Hailey Garigen developed skills in client relations and tapped into her creative side to build her digital marketing skills.
How did you get your internship?
I got my internship through networking in a place that I wasn’t expecting to. Last year I went to the Waste Management Phoenix Open and I was at hole 16. Hole 16 is a very popular hole and lots of people tend to hangout there. I was in one of the designated seating sections and started talking to the woman next to me, her name was Tiffany Pennington. We talked for about 30 minutes about random stuff and then she asked me about college and what my future plans were. I explained my major to her and what I wanted to do and she told me that I should work for her. I took her card and then stayed in touch with her until I was thinking about a summer internship. A couple months ago we set up a phone call and discussed what an internship would be like and she offered me the position. I immediately agreed and that is how I landed my internship! I feel a good takeaway from this is that no matter where you are, you are representing yourself. Places like the Phoenix Open could end up being a great networking opportunity if you are open to making connections and telling your story.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this internship because it was exactly what I wanted to do. Since I already knew my supervisor, we planned the internship experience together. I knew I wanted to learn how to speak to clients, so part of my internship was focused on client relations. I would take clients out to lunch, send emails, and keep up with their correspondence. The other part of my internship was digital marketing. This allowed me to use my creative side to create three social media posts and one flier. I also took photos at our job sites that we used in the social media posts. Since I got to basically design my internship, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to do it.
What is unique about your situation that influenced your internship experience?
What is unique about my situation is how my supervisor and I created the internship just for me. She was very intentional in making sure I got what I needed out of the internship instead of just giving me busy work. I was doing work that would benefit me in the future because I want to go into business development. My internship experience felt more like a collaboration and a respected friendship than a traditional boss and employee dynamic.
How was the internship related to your Applied Humanities degree?
Since my internship was very client based I got to work with a lot of different people. This relates to Applied Humanities because I needed to consider what was best for my client while also ensuring that our business needs were met. The interdisciplinarity of Applied Humanities and Business focuses on business practices that allow you to create a community and leave a positive impact. In my role, my community included both the company and the clients--I wanted them to be satisfied with our services and with how I conducted myself since I was representing the company.
What was your favorite or most satisfying part of your internship?
My favorite part of my internship was working and building relationships with my co-workers. I was the youngest one in the office, which was very intimidating at first and I never wanted to feel like I was a bother to anyone. As the weeks went by, I was getting more comfortable and made friends. This was really special to me because they made me feel like I belonged and that my role wasn’t reduced to being some silly little intern. They made me feel respected and wanted and this is why I would love to continue to work for the company after I graduate. I believe even more now that a good work environment is essential for a company's success and the happiness of the employees.
How did your Applied Humanities major coursework help prepare you for the internship experience?
Most of my classes in the Applied Humanities have required a lot of group work. This prepared me well to work with others because group work can be frustrating to navigate. You may have a group where everyone's personalities don’t necessarily mix well, and this can happen at work as well. There are often many different personalities working in one place and I am confident about my ability to work with anyone. Instead of getting frustrated and irritated, I have learned how to be respectful but also make my voice heard. Working in groups or in collaboration with other people will be inevitable when you go into the real world and my Applied Humanities coursework has prepared me well for that.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for an internship?
My advice to students looking for an internship is to use every event you go to as a networking opportunity. I say this because that is how I found mine. Go to the career fairs, go to the sports events, go to any event and shake a couple hands; you never know where there's opportunity. Also, it is okay to not know exactly what you want to do for your internship. Any experience in your field is a good experience. My internship was client relations and digital marketing focused, and I was offered a position doing business development. You will get one step closer to figuring out what you want to do even if it is by doing something you don’t like doing, you’re still a step closer.