My month as an intern at VIVA! Communications opened my eyes to the fast paced world and hard work of healthcare public relations. I tackled a national media launch with the VIVA! team, drafting media materials, researching key contacts, assisting with event management and helping to pitch the story to a variety of media. It was a full-on experience, but gave me true insight into the industry and assured me that this is the career path I want to go down. 

My recent move from Canberra sparked the need for more change than just the weather and big city lifestyle; I was restless in my previous job and wanted to start afresh with a new career. Not long after my arrival in Sydney I approached VIVA! Communications about an internship opportunity and shortly after found myself working with the team in Chatswood. 

I was lucky enough to overlap my internship with the final stages of the unique Live & Love Short Film Competition in October. Live & Love allowed me to cut my teeth on a number of PR activites, from drafting spiels, key message and issues management documents and researching media outlets to helping with event organisation and helping pitching stories into the media nationwide. 

Pippa Moss, the newest member of the VIVA! team, dedicated some of her time to teach me about social media as VIVA! Communications continues to foray into the online social media sphere. Working with Pippa, I was able to learn more about blogging, twitter, online video and much more. 

To top it all off, the VIVA! team were great. Everyone was really welcoming and more than happy to answer my questions and help me develop; I really felt like a part of the team. 

So where to from now? My time at VIVA! has shown me that PR is a great industry for me. I’m going to take my new found passion for PR, and all that I have learned from VIVA!, to find my way in the world of communications and hopefully I’ll cross paths with VIVA! Communications again in the near future.