At this point in my college career, I’d consider myself a well-established Pearce Intern as this is my fourth semester working at the Pearce Center. Throughout my time as an intern, I have learned a lot and grown immensely as a young communication professional. Here is some advice for incoming interns to succeed and make the most of their Pearce Center experience.
Prioritize Your Work
Since you will likely be assigned to several different client projects, it is important to manage your time effectively. I recommend creating a to-do list with tasks prioritized by urgency. Typically, I start with the task that has the closest deadline. Next, I get ahead and begin working on tasks that I know will take me a while to complete. If you have a written piece, make sure you set a shorter deadline for yourself so that it has time to receive feedback and edits before the final deadline.
Try to stick to the weekly hours you set for yourself at the beginning of the semester. Maintaining a strict schedule for your Pearce hours will help you balance your class schedule and school work. Being organized is key.
Push Yourself to Learn a New Skill
While it is awesome to hone in on skills you already have, your time at the Pearce Center is a great opportunity to dabble in something new! It can feel daunting at first, but it only helps you grow and realize that you are capable of approaching unfamiliar endeavors in other areas of your life. I have come to enjoy interviewing and writing captivating pieces to highlight people, organizations and events in creative ways. I could never imagine that to be true two years ago, so trust me when I say that the uncomfortable can become comfortable.
I suggest working on projects that have different objectives and strategies to give yourself variety. Whether you are new to graphic design, website redesign or interviewing and storytelling, take it on with confidence, and it will begin to get easier over time. I challenged myself on several occasions to work with different website platforms because I had very little experience. Now, I am able to say that I have basic knowledge in website development, which is a great skill to add to my resume.
Collaborate With Your Team Members
The Pearce Center is very team-oriented. Make sure you communicate with all members of your teams to make sure you are on the same page regarding your client work. Take advantage of dividing up the projects in a logical way, and collaborate with each other when your work hours overlap in the Pearce Center.
Your fellow interns are here to support you, especially those who have interned at the Pearce Center for multiple semesters. I leveraged the relationships I formed with experienced interns to ask questions and seek advice. Shout out to Roxie Ware and Elizabeth O’Donnell! They showed me the ropes of how client projects operate and inspired me to be a go-getter. Now it’s my time to be a resource for new interns, so don’t be shy! I am here to help and can’t wait to watch you grow.
Get excited for this opportunity! You will be so proud of the work you accomplish. I hope you find this experience to be as invaluable as I have!
Written by: Delaney Niemeyer
4/29/22