Cardig Chapter 4: Personal Result, Evaluation and Points Learned

Personal Result

Through the internship program in PT. Cardig International, the intern got the opportunity to be a new member of the publication team of Group Newsletter, Cardig News. As Group Newsletter is used to communicate important ideas to employees to make them feel that they are insiders under Cardig International Group, part of the team, and on the progress of what is happening within the group and its industry; some subjects learned in classes in the previous semesters could be well applied such as Mass Media, News Reporting and Report Writing, Business English and Photography which will be learned further still in the next coming semester.
Internship is also as a bridge between education and business and surely the theory got in classes is absolutely different from what is practiced on the field. Through working on Cardig News, the intern could use some of the theories as applied science since the theoretical matters are closely necessary for every single thing required. The intern could get new knowledge about writing in a corporate printed media of a company.
Working with the publication team of Cardig News gave the intern opportunity to improve and develop both personal and professional capabilities as Cardig News also required a good sense of writing and delivering messages through pictures and articles. That is what is called knowledge transfer and from Cardig News, the intern learned deeper how to solve certain problems, to critically think of some analytical problems as well as how to work in a team when working on the company’s internal printed media.
In the first publication the intern was involved in, Cardig News 2, the Chief of Publication took an opportunity to thank the intern through an article for the dedication, commitment and integrity for the appearance improvement and the page increase.
While, in the second publication the intern was involved in, Cardig News 3, the intern was given responsibility to handle Cardig News himself due to corporate action; from the final correction of every single page to the approval of the final draft to go to the printing but the intern was able to pass it through.

Evaluation

Working on Cardig News for two editions offered opportunities to the intern to achieve the learning objectives and the scopes of work. As some subjects learned in classes are applicable for a project like Cardig News, certainly, the intern could identify which part of the knowledge could be directly used and the constraints the intern should be aware of. With intensive assistance from the on-site supervisor, the intern then could successfully achieve the objectives of publishing Group Newsletter, Cardig News.
The intern also had opportunities to develop his key competent and skills by working with the publication team of Cardig News. From the interviews conducted, the intern could simply apply the basic knowledge of Public Relations of how to interview people to get information in proper manners. Not only that, from the experiences gained of making internal magazines in Mass Media and News Reporting and Report Writing classes, the intern could make suitable compositions of article written in Cardig News and how to select good pictures for some particular articles so the articles would look proportional with the lay out designs.
Through Cardig News also, the intern accomplished many things unexpectedly such as the increase of the pages. Originally, Cardig News consisted of only five pages later the intern helped the publication team to add three more pages to give space to other topics that might be necessary for the readers to know such as Subsidiaries Profile, Knowledge Sharing and Business Partner Profile.
Furthermore, working with the publication team of Cardig News, the intern had opportunities to maintain personal and professional developments. Personal development such as how the intern looks at particular problems from personal point of views and later is written for articles in Cardig News. Professional development such as how the intern could professionally work with an outsourcing design agency in creating the setting and the layout of Cardig News in the making process.
Cardig News certainly gives experiences and advantages to the intern for the future use on how to make a good corporate newsletter of a company and knowledge of whom to approach to get the sources of the news or at least the right person to interview to find the right information for the newsletter as well as how to take pictures for certain articles, besides learning how to design the layout of the newsletter with right composition of articles and pictures.

Points Learned
From the internship program in PT Cardig International especially when working with the publication team of Cardig News, the intern learned many things such as the quality of work performance, working relationship with others, oral and written communication skills, maturity, leadership characteristics, initiative, motivation, willingness to accept responsibilities and maintaining overall performance.
First point is the quality of work performance. Getting involved in two editions of Cardig News, the intern has shown a consistent improving work performance in composing the articles, selecting the pictures and setting the designs and layouts as the intern contributed more than 65 percent of his efforts for Cardig News.
Working relationship with others is second point to ponder as the intern should work well with the publication team in composing the articles, taking the pictures on place and sometimes in Soekarno-Hatta international airport, getting involved in reportage with other members of the team as well as working with the people of the outsourcing design agency when working on the drafts of Cardig News.
Another point learned is oral and written communication skills. Being a new member of Cardig News publication team requires good oral communication skills when interviewing the sources to collect the information and written communication skills are required to put the interview results into articles writing.
Other important points to learn are maturity and leadership characteristics. During the involvement in Cardig News, the intern learned a lot about maturity which is required to work professionally with the team and communicate with the information sources. While leadership was needed when personally working with the people from the outsourcing design agency; how to direct them to create certain layout design appearance based on corporate taste and need.
Initiative and motivation are other points to learn when making Cardig News. The intern initiated to write more articles to reserve for the next edition and to find out which news are good to written for the articles. Beside that, the intern motivated himself to finish the articles correction from the advisory team of Cardig News.
When the on-site supervisor was on leave, the intern was given responsibilities to finalize and check the Cardig News 3rd edition correction as well as to approve it to go to the printing and also how to maintain better appearance of Cardig News from edition to edition.

BritCham Chapter 4: Personal Result, Evaluation and Points Learned

Personal Result

During an internship program in British Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia (BritCham), I obtained the opportunity to be a new member of the BritCham’s events department. BritCham’s events department is responsible for all events and activities of BritCham. Performing as an organizing committee gives the department a vital function in succeeding all events management. Some subjects learned in classes in the previous semesters could be well applied such as Desktop Publishing, Marketing Communications, Presentation Techniques in PR and the practice of networking.
Internship is also a link between education and business and certainly the theory taught in classes is totally different from what is practiced in the working environment. In the involvement in the design process for the events’ “marketing communications”, I could use some of theories gained in classes as practical skill as the theoretical matters are strongly essential for each specific entity required. I could strive new knowledge about designing means of marketing communications for commercial events and activities of a chamber of commerce.
Working with the events department coordinator of BritCham offered me opportunities to improve and develop both personal and professional capabilities, as most Britcham’s events required a good sense of personality, professionalism and hospitality with the members and guests. It is what is called knowledge transfer; from every event management, I learned further how to resolve particular problems appeared unexpectedly, to critically think of some analytical problems as well as how to work in a team when working on the organization’s events.
In the first event – Breakfast Briefing on September 5, at the Financial Club, Jakarta – I was involved in, a lot of new practical knowledge such as “the art of networking’ had been well learned. While, in the second event – Networkers Meeting on September 6, at the Mercantile Athletic Club, Jakarta – I learned about business and networks referrals, and on the Networkers Meeting on October 18, I was given an opportunity to give a one-minute presentation to the members. The intern also had an opportunity to deliver the first presentation project on BritCham Toastmasters Meeting on October 12, at the President Business Institute.

Evaluation

Working with BritChams’ weekly and monthly events offered chances to me to achieve the learning objectives and the scopes of work. Getting involved in some BritCham’s events gave clearer vision of what particular subjects learned in classes that can be applied in practical matters. Besides that, through some events, I captured many practices that will be very helpful for me to use in professional career.
I also had many opportunities to join many BritCham’s networking-event and in fact, all BritCham’s events aim for expanding the network and links. Through those events I could directly practice how to start building a network, maintain the network and handle problems appear when the network is in (communication) crisis. I strongly emphasize on networking part because this is also about Public Relations. I figure out that a PR practitioner should have a very broad network in order to broaden the scope of its work and to ease its jobs if the network is wide and well built.
Furthermore, through networking, I could well practice and improve my public speaking skills ability and interpersonal communication skills, about which I have previously learned in classes. So, definitely, through an internship in BritCham I could put some theories I studied into real practices. Not only that, by designing some flyers, brochures, notices and etc. I could directly use Desktop Publishing – that I learned last semester – into practice and identify which one is better to use.
In addition, working together with BritCham staffs particularly the business manager, events coordinator and sales and marketing officer gave me new outlook and idea of how to work in a national-scale organization. I have learned a lot, in BritCham about applied organizational behaviour all the way through the events organizations (Business Networking and Networkers Meeting), projects (Global B2B and CTIT) and design assignments given. Those gave me not only a glance overview but also deep knowledge to polish myself as a future PR practitioner.
Networking activities of BritCham’s events certainly opened the door for me to verify that a person to another can get connected through a third party or even from somebody that we never knew before. To sum up, what I benefited the most from a two-month internship in BritCham is the advantage of networking activities. Another point to consider is to create an integrated network database for the benefit and the ease of BritCham when searching for particular link to support some BritCham events in the coming future.

Points Learned

During the internship program in British Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia (BritCham) Business Centre, Jakarta, I learned a numerous new thing like organizational behaviour: organizational culture, organizational communications as well as the value of work routine, working relationship with BritCham staffs, interpersonal and non-verbal communication skills, events organizations, public speaking, networking, leadership characteristics, motivation, compliance to accept everyday jobs and sustaining overall performance.
Organizational behaviour is about how to understand BrtiCham’s whole scope of work as a foreign chamber of commerce. I have learned how an organization’s works and activities differ from a corporation in terms of behaviour and culture. I have integrated this into an organizational communication concept.
The value of work routine is another point I learned that the day-to-day work is somewhat offered an insight experience of how to handle a daily routine and regular events that are organized weekly and monthly.
Working relationship with nine other staffs is another aspect to consider as BritCham has a small team in its business centre with high activity load, I learned that I should work fast and smart and independently and sometime not under supervision.
Another point learned is interpersonal and non-verbal communication skills. Being a new member of BritCham Events Department requires good oral communication skills when talking with members and guests of some events, besides non-verbal communication skills in writing articles and press releases of the events.
Other important points to learn are events organizations, public speaking and networking. During the involvement in BritCham events, I learned a lot about events organizations, which required high self-dedication. To work with events coordinator also entails good public speaking and networking skills, besides ability to design some promotional tools like brochures.
Motivation, compliance to accept everyday assignments and sustaining overall performance are other points to learn when interning in BritCham. I designed almost all of the events notices and some advertisements as well as using personal creativity to make design layouts and settings.
Finally, I also learned organizational leadership characteristics in BritCham how they handle particular organizational situations and conditions.