Dennis Rutzou

Nicola Rutzou

Kim Larochelle

Gillian Asbury

I have been working at DRPR since my second year of my public communication degree at University of Technology, Sydney, which I have since completed.

Working in a consultancy environment is a very fulfilling experience. I really enjoy providing a service to clients in a variety of industries because there's never a dull moment. It's especially rewarding to see happy clients and the results of your hard work.

Engaging in public relations activities for clients in diverse industries is an eye-opening experience in which I'm constantly expanding my knowledge and opinions, particularly through the media. It has been really interesting to see in the last two years how certain issues, such as environmental sustainability, have dominated the media and set the public and political agendas.

For example, a couple of years ago, carbon trading would have been an entirely foreign concept to most people. However, it is now a widely-discussed issue with every media outlet jumping onto the bandwagon.

I love to communicate with people and that's exactly what my job allows me to do. At work, I constantly interact with colleagues, clients, journalists, other PR consultants and potential clients. As in my social life, I get to use my love of talking and connecting with people.

Outside of PR, my other passion is martial arts - I regularly train in Seido Karate which is equally as time-consuming and rewarding. As a black belt, I also teach karate classes and seeing my students improve and grade to the next level makes me really proud. However, on the other hand, watching my seniors share their talent and knowledge is also a very humbling experience. Setting my own goals in karate and achieving them helps me learn the value of hard work and persistence, an essential quality to have as a PR consultant.