it is that time of year when students are busy looking through class schedules and course descriptions. Yes, it is registration time here at USF! And I have recently heard several students comment on how they want to take the Internship class and that they need to find an internship. Well, here to share her story is Communication Studies major Claire Zimmer who interned last semester at Where Travel Media. Here she is…
COMS Major and Where Intern Claire
Q: Where did you intern and what do they do?
Claire: “This summer I started interning at Where Travel Media, a magazine/guidebook/maps tourism publications office. Where produces a monthly magazine, Where San Francisco, that can be found in high volume tourism spots, hotel rooms and visitor centers across San Francisco and the East Bay. In addition, Where produces a yearly map of San Francisco, as well as a Guestbook, which is a high-end annual guidebook for both visitors and locals alike. Every November, Where publishes an annual issue of Epicure, a food and wine guide to the bay area. Although I am no longer considered a visitor to San Francisco, I have learned about many new tasty spots to eat and drink in the city! ”
Q: How did you find this internship and why did you decide to intern there?
Claire: “I found this internship on Craigslist one summer day. I had not anticipated a summer internship, however I decided to look and found Where’s posting to be compelling. Although my heart is set on being a teacher, I had always been interested in the publications industry and thought that it couldn’t hurt to submit a cover letter and resume. And if I were to get hired, it would be nice to test waters I haven’t yet tested. I ended up getting hired as a business administration intern, but also helped out in all areas of the office.”
Q: What did you do on a daily basis at your internship?
Claire: “My day-to-day tasks included plenty of “intern work,” such as filing, paying bills, organizing, etc. However many times, I was able to help out with things like writing press releases, reviewing paginations and editing. Editing was probably my favorite task that I helped with because I could easily see a direct result of my work, and knowing that I was catching errors that could have ended up being seen by thousands of people was very satisfying. In addition, Where hosted AWESOME networking events every month that I would help out with if I could. On the last day of my internship, I worked as the photographer for a party at the Embarcadero Ice Rink that was catered by Osha Thai (complete with plenty of holiday treats, might I add).”
Q: What did you learn from this internship?
Claire: “I learned a great amount from the five months that I spent at Where. The greatest thing I took away form this experience was an ability to feel more comfortable working with professionals that are much older than you. At first it seems intimidating to sit down and give advice to a fifty year old businessman, but comfort comes from experience. I feel that becoming so close with everyone in the office will also help me on interviews in the future.”
Q: What advice do you have for other students looking for an internship?
Claire: “My biggest piece of advice for someone looking for an internship is definitely to do your research on the company before an interview. I spent a great deal of time researching not only Where San Francisco, but its parent company as well. When I interviewed, my boss was really impressed at how much time and thought I had put into this interview, and was able to gauge my work ethic from this. It’s always better to look like a know-it-all than a know-nothing!”
Great advice, Claire! Thanks for sharing!
