All the humans at Orchan seem to have
completed theirs, I guess I should do so too before we move on to highlighting
the Cats of Orchan, and trust me, we have a few.
I’m Kristy, the resident Creative Executive
at Orchan. As with most of the permanent staff here, I started this journey as
a PR Intern. I was on a two-month semester break at The One Academy when I
decided I wanted to fill the time learning something new, yet still remain
related to the creative industry. I still remember the application was a very
speedy process: I sent in my resume on Friday, met the boss and the other boss
on Sunday, and I found myself at the office on Monday. My 2-month internship have
since extended into a part time position (because they loved me too much to let
go) and I’ve remained in this office for nearly 2 years now. (Time really does
fly!)
I am extremely grateful for the experience I
have gained here in Orchan, especially because it has contributed immensely to
my training as a graphic designer. Here, I have been given the opportunity to
work alongside PR practitioners and see the same world from different sets of lenses.
During the span of my internship, I was involved in many aspects of the Public
Relations world. From research and brainstorming, to being able to pitch our
ideas to clients, I learnt how to prepare then present a proper,
ready-for-client deck. (It must have been Job Pitch season, because it felt
like we were pitching for a different client every other week). I was also brought along to food reviews
(what’s not to like about great food and good company?); put on the phones for
media invites (and learnt how to deal with the frustration of unanswered
calls); given the chance to write press releases and client profiles (not
entirely different from writing copy for adverts).
The hours can be long, especially the day leading
up to an event, when we have been known to stay at the office till midnight,
before continuing at home. However, it is also wonderful to meet different
people and build connections, an important aspect in an industry where everyone
knows everyone else. Because of these
connections, once in a while, we get invited to glamorous parties, where we get
to dress in glamorous clothes, and pretend to be glamorous people for the
night. (Although the glamour is not always true, it’s still great fun to be
unleashed into the real world.)
It was on one of such nights when I saw the
light of my life (thank you bosses for your stalking skills insights),
Benedict Cumberbatch, but that is a story for another day.
The internship-turned-part-time-employment
happened when I was still in school, which have prompted many questions from
people, friends and otherwise. The most common being "why?"- “why
would I want to do so much when I'm already busy with school?“
My answer has always been the same – because
the skills I have picked up have been invaluable and the friendship
unparalleled. Yes, over the past two years, there have been tough times, but it
has also been incredibly fun and an eye-opening experience I will always be
grateful for.
So that’s me: lover of pretty things, coffee
snob, foodist, lindy hopper.
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