I have always been the extrovert in my family. I am the middle child of 3 girls, so had to be noticed some way! My parents always said I should be an actress as I was always loud and felt the need to perform for the family. I’ve grown into my confidence and no longer appear to be a dramatic 11 year old actress, but a young adult with a high level of interpersonal skills and the proven ability to communicate with anyone in any circumstance.
Engaging in communication with people has been my passion since before I can remember. Now that I have studied a Communications in Public Relations degree, it is all so clear that this was exactly what I was meant to do. Not only do I have confidence to talk to people, but I have the confidence and eagerness to excel at whatever I set my mind to. Studying in an equal environment of literature and academics vs practicality and professionalism has taught me that I can pretty much tackle absolutely anything I set my mind to.
As a uni student, we are required to do a lot of group work. Something I was never quite sure of in school but that became very evident at university, is that I tend to take charge in group situations. Not in a dominant forceful way, but I like to delegate and manage people in a group situation. I work very well under pressure and can think on my feet. I have the strength of being able to manage many different tasks under pressure with great time management. My friends throughout university have always questioned why I have my assignments in on time – mostly 2 days early, never after a deadline. This has always come naturally to me. Never late, always early is how I function throughout my day-to-day routine.
I have my short-term and long-term career aspirations. The long-term are still quite vague which I believe is quite normal, as you never know what your going to like and dislike once you start working as a PR practitioner. My short-term aspirations are to move to Sydney at the end of the year. I want to find a summer internship in a PR firm to get a taste of what it’s like. It is hard to say where I will go from there as that internship may create new aspirations.
At this stage my long-term career goals are to end up in a PR firm, working for companies that I have an interest for. I would also like to try my luck in media/communications for a business, as I love to write as much as I love to talk!
I feel as though Sydney has more opportunities for me at this stage of my life which match up with my career aspirations. It has been somewhere I’ve always wanted to live once I finished school and university, so off I go come November!
Sarah Reid 