When I arrived at Indium Corporation as the Marketing Communications Intern, my supervisor, Anita Brown, gave me a list of all the projects that I would be working on throughout my 10 weeks. Today, at the end of week 9, I am still working hard to get all of my projects completed and to find ways to preserve the projects that will continue long after I leave.
The projects that I was assigned to work on during the summer are:
- e-commerce upgrade
- Update the certifications of our technical support team
- Oversee the internship blog and coach interns on blogging mechanics
- Create postings for IndiumTV along with internal announcements and bulletin board postings
- Interview and develop profiles of key people in the company from each department - to be featured on IndiumTV
- Update the 2015 internship page on the website and create a new 2016 internship program page for the corporate website
As my internship comes to an end, I am left with one major concept, something valuable that I've been taught by my supervisors. Anita Brown and Rick Short trained me to ask myself, before each project begins, "What is your goal?" and "Who is your audience?" This has stuck with me so much I will probably start asking myself this each morning as I wake up.
I also realize that each of my projects has taught me a valuable lesson in effective communication. Getting these projects completed has required me to use my resources wisely. I would often seek advice from Indium Corporation's outside marketing agency, the Paige Group, along with our outside internet strategy team, Quadsimia. Getting different perspectives and insights for each project has allowed me to get each job done more efficiently and effectively.
I learned that changing the ways in which I would communicate with each person has a huge impact on the outcome of the information I would receive in return. I also learned that information can be given and received in many different forms. You have to distinguish if email, print, face-to-face, or instant/text message is the best communication method for the information that you will be giving/receiving - and for the target audience.
During a video interview with the Paige Group I was asked, "What did you learn during your Indium Corporation internship?" I immediately knew that this was going to be a very tough question to answer, considering that the entire program was very eye-opening and rewarding. I answered with the first thing that came to mind, which was,"The biggest surprise of all, was learning that communication has an effect on every aspect of a business. Although some people would never agree with this statement, the more you learn, and improve your communication skills, it not only benefits the way in which you get your work done and your overall business/career, but it also benefits how effectively you communicate with people in everyday life."
Not your average intern,
Lucia Forte