Make your internship work for you
Internships are critical for students who must show employers they have real job experience. For communication majors, internships aren’t just entries on their resumes – they are portfolio-building necessities.
Students in Florida Tech’s communication programs must complete an internship before they graduate. The required agreement between the host organization and the student assures benefits for both. The intern’s job responsibilities meet the employer’s needs while the organization ensures the student meets individualized learning objectives.
For example, Khemari Howard, a multiplatform journalism student, worked with WFIT 89.5 FM, a National Public Radio station in Melbourne, Florida. Listeners heard Khemari’s voice on public service announcements, stories and interviews he produced for the station, all of which are now part of his portfolio. While at WFIT, he worked on his interviewing techniques, and gained technical experience, including working the audio board during a live performance in the studio.
“This is where I worked for majority of the semester. It’s a small studio in the back of the station. I spent more time in here than I did maybe anywhere. It didn’t take me a long time to figure out the station. I’d been in here several times before for Audio Reporting and the equipment was familiar to me. The hardest thing was maybe actually recording. I learned so much about both radio and myself while in this studio,” reflected Khemari Howard.
Strategic communication major Xiao Liang did his internship with Imagine Learning in China. The international company develops educational software and programs for children. His responsibilities ranged from creating a schedule for a children’s winter camp to working on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for the company website, and posting articles on different social media platforms. His proficiency in English made him an asset, as he helped translate English documents to Chinese.
Marc Kanneh interned with the University of West Indies’ Marketing and Communications Office where he rotated among different departments gaining valuable insights into the university’s communication efforts. He also added to his portfolio with news releases and articles in UWI Today, a monthly publication about happenings on campus.
“My first story was to cover a Google workshop/recruitment event on campus. And the second one [was] a profile on a professor who did some research at the North Pole,” reported Marc Kanneh. In addition to writing, he worked with the social media staff and managed an event for the staff. You can see a copy of Marc’s article in UWI Today here.
Dylan Fleming, a Global Strategic Communication master’s student interned with ASA Entertainment, a sports event production company based in Indialantic, Florida. Dylan’s experiences included writing, producing videos, event promotion, and other marketing and event-related responsibilities. Early in the term, Dylan traveled to California to help with a snowboard competition.
Dylan Fleming, a Global Strategic Communication master’s student, interned for ASA Entertainment where he had a variety of experiences, including an opportunity to go to Bear Mountain in California to work the Nissan Supergirl Snow Pro, a snowboard contest with pro and amateur divisions.
Internships give you experience and knowledge that propel you forward in your career path. Look for opportunities to learn and grow and develop those skills that make you the best fit for your dream job.
For more information about Florida Tech communication internships, visit our website, or contact Dr. Heidi Hatfield Edwards at edwardsh@fit.edu or 321-674-7492.
