A brief narration of who I am

I am good in the Hospitality Industry sector, but I want to be just as good in the Public Relations sector

As a mature aged student with 35 years of experience working as a chef in the hospitality industry.

Having developed osteoarthritis to my left knee, as well as regularly having discomfort in my back, I am changing careers for health reasons.

I have decided to do a degree in Bachelor of Communication and Media (Corporate and Public Communication), to make a difference in the Hospitality Industry.

Choosing this degree has offered many opportunities to incorporate my previous knowledge and skills that continue to be useful.

These skills include; communication skills, customer service, dealing effectively with people, able to communicate tactfully with Diplomatic people (VIP’s), developed liaison and negotiation skills, strong work ethics, time management and the ability to work under pressure and meeting deadlines.

I am combining these skills to travel around Australia to promote the Hospitality Industry to school students and go around to different restaurants and speak to the chefs, as to why they got into the industry and put it up onto the trade school’s website.

While travelling around Australia, do some cooking shows promoting the local produce from the area, write about the region, the food culture and restaurants.

Weekly Minute paper summary

Week 2 - 'Knowing the Unknown': developing your communication lens on the world.

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during this session?

I have heard of a communication lens, but I have never fully understood what a communication lens.

Long – closer want to understand to complete it either agree or disagree on the situation.
Middle (Wide) – questioning the scenario and finding out what has been learnt.
Close (Reverse) – Rehearse or revise what has happened, and it is something that you are passionate about, and it is how I feel about this situation with compassion.

When I first started this degree, I did not know what I had to do, until Shara mentioned in her lecture recording, to sign up for the magazines, blogs and follow Industry influencers. I am doing that now.

What question(s) remains on my mind at the end of this session?

When is the next Trade Show for Public Relations?
Are there any Public Relations Conferences coming up?
Is Cloud peer index platform safe?

Week 3 - 'Media World': introduction to the ever-changing media landscape

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during the Semester?

I discovered that working for a Non-for-Profit organisation and volunteering is the best way to gain experience and knowledge in Public Relations. I found this information to be useful, and I will be applying for volunteering work this Summer. I want to learn from the industry and obtain the knowledge and experience required for Public Relations practice.

What question(s) remain on my mind at the end of this session?

My question is “How do you become a freelance Public Relations consultant?”

Week 4 - Role of writing in the Communication profession

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during this session?

Public speaking is my weakness and one of the hardest things to do. Perhaps I should enrol in Toastmasters International to help with my public speaking. To improve my written and communication skills, I am going to be using Lynda.com to help me improve on these skills.

Understanding the use of the appropriate requirements in my written and speaking communication is crucial. Discovering what motivates me to write and the purpose behind it, is for two reasons; firstly, to improve my skills on what I have learnt during my university life and secondly, to help and improve the hospitality industry throughout the writing.

Also, becoming a better analytical thinker, sharing the experiences, improve on my performance, preparing for the next step to shape the importance of life through writing.

What question(s) remained on my mind at the end of this session?

Where do I find a Marketing and Communication Mentor, that is at the University of Canberra?

Week 5 - Working space - Where do communication professionals work? And what do they do?

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during this session?

The most important aspect of this weekly topic is about job skills. One needs to develop specific skills to increase the chances of employability, career opportunities, personal growth, and to improve one’s knowledge and understanding of the local industry.

What question(s) remained on my mind at the end of this session?

The question that I still think of is how one would still maintain their passion for an industry of their choice in the changing environment of job scarcity. Many people are forced to get a job for the sake of earning a living.

Week 6 - Work Integrated Learning (WIL)

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during this session?

Internships help to develop your career prospect, and it helps to build a network of people and businesses, it also shows you how to be a professional in the industry.

Through the internships, it aids with the development of a variety of skills, to enable you to get a job, to perform well and to produce the work during their working life.

University can gain you access to jobs and careers, and to assist you in developing your employability, including your necessary skills for the workforce.

What question(s) remained on my mind at the end of this session?

I have two internships coming up next year in 2020, in semesters one and two. I want to know can I combine both of them and do them at the same time, or do I have to do them individually?

Week 7 - Industry Panel Discussion

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during this session?

This week's lecture was mandatory to attend; there was an industry panel attending the lecture to share their career experiences and their journey with students.

Unfortunately, I missed going to the panel, but I had the opportunity to speak to some people outside the university, regarding their experiences in the industry. I had to call them and ask the questions that I had prepared for the industry panel.

I had a chance to understand and learned from these professionals on how to be successful in the industry. The essential of acquiring a mentor for guidance and coaching throughout a career path was indicated.

What question(s) remained on my mind at the end of this session?

The question that I remain thinking of is how I can transition from a graduate student to a professional person. The options of internships and a graduate program was emphasised but the lack of clarity, based on how to get into either one, remains an issue.

Week 9 - Digital footprints and online identities

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during this session?

Digital identity is a permanent collection of data that is about us that is online, whether we post pictures, tweet, blogging or using Facebook. Our digital identity can tall a lot about us and what we are doing.

The highest usage is from the ages of 18-29 years old and the least people using it is those over the age of 65+ years. Social Media is everywhere; it plays a significant role in today’s life, where it is being used more at home than at work. Males are more likely to be using social media more than females.

What question(s) remained on my mind at the end of this session?

I do not have any questions this week.

Week 11 - Reflection, Feedback and Success

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during this session?

Reflection and feedback are essential elements of learning. They help us to control our learning from what we do and how we respond to do our best when accorded an opportunity for constructive evaluations by others.

What question(s) remained on my mind at the end of this session?

The question that I keep thinking of is how one remains partial without venturing into regret when making a reflection on their accomplishment.

Week 12 - Team Work and Cultural Diversity in the Communication Industries

What were the most important and useful, meaningful and surprising things I learnt during this session?

Teamwork and communication skills underpin work performed in an organisation. They can be learned and practiced and once acquired, and a team can deliver many tasks efficiently.

What question(s) remained on my mind at the end of this session?

I do not have any questions this week.

Summary of workshop activities

It has been a great learning experience, trying to understand the industry that I am going into, and what I can do to learn from those that are in the communication and media sector.

Feedback on assignments 1 and 2

Assignment 1 Personal Reflection

Assignment one was about the Personal Reflection based on the skills I have learnt and what will require for the industry, the significant component of the assessment is to reflect on the writing skills I needed for my degree to transfer into my career.

Improving on a few skills based on my writing ability identifies and address these challenges. Without checking the grammar and punctuation, also not fully understanding of the requirements of the assessment and addressing the questions. Maybe an English course will help me with my grammar and punctuation.

To understand and improve on these skills required, such as communication, writing for public, knowledge and research, presentation, social media savvy, multitasking in a high - pressure work. Challenges ahead include adaption to changes, attention to details, environment, strategic thinking and international mindset.

My reflection focuses on the choice of my degree and the institution of my study. It dealt with what attracted me to the degree and specialisation, my influences, what I need to learn and achieve, the particular industry or career, skills, and attributes suitable for my job of choice. Finally, it required me to stipulate challenges that lie ahead and method to face the challenges.

Assignment 2: Week 12 Presentation

Assessment two focuses on my profession in communication and media; working in corporate and public communications. It covers the brief history of Public relations, its’ role in the society, skills and attributes required, career path, current and future employment landscape, areas of growth and decline, professional handling of the changing landscape and how the future looks.

I still haven’t received my results or the feedback on this assessment, but I do know that I have a hard time doing presentations. I can talk to people in a small group, but when I have to stand in front of people I freeze and I blackout for a few seconds. I know that I have to practice more presentations to stop being nervous and having blackouts.

Preparing for the presentation was the easy part of the assessment. Practicing the speech was the hardest part because I would not say I like hearing my voice when I am performing the speech. I know that I have to practice, a few people have said to read out loud and record my presentation, so that, I know where I went wrong. After the presentation and the speech, I will start doing that from now on.

Reflection the industry panel

I missed out going to the Industry panel, I asked my Lecture/Tutor Shara Ranasinghe, if I could ring up some of the Public Relations companies. I got the go-ahead to make the call to the companies. Once I called them, I asked them questions about the industry.

I rang up two Public Relations companies to make up the reflection on the industry panel. The companies I rang were; Man Bites Dog Public Relations and CPR Communications and Public Relations.

Whom did I speak too?

Man Bites Dog Public Relations is a public relation company in Canberra, focusing on public relations and business development. I had the chance to discuss with the founder and consultant of the company Mr Tim Benson.

What did I learn from them?

I learned about the various skills and knowledge required to run a successful career in public relations. To that effect, Mr Benson has multiple talents and serves his company as a business development consultant, a journalist, advertising and marketing consultant, content provider and developer combined.

I asked Mr Benson the following questions:

Why did you choose this career and what impressed you most about this field?

It is to create and generate new ideas that will be valued, and finding it interesting with lots of possibilities to use initiative. A career in communication is a career of fulfilment.

Do you use social media to help your clients?

Social media increases visibility among potential consumers, reaching out to a broader public by using a significant amount of time and effort. Keeping the strategy specific, we then determine which social media platform is the best fit for their business.

Whom did I speak too?

I managed to speak to the Managing Director Michelle Edmunds of CPR Communication Public Relations. She is a professional in the design and implementation of integrated communication campaigns with 20 years of experience.

What did I learn from them?

Ms Edmund assisted in many different industries worked in both government and private sectors.

She worked for companies like ACCIONA Energy Australia, the Victoria Ports Corporation, the Ombudsman’s office, Headspace and Dementia Australia, Education Services Australia, Melbourne Writers Festival and ACMI.

Having these skills and experience in the Public Relations sector, one can work in a variety of areas.

Why did you choose this career and what impressed you most about this field?

Ms Edmund indicated that she wanted a profession where it has a wealth of knowledge, to learn about issues; she also believes that education is power and means to chart a cause for change.

Do you use social media to help your clients?

Using social media to help to increase our clients brand awareness by engaging with the consumers through comments, shares, and direct messages goes a long way towards promoting the brand’s public exposure.

Social media is also perfect for customer service, with the two-way communication that social media provides, it offers a unique opportunity to step up your customer service game and provide instant gratification to your target audience and active users.

Building trust and loyalty with our consumers and giving their business credibility. Using social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, they are in a position to help, whether they are directly related to our business.

The outcome of the two companies?

From both phone calls that I made to the two companies, what I have learnt from them both is; having the skills, knowledge and a good education is a key to success in the Public Relations industry.

My plan for the next five years during my studies and after my graduation

The best years of my life

The use of my remaining time at UC, how to progress my personal and career goal

The University of Canberra has been an excellent instrument for learning new skills and abilities, through strategic thinking, planning and development, it has been slow and enjoyable progress along the way.

During the last two remaining semesters for 2020 at the University of Canberra, I have five core units, one open elective and two Professional Practices – 1 & 2 Work Integrated Learning to finish.

Consultation Reflections with a Career Staff

I went to the Career Hub to speak to one of the career consultants in weeks 10 and 13, regarding my resume and my Internships for 2020. I was advised to fix up my resume, rewrite and move individual sections for the resume to make sense.

During my session with the career consultant, I explained what I am planning to do after I graduate from university.

Through the skills I have learnt from the University of Canberra, I am planning to work in the Public Relations industry for twelve months.

Future-plan

Throughout the years, I have wanted to help the Hospitality Industry. During my degree, I have seen the chefs slowly get out of the industry.

Combining my skills from the hospitality industry, going around to different restaurants to talk with chefs and asking them questions about the industry.

I want to try to bring young people into the hospitality industry and through Public Relations to promote the industry via social media and industry magazines.

Key Contributors

The key competitors that I called and spoke to were:

Man Bites Dog Public Relations and CPR Communication Public Relations.

I found what they had to say was very interesting and very useful information to help me to get through the rest of my degree.

Influences in the field of Public Relations

Founder and consultant of the company, Mr Tim Benson of Man Bites Dog Public Relations.

With the advice that Mr Benson gave me, I will put them to use, using a variety of skills and gain more knowledge required for a successful career in public relations.

Managing Director Michelle Edmunds of CPR Communication Public Relations with her information; with the wealth of knowledge to learn about issues and using as many social media platforms to make the business work and she believes that education is the

power for change.

Social Media

Michelle Edmunds

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-edmunds-5b67671a/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/edmunds_m?lang=en

Tim Benson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-benson-a53b989/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/B2BinCanberra

FaceBook

https://www.facebook.com/946940635426231/photos/2107149949405288/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R

Industry Magazines

The industries magazines that I have subscribe to are both Public Relations and the Hospitality Industry. I find these magazines to be interesting because of the information that I am interested in.

Bon Appétit

http://x.eml.condenast.com/ats/msg.aspx?sg1=47fcbbaa0ad6b5664c584346341f519f

Australian Hospitality Directory – Associated Media Group

https://www.hospitalitydirectory.com.au/

HubSpot

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing?utm_campaign=Marketing%20Blog%20-%20Daily%20Emails&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=78090152

Anthill Magazine

http://anthillonline.com/category/topic/