — akin to a public relations agency pitching a campaign to a potential client — where we shared our media analysis; pointed out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organisation; and proposed public relations strategies. Both our client and Mr Robert were involved in our final grading.
Some of our classmates even entered their student project in the Public Relations In the Service of Mankind (PRISM) Awards in 2019 organised by Institute of Public Relations of Singapore, and won an award for Outstanding PR Project (student category) against competing local universities.
In my opinion, the module was a valuable opportunity for students to have a preview of how the media industry works in Singapore — a window of opportunity might not be offered in other private institutions. By combining project work and industry exposure, not only do we learn the importance of teamwork with projects like such, we also gain important experience in the industry and the opportunity to beef up our portfolio before graduation.
Re-entering the workforce was not an easy task, even though my degree took only two years, and I’d imagine it’s even more daunting for fresh graduates transitioning between school and work life. Fortunately for students, the work-integrated modules offered by UON created a smoother transition through practical learning.
Disclaimer: All views and statements expressed are solely personal opinions and do not represent those of PSB Academy or other people and organisations.
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