Interning at UNICEF

This is a post by Sue Avison, Communications Intern at UNICEF NZ.

After spending the last two years in full time study, I leapt at the opportunity to do a university paper outside a classroom and get into the ‘real world.’ As a kinesthetic learner the chance to apply classroom theories to ‘real life’ situations was very appealing.

I am currently studying a Bachelor of Communication degree through Massey University who offer a Communication Internship as part of the degree course. This paper was established in response to the marketplace wanting graduate students with hands on experience in the workplace.

Massey University have partnered with a number of businesses and organisations to provide workplace experience for students in the field of public relations, media, and all things communication.

UNICEF was my first choice for placement and I was delighted to be accepted.

In order to improve the well-being of children world wide and meet the needs of partners, donors and funding sources UNICEF is an organisation whose internal and external communication is vital to their very existence. I thought working at UNICEF would give me insight into the variety and complexities of communication that are required to sustain the work they do.

Warmly welcomed on my first day, I was given a desk, a computer and a media advisory to write. Great, I’d never written a media advisory before, in fact I didn’t know what one was. With my comfort zone seriously breached I set to. I suppose doing what I already know isn’t as helpful as learning new things, so that’s how my day began and continued.

I’m looking forward to learning more about UNICEF and the extent of the work they do and learning about the ‘ins and outs’ of communication practice. I’ll let you know how I get on.

Sue Avison, Communication Intern at UNICEF