Journal #3

Since my last journal, I’ve become more familiar with my role in the internship and how the office works. I’ve been able to take on new tasks like brochures and videos showcasing the department and some of its stations and events. One of the things I’ve begun to tackle is bettering my skills of writing news releases. This week, there was a very tricky case involving multiple PIO’s including Fire and Rescue, Police, and Education. Jennifer and I had to coordinate with all of these different department to put together news releases that pleased everyone and didn’t break any HIPPA or FOIA regulations. Learning how to communicate clearly between the different organizations was very interesting and a bit challenging at times, but I definitely learned a lot about how to navigate those tough situations. Throughout my time here, I have ale learned that the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” is very applicable to this job. There have been times where I’ve been given a task and have had no idea how to do it, but through some quick thinking and a little help from YouTube and Google, I’ve been able to learn some new design techniques that have helped with making marketing materials and I have brushed up on some of the legal and technical rules I have to follow.

One of the challenges I’ve faced these past few weeks is staying focused during time-consuming tasks. During slow days, I tend to get side-tracked and lose focus. For example, I am working on compiling a video showing some of the recent fires, wrecks, trainings, and ceremonies for the first half of the year. I knew it was going to be a longer project, but at the beginning I was excited to tackle it. As it became apparent how long the project would take, I began to lose steam and struggle with staying on task. Getting out of the office and away from my desk at events helps me come back energized and ready to start working again. I’ve also struggled a bit with confidence when interacting with supervisors or other people in the office, but as I’ve gotten more comfortable, I’ve gained confidence and become more at ease.

I think all of the things I’ve learned and been challenged by in the last two weeks will help me in my future career. Being able to interact and work well with other departments will be very important in any job and having confidence will definitely help with that. Always being willing to learn new things and staying focused on the task at hand will also be beneficial in whatever career I choose.