Entry by Ali Norman, Career and Technical Education Intern, Department of Workforce Development
Last week I had the opportunity to do something both nerve-racking and very exciting for an intern â I pitched an idea for a commercial to the Director of Communications of the Department of Workforce Development. As a communications major, this was a huge step for me. When my supervisor approached me with the idea for a new commercial design for the agencyâs job database website, I was immediately excited and got to work. After putting two yearsâ worth of effort into intensive communication theory and critical writing classes, this was a golden opportunity that I couldnât possibly pass up.
I spent two weeks creating the concept, designing a storyboard, and making an outline consistent with the storyboard. I had my co-workers read it to make sure it made sense and then finally, after many deep breaths, I walked with my supervisor to the directorâs office to try my hand at something that I have aspired to do since I started college.
Little did I know, I was pitching the commercial all by myself. Thatâs right – me, myself and I walked into the lionâs den with nothing but knowledge of the state website Iâd been helping manage since May and a couple communication theories in an outline.
And while a little part of me started panicking inside, I hardly had time to be nervous â the next thing I knew, I was sitting across from the assistant director and director of DWD, pitching my thoughts on how this commercial could benefit our agency and promote awareness about the website, where it could be shown and who would be the target demographic. And you know what? They liked it. Yes, they already had three commercial ideas lined up for the fall, but the director said that my concept demonstrated the exact ideas that heâs been pushing all year. He agreed on my thought process and reasoning and wanted me to go ahead and write the script. To say I was excited would be an understatement!Â
Opportunities like this will present themselves all the time. Donât be afraid or nervous when a supervisor approaches you with a daunting task. This project was particularly intimidating because I wanted to deliver a strong performance and prove myself as a capable communications major! But my preparation and hard work paid off in the end.
As an intern, itâs crucial to keep your head up and get to know the people in your surroundings. While Iâm not directly a communications intern with DWD, I was assigned this project because Iâve taken the time to get to know people and express my willingness to lend a hand whenever and wherever necessary. I now have a better understanding of the various facets of the agency, allowing me to expand my network and gain more substantial experience. It pays to get to know everyone in your work environment. Learn from people around you and put all of your effort into every single opportunity you get!
