The Ultimate Internship Experience

The Ultimate Internship Experience

The Ultimate Internship Experience

This spring, I was fortunate enough to be hired as the Communications and Philanthropy summer intern at Bordas & Bordas. Each week is a new adventure, and I can honestly say that I have been so busy with a variety of different tasks that it seems impossible to become bored. My first few weeks here were a bit overwhelming, especially after meeting the large, but very friendly staff. I learned so many different names that I almost felt the need to make flash cards to study so I would know who everyone was. Since I didn't really get the chance to chat and get to know many of my co-workers, I think it would be appropriate if I let everyone know a little about my past. I am a Shadyside High School 2011 Alum, and will be heading into my senior year at West Liberty University in August. I am a public relations major and marketing minor, which has opened up many doors of opportunity for me. Although I have worked hard to get where I am thus far, I have to give some credit to the little jobs that have taught me to have a strong work ethic from the beginning. I have had some of the most boring jobs and some of the most exciting jobs in my short 21 years of life. For starters, I have been working at my aunt's Dairy Queen in Shadyside, Ohio for the past eight years. Being the owner's niece, it is only fitting that I refer to this job as the "family prison." This was my first and favorite job for many reasons, one being that I got to work with some of my best friends and another being that I was in my tight-knit community where nobody is a stranger. The job also had some downfalls. For example, when leaving I smelled like fried food and always found a trace of ice cream on my arms, face, or hair; who can go on a date after work like that? Since I've started my internship I will occasionally pick up some weekend shifts, and of course bring some frozen treats to the firm. My least favorite job was when I worked in retail at American Eagle Outfitters. I worked for about seven months and as soon as the holiday season ended, I put in my two weeks. After leaving I realized that working there had its benefits like photo (13).jpggood music, wonderful co-workers, and wearing nice clothes. The only thing that drove me crazy was that I had to constantly push the sales promotion on anyone and everyone who walked through the door. Whether you admit it or not, everybody finds the sales associates annoying, and I hated being the person that everyone tried to avoid when shopping. Although the job was not my favorite, I did learn some valuable life lessons during my time there, and I got some cute clothes too! The best thing about working at Bordas & Bordas is that it is different from ice cream and clothing; it's a job that is giving me real world experiences to better prepare myself for a future career, while still allowing me to be involved in the community. Something that I have learned the most about during my past two months here is how involved Bordas & Bordas is in the Ohio Valley. I have always been aware of advertisements at the different events that occur in the area, but now that I am behind the scenes and getting a hands-on experience of what it takes to make it all happen I am appreciative, as well as excited to be a part of this team that gives back to its community. I got to partake in summer's biggest party, also known as Jamboree in the Hills. For those of you who didn't know, we had our JITH Ultimate Backstage Experience contest on our Facebook page. After two months, a computer program randomly selected three winners who were treated like Jamboree royalty for the weekend. I will forever refer to this weekend as the "Ultimate Internship Experience." I have given it that title because this event was the icing on top of the cake to my internship. I got to be involved with a lot of the Jamboree process and met a lot of cool people along the way. I also learned a lot about the importance of marketing and advertising. From passing out 15,000 keychains with my boss and co-workers to throwing our 4-foot Bordas & Bordas beach balls off of the JITH stage, I made memories that I will never forget. I have to be honest that it has been a challenge adjusting to the real world and the amount of work and responsibilities that I have been given has been a little overwhelming, but I truly enjoy staying busy and taking on new projects. I know that this internship is all a part of getting real world experience and I really enjoy learning from my mistakes. At the end of each day, I remind myself that constructive criticism is only bettering me for the future. So far, this internship has made me realize that I have chosen the right career path and I am so thankful and excited for this opportunity that may open new doors for me. I cannot think of a better way to spend my last summer of my undergraduate education.