IPP: A culmination of skills

 

As my Independent Professional Project (IPP) comes to a conclusion, I can't help but look back to the first day of IPP pitches when my first pitch of going to Haiti fell through because of health concerns.

When my second pitch of developing a promotional campaign for the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support Department's Cultural and Language Mentor Program got approved, I knew there was work to be done. Six months later, I can actually say "Hey, that wasn't so bad! I actually learned something."

Since I like outlining my key learning points, here are the ones that stuck out the most:

• I can work with a client - choosing RRC as my client was a good fit because I know who the client is and believe in what the department stands for - in this case, culture and diversity. I realize that my values need to fit with the company's objectives in order for me to be motivated. This isn't the case sometimes and I might be hired by a company that might not be in line with my own moral values. In addition, I can also work with a client who has specific needs for his/her audience. I have experienced a situation where my client didn't necessarily like my creative ideas and it was nice to be told that the idea wouldn't work. I learned that just because I was in CreComm my ideas were great and one of a kind. Ideas needed to be tailored and well-thought of.
  
• I can stay on task - following deadlines and a critical path is important in project management. One person explained to me before the importance of a critical path: If you were hit by a bus on the way to work, will someone be able to pick up and know exactly where and what is happening on the project? Organization is key and what I learned is that my client and I went over the same topics in our meetings at times because either we didn't write down what we decided on or neither of us brought our notes from the previous meeting. Organization is key.
  
• I can stay on budget - throwing an event on $1,000 may sound like a lot of money for a free hotdog lunch but a lot of things need to be considered and included into the budget. I didn't think I'd have to include the price of plastic squeeze bottles into my budget but I did. I learned that food and entertainment go hand in hand and would turn any free food event from a grab and go to a sit and stay event. Having entertainment helps!
  
• I can deliver a promise - I promised my client a promotional video and an awareness event and that's exactly what they were going to get. That made me feel good that I was able to provide what I put on the "contract". Even though there was some minor changes, the client still got bigger things what they bargained for in the end. P.S. I'm not getting anything for this :) purely experience for me and the pleasure of helping in a cause that I believe in.

I present my IPP on Thursday, March 10 and until then I cannot rest. I know until that day is over, my soul will be in unrest. School will be downhill from there and uphill for my career in public relations :)