Communication

Denison Internship Program: Featured Summer Intern

Posted on by Knowlton Center for Career Exploration

Matthew McHugh

Year:  Class of 2020 (Rising Senior)
Majors:  History & Communication
Internship Provider:  PMI Industries
Title:  Export Control Intern
Location:  Cleveland, OH

What are you doing for your internship? What are some of your responsibilities?

So far, my work at PMI has involved foreign trade compliance and business development. On the compliance side, I have been editing/updating PMI’s export compliance policy and additional documents. I have also been creating supplement compliance documents to simplify US export control regulations so that other PMI employees can better understand our responsibilities. I have been spending the majority of my time working collaboratively with the President of PMI on a business development project. 

What do you like most about your internship so far? What has been your favorite part of the experience?

For this project, I am in the process of creating an export strategic plan. The majority of my work has included preliminary market analysis of 194 countries through trade statistics and then more in-depth qualitative research on a select number of countries. I have tackled this project from two different angles, looking at two very different industries that PMI’s products serve. By doing this I have essentially divided this large scope project into two smaller projects that are grounded in two different industries.

Which skills have you learned or strengthened during your internship that you think will help when applying for jobs/graduate schools?

My favorite experiences thus far have included the work I have done in my business development project. The class I took at The Ohio State University, “Establishing Export Firms” at the Fisher College of Business, gave me essential skills, but being able to apply those skills to a real world setting is very rewarding. I have also enjoyed collaborating with employees from different departments within the company, whether that be sales, engineering, or executives.

How has your time and experience at Denison prepared you for this internship? How have you used your liberal arts education during your internship?

I have learned hard skills that have made me proficient in international trade compliance and business development with an international focus. I have also maturated soft skills such as professionalism.

Denison Internship Program: Featured Summer Intern

Posted on by Knowlton Center for Career Exploration

Cierra King

Year:  Class of 2020 (Rising Senior)
Major:  Communication
Internship Provider:  The Communication Center
Title:  Audio Visual Intern
Location:  Washington, D.C.

What are you doing for your internship? What are some of your responsibilities?

My job consist of a few duties. Most of my time is spent recording training sessions for the certified coaches and trainees. These training’s or sessions can take a few hours, a day or even a week. If I am not working the camera, I am most likely working on my summer project for the office. This project focuses on marketing strategies to promote a free training session to summer interns that are currently working in Washington, D.C. My job is to create flyers and coordinated with the office most effective ways to get a nice turnout. My other duties are centered around preparing for up and coming training’s as well as entering data into TCC database to keep up with surveys given by recent clients or participants.

What do you like most about your internship so far? What has been your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part is listening to the variety of knowledge that training coaches gives to each of the participants, in order to shape their communication skills. What I like most is working the camera and learning how to wrap cable cords the right way so they last long. However, being behind the camera during media training’s is the best. It’s a chance for me to observe how participants can handle the lights, camera, and action.

Which skills have you learned or strengthened during your internship that you think will help when applying for jobs/graduate schools?

One skill that I know is constantly being strengthened is my ability to effectively communicate in a workplace. Since my internship is a small owned business, it’s very much a different environment than working in a large company. Instead of my internship requiring me to work a quick pace, I am working a less stressful environment. The communication is very much valued and also confidence is imperative to TCC because their is a consistent rush of clients coming in and out of the office each day. If I were to apply for a news station job, I definitely will have the skill to work the cameras on set, wire up clients, and even wrap cable cords. In addition, if given the opportunity, I can take what I have learned during media training’s, and use it in front of the camera as well. The last skill that would serve me well is data entry and marketing design. I am consistently working on designs for the free workplace communication session being offered to summer interns working in Washington, D.C. 

How has your time and experience at Denison prepared you for this internship? How have you used your liberal arts education during your internship?

My time and experiences at Denison has definitely prepared me for my internship. Recognizing the smaller work environment correlates to TCC office environment. Even with the multiple assignments I am given in the office, it is no different than Denison’s rigorous and fast paced required academic assignments from the variety of classes that I take. In addition, my experiences at Denison, working in the classroom, consist of problem solving and creativity have served me well at The Communication Center. Everyday I am challenged to figure out solutions to creating strategies that will make the coaches and clients life easier. This is done, by carefully providing technical assistants with power points as well as uploading footage. The creativity is inspired by my love in the arts, and specifically theatre. This experience plays a huge role in understanding the coaches as they teach about media training and how to master Q&A time. This particular experience at TCC is similar to what I have learned at Denison about Improvisational theory. To summarize it, Improvisational Theory is basically, having an awareness, everything in life is a performance. Most of all, although I have a interest in Communication and a minor in Theater, my hands are in many different things just like at Denison. One day I am working the camera, next hour I am assisting in preparing for the next training. Overall, being detailed oriented, having a concise and clear communication skill, being open to figuring out things on your own, as well as being an effective listener is critical in a workplace environment such like TCC, that values customer satisfaction.