Olivia Villalpando used outbound networking skills to land an internship in social media management and sharpened her communication skills.
How did you go about searching for internships?
I initially had a very hard time finding an internship. Being from southern California, there is so much going on here and plenty of opportunities, or so you would think. I talked to many peers and everyone had a hard time finding internships so I began to think outside of the box on how to obtain an internship. I reached out to countless people on LinkedIn and Instagram and instead of asking for an internship, I asked them questions about how they got into the industry they are in, what a day in their job looks like, and what some misconceptions are about that position. I also would briefly let them know that I was looking for an internship and starting to get into the career field and to keep me in mind if any opportunities came across their desks. Although this did not land me many internship offers, it helped me to get my name out there and make connections that I otherwise might have not made.
How did you end up finding and choosing this internship?
I continued to reach out to people and quickly connected with Lindsay Geiser who owns and runs LG Creative Co. I chose this particular internship for a few reasons. One of the most important reasons was the connection Lindsay made with me right off the bat. I had reached out to Lindsay earlier in the summer before agreeing to an initial internship that didn’t end up working out. At the time, she did not need help but she later reached out to me when I was looking for a new internship. This spoke volumes to me not only about how personable she was, but also that getting my name out there to people paid off in the long run.
What type of work did you do for your internship?
When Lindsay and I went over what she needed help with, it seemed like all the things I want to do in a career that I did not think could all fit into one job. Lindsay slowly began to pass tasks off to me as she felt comfortable, which took some time because she has operated as a one woman show for so long that delegating tasks was something new for her. She gave over Instagram accounts to me to manage one at a time and I learned how to create content for each account and how often to post on each one. I also would help keep up with engagement on these accounts to make sure that they were not stagnant. I also would report different pages' social insights to see what was working well and how we could improve.
What were some lessons you learned from this experience?
A career in social media, marketing, and promotion has always fascinated me but this internship taught me what that work truly is and that the public view of it is not as accurate. I learned that this job does not have strict hours and requires you to be ready for anything at any time. I learned that content may come from many sources but there is always something you can do to change things to fit your style and make things your own. With Lindsay, I learned more about professional human interaction and how to foster professional relationships.
How was your experience related to your Applied Humanities degree?
Applied anything means that you are putting your skills to use, and that is what I did in the Internship course and this experience. This degree focuses on fostering skills such as organization, collaboration and leadership and I feel as if I have grown in all of these areas throughout my internship. I had to be very organized when it came to working on different accounts that all had different needs. In the entire summer term, I had only met with Lindsay in person once, and this taught me about a whole new realm of collaboration. I had to be vigilant in getting the information I needed and learned how to effectively communicate my ideas and concerns in timely manners while working remotely.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
My favorite part of the internship was getting to do an in-person event with Lindsay and a client of hers. I got to help with planning the event and helped on the day of the event with anything needed. I got to meet tons of new people and make new connections that I will keep through the rest of my career.
What was the most challenging part of your internship?
The most challenging part of my internship was having to pivot and change directions so quickly after my first internship opportunity this summer didn’t work out. I am not the most “go with the flow” person, so this was a huge roadblock for me but I only had a few options. One option was to postpone my internship to next semester, but this felt like putting off the inevitable. I worked hard to get my name out there and to make connections with people to find the right opportunity early in the summer and that work paid off in the end when I secured another internship.
What advice do you have for someone starting their internship search?
A small piece of advice to anyone starting their internship journey is to put your all into this experience. Take risks and try something new. At the beginning of the internship, I was working a full-time desk job and was feeling that I was ready for my next step. Now at the end of my internship, I have a new career plan and a new found passion. This is the perfect excuse to try out something new or something you have been wanting to try out. You have tons of opportunities in reach at this moment and take a risk while you have the time.