FBI Past Student Montanna Picthall
Personal Assistant | Roxy Jacenko, Sweaty Betty PR
1. Before starting at FBI, did you know what field of the industry you wanted to pursue a career in? If so, how?
Before FBI I always did take an interest into Public Relations as I was always interested in Event Planning, Marketing and Social Media which are all big factors in the PR industry. When I started at FBI and began doing all the different classes I started changing my mind, at one point I wanted to work in Magazines. I then changed to wanting to be a stylist. However once I did the Publicty and Public Relations class I knew it was the field for me.
2. What have been the highlights of your time at FBI so far?
A highlight of my time at FBI is definitely some of the people I have met. Whether it be teachers or other students, I have learnt so much from all of them and they have made my FBI experience the best it could be.
Another highlight for me would for sure be meeting my now boss, Roxy Jacenko. I met her at Buisness Brunch hosted by the college, little did I know a year and a half later I would be an employee of Sweaty Betty PR!
3. Tell us about your Internship at Sweaty Betty PR. What were some of the roles and tasks as an intern?
Before gaining employment I interned at Sweaty Betty PR for a year. In that year, I learnt more than I could ever imagine.
Tasks that I often did were :
- Creating Seeding Lists, these are spread sheets that are done for each brand, which lists influencers who would best suit a brand to send product to
- Helping with dispatches of new product to media
- Cutting Flyers for dispatches
- Ensuring the showroom is merchandised at all times
- Going to the post
- Putting away returns
Pretty much all your usual intern duties.
4. Congratulations on your new role as Roxy Jacenko’s Personal Assistant. How did you feel when you were offered this job after your internship?
Thank you so much! It felt like all my hard work as an intern had paid off. I had interned for a year and had expressed to them that I would love a paid position and 2 weeks later I was offered a paid position within the team. I was thrilled!
5. What does a normal day working for Roxy Jacenko involve?
My day starts at 8:30am. Along with helping Roxy I am the office assistant, so I have to ensure everything in the office is ready for the day to start. I get there, grab the morning papers make sure the office is clean and all returns are unpacked. I then head to my desk and check my emails and make sure there is nothing I need to attend to, usually Roxy would of sent me things to add to her calander so I usually add them then also. Along with Sweaty Betty PR, Roxy has two other business’: Ministry of Talent which looks after influencers and Pixies Bows which she created a couple years ago which sells beautiful bows. I am in charge of pulling the orders for Pixies Bows for Roxy to then pack and send to customers. Once I get to work in the morning, I will pull all the orders that have come in. Then around 9am, Roxy will come in to the office. I usually go grab her coffee then work with her on different tasks, basically anything she needs done. It is very rare that I am ever in the office all day, I am often out running errands for Roxy or dispatching media kits to the different Magazines. Around 3pm, I do a post run and take down the Pixies Bows orders that we have packed that day and any post that the girls in the office may need sent out. Other tasks I have through out the day may include pulling for briefs from our showrooms, taking stylists and/or influencers through the showroom to pull items for up coming shoots or preparing gift bags for upcoming events/send outs. Around 5:30pm, I begin finishing up my day, ensuring everything is ready for the next day and the office is clean and tidy and at about 6pm I head home for the day.
6. What has been the most valuable thing you have learnt so far working alongside a successful Fashion Entrepreneur?
So far from Roxy I have learnt that hard work and determination can get you anywhere. She started Sweaty Betty PR at such a young age and it is now one of the most successful PR agencies in all of Australia. She is testament to the fact that putting in the time and effort will get you where you want to be. I have learnt to be more organised and to always be thinking one step ahead.
7. What other opportunities have you been a part of since starting at FBI?
Since being apart of FBI I have interned at two other companies before Sweaty Betty; The Rumor Mill and Camilla. I also worked at Mercedes Benz Fashion week which had always been a dream of mine! It was so much fun and getting to see how behind the scenes of a Fashion show worked was incredible!
8. What three tips would you give to a student working full-time and studying to manage their time effectively?
Three tips I would give a student would be,
- Be organised. Ensure you stay on top of all your work and have everything under control.
- Plan ahead! At the beginning of each term I plan out what classes I am going to attended then put them in my calendar so I am sure to never fall behind in my classes or miss a class!
- Leave time for yourself! Even though your job and studies are very important it is also so important to leave time for yourself to relax and have fun! Your only young once and deserve to stop and have a break from all of it every now and then.
9. Do you have any advice to other students wanting to excel in their internships?
When it comes to interning I think you need to be willing to learn! When interning you will pretty much always start at the bottom doing the jobs no one else wants to do, but while doing this watch and listen to what is going on around you. I was very lucky while interning at Sweaty Betty PR as when I was given a task by one of the girls they would explain to me why I am doing it and and the importance of it. This allowed me to begin to understand how the business was run and help prepare me for being a publicist in the future.
10. In 5 years time, where do you see yourself?
In 5 years time where do I see myself? Well I will be 25 years old , I hopefully would love to be a senior publicist at Sweaty Betty PR! Having my own brands to look after would be amazing! And maybe further down the track one day I would love to own my own PR Company.
Interviewed by Nicole Oraha | FBI Fashion College
