Because I’m a Sure Win.

Scene: A typical job interview

Interviewer: “Thank you for taking the time in applying for the Public Relations Manager position for our company. So I see you have a Master’s Degree of Communications at University X. Can you note any kind of experiences you have had to contribute to this role?”

Kid with the Degree from University X: “...Well I can memorise the first fifty chapters of the Idiot’s guide to Public Relations by Professor Theory.”

Interviewer: “Mhm. Thank you for your time.”

Ever heard of the famous Eleanor Roosevelt quote:

“A person is like a tea bag- you never know how strong one is until he or she gets in hot water.”

It basically means that you can never know of one’s strength or capabilities unless he or she has experienced a hardship that defines them.

In a lot of ways, that is how I view the learning program that is applied in Central Institute of Technology. We are noted for our “hands on experience” and method of teaching to ensure that a student is able to make an easy transition from classroom to workplace. I believe that obtaining a Diploma in Public Relations will give you a better chance of winning the job when compared to a person who has completed their Degree from a university.

Take any job site for example. When reading the prerequisites for the role, most places are more interested in the years of experience in the role as a opposed to how many degrees you’ve obtained and at what institution. Especially in the role of PR. Unlike most industries, the typical PR role combines a seasoned knowledge of the industry and its peoples as opposed to the text book theory. After writing a thousand page thesis of how to function in Public Relations, it’s still difficult to comprehend the role of one until you have actually done it.

Tafe offers work experience, and that is exactly what it is: Experience at a workplace. To be able to say that yes, I have experience in a role in of a real company already offers insight for your interviewer into what you are capable of. If an employer were to ask you of how you can apply your learning to their organisation, it is much more effective to speak of your experience as opposed to how you would handle it in theoretically. Employers want to know that they can hire you into a role with minimal time spent on training. They want you to fulfil the role, then and now.

At the end of the day, it really is up to the individual to make use of their Degree or Diploma.

But in the short time I’ve studied at Central, I’ve come to realise that the field of PR is a not a black and white role. It really takes a person to posses the innate sense of creativity, logic, organisation and leadership that simply cannot be obtained through a textbook.

I have the highest confidence that after receiving my Diploma, I can easily beat out the Kid with the Degree from University X, why? Because I’m a sure win.