Taylor Byrd interned with Vero Tackle and Watersports where she gained experience with social media marketing and content creation.
How did you get your internship?
While I was actively searching for a marketing internship, my mom—who lives in
Florida—happened to go on a tiki boat cruise with a few friends. During the trip, she struck up a conversation with the boat's captain and mentioned that I was looking for opportunities in marketing. That unexpected connection ended up opening the door to my internship.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this internship because of my growing passion for marketing and my desire to work within the tourism industry. While studying abroad in London, I interned with Team Umbrella, a MICE agency (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), where I discovered my enthusiasm for marketing and storytelling. That experience sparked my interest in combining creativity with strategy, especially in industries that connect people and places. Since then, I’ve been seeking opportunities that allow me to build on those skills—particularly in social media marketing—while staying aligned with my interest in tourism. This internship had everything that I was looking for and gave me so many more opportunities that I didn’t even know existed.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
I created a variety of short-form videos and collaborated with my team to develop fun, engaging content for social media that promoted the company’s services. I was able to share my experience with their services (tiki boat tours, boat rentals, kayak rentals and cabana rentals) through their social media. One of the most rewarding parts of this internship was getting to work closely with co-workers, customers, and industry partners on a range of creative projects—it was an incredible experience that strengthened both my communication and collaboration skills.
What new knowledge and skills did you practice in this internship?
I was able to develop my time development skills, creativity, problem-solving and my leadership skills. The most valuable experience that I have gained from this internship is my ability to coordinate and lead content days with my co-workers. Having skits planned beforehand, planning a time to meet and share ideas as well as facilitating a fun and positive environment to make content has been the key to my success.
What is unique about your situation that influenced your internship selection?
At the beginning of my search, I struggled to find an internship that truly aligned with my interests. I was very intentional about what I wanted. I was looking for a role in marketing within the tourism industry, which made the search more challenging. What made my situation unique was how the opportunity actually came about. Thanks to my incredible mother who talked with the captain of the tiki boat and told him about my skills and experience, I wouldn’t have been able to work at the place I do now. It showed that sometimes the perfect opportunity comes from the most unlikely places. The support from the people around you can really make a difference.
How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you or give you unique insight for the internship experience?
Having several group projects that were a part of the Applied Humanities major coursework has been incredibly helpful in preparing me for this internship. In the core Applied Humanities courses we do a lot of group work that allows us to practice working with a team in our future careers. I have been able to translate skills of collaboration, communication, and project management skills directly to a professional setting. These courses have also given us the chance to use creative platforms such as Canva and Adobe which have been critical in the work I do today.
What was your favorite or most satisfying part of your internship?
The most satisfying part of this internship has been seeing the final videos I’ve created come together. It’s such a great feeling to watch an idea turn into something real and fun to share. I’ve realized how much I enjoy editing and creating videos, which honestly wasn’t something I expected going into this. I’m really thankful for the experience—it helped me discover a new passion. I’ve found that I really enjoy having a creative job and I want to continue doing this in the future.
If you worked on a big project, share it.
I have been working on our TikTok: @vero.tackle and @paddles.by.the.sea our Instagram: @verowatersports and @paddlesbythesea our Facebook: Vero Tackle and Watersports and Paddles by the Sea our Youtube: @VeroWatersports and @PaddlesbytheseaVeroBeach
What advice do you have for other students as they search for their internship?
Some advice I would give to someone who is searching for internships is to literally walk up to the place you’d want to work and ask if they need any help or if they have a need for the position you want to do. Make sure you have some sort of proof that you can do the job you’re looking for (portfolio or resume) and just know the worst thing they could say is no. Never take it personally, eventually you’ll show them what they’re missing out on.