Communications Technician--Reflections on my Internship
Interning with the Town of Hillsville as a Communications Technician was enlightening, enjoyable, and advantageous for future endeavors. It allowed me to network and make connections that will be vital to the success of my own business in the future. Even more, some of those connections have now become friends, and their presence in my life is inspiring.
I was privileged with the task of increasing positive publicity for the town. Through my event planning, press releases, photos, and one-on-one communication, I’ve helped shed light on the ways the town works for its citizens in creating a wholesome community. Use of social media has helped disseminate the information and provided an opportunity for me to connect with others. I was expected to bring a personal aspect to the town instead of just a business/government one, and I feel I have succeeded in that mission. I love where I live, and I intend to continue promoting it even though my internship is complete.
A way I could have been better prepared for my internship was to allow more time in my scheduling for the tasks at hand. Because much of my work centered around connecting and communicating with business owners and citizens, there was a personal aspect that came in to play. For instance, I would visit a local shop to deliver marketing materials in preparation of an upcoming event and would allow a fifteen-minute window. Inevitably, I spent at least twice—sometimes three times--that time speaking with the business owner. I became a sounding-board of sorts, the “face of the town,” and the business owners expressed their gratitude in having that connection with “the powers that be.” That connection meant more time discussing future as well as past events, hashing out how aspects could have been improved upon, and requesting ideas on how to improve the business’s social media presence.
I also could have been better prepared if I had business cards specific to my role. My current business cards are for my position on the Executive Board with the Twin County Chamber of Commerce.
I did not want to use those for my internship duties as it could have caused confusion about my role and what the town business owners were to expect from me. I ended up writing my name and number on a piece of paper and giving it to those who asked. Each time, I felt uncomfortable (unprofessional!) doing this. I should have ordered at least 100 business cards for my internship. For the nominal fee I would have paid for them, the return on investment would have been time saved and a better first impression. As the adages go, “time is money,” and “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression,” --duly noted, indeed.
The area where I experienced the most growth was in grant-writing. I’ve decreased the time it takes to search out funding, am more familiar with terminology, and am better equipped to fill out applications. My persuasion skills are continually being honed with each grant application, and I am more confident in the process.
My ePortfolio has improved my professional presence through the addition of course assignments. These assignments have provided a snapshot of my writing and communication skills and will be a supplement to the information future clients may need or want as they are making their decision to hire me or not. The samples of my photos improve my professional presence, too, as photography will be one of the tiers of service I will be offering in my business.
I highly recommend an internship for all university students. The experiences in the field are something that can be duplicated nowhere else.
