“At the beginning of your career, the most important thing is to find an environment with good mentors who are willing to invest their time in your education. If you feel that you’re not in such an environment, change it immediately,” emphasized Gordan Turković during the panel discussion “Years of theory, now practice,” organized by the PRotagonisti student club at the Catholic University of Croatia.
Antonia Ćosić (HRT) and Rikardo Stojkovski (RTL) also shared their experiences in journalism and PR. The panelists presented their beginnings in communication fields, highlighted the key skills for success in these professions, and provided insights into employment opportunities and student internships. They particularly focused on the importance of mentoring young people and the differences between working in PR and journalism, both today and in the past.
Gordan also reflected on the importance of quality student internships:
“It’s crucial to gain concrete experience in your field during your student years so that you are better prepared when you graduate and enter the job market. By this, I mean internships longer than three weeks, which most universities require, as this is too short of a time to get a real sense of what awaits you in the world of marketing and communications.”
After the panel, Rikardo and Gordan mentored students through a crisis communication workshop, using a hypothetical example of a cosmetics company whose products caused health risks to customers. One group of students was tasked with preparing a PR response, while the other acted as journalists with questions and a reporting scenario.
One of the key pieces of advice Gordan shared with the students was the emphasis on quick reactions and thorough preparation in crisis situations. The workshop enabled students to acquire basic crisis communication skills and learn how to always be thorough when preparing crisis responses, ensuring they are familiar with all the facts and cover potential media questions, as well as those of other public audiences.
He concluded that both groups successfully handled the task, demonstrating preparedness and expertise despite the limited time for preparation.
