Sydney Phillips interned with Echodyne Corp. and marketed company products, while strategically planning for upcoming events.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this marketing-focused internship because I knew from a previous internship experience that I wanted to try something other than sales. At first I thought I wanted to pursue sales for my career, however once I was out in the field making sales pitches and trying to hook people, I quickly realized sales was not for me. So, I decided to try something new and came across Echodyne. Echodyne is a company that has a sales component, but it also offered marketing experience, which caught my eye. With this internship I got to learn how products are marketed and do research on how other companies market their products. I absolutely loved this internship because of this new marketing and research aspect, and now I know that my passion is creating advertisements and planning strategic ways to reach audiences.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
Throughout my internship experience I did all kinds of things. Echodyne is a large company that sells radars to the government and military for safety and security. I started out by doing market research to see how similar organizations promote and network their products. I reviewed websites to see how competitor strategies compared to our own strategy. I also was given the opportunity to sit in on team meetings to discuss upcoming events, company strengths and weaknesses, and hear how the team communicates their ideas, questions, and concerns with each other. As time went on in my internship, my site supervisor had me scheduling meetings and helping prepare for an upcoming company sales event.
What new skills did you learn in this internship?
Some new skills that I have developed over the past few months are communication, time- management, teamwork, adaptability, and project management. I have learned these skills through all of the work that I did and the questions that I asked along the way. At first, I was nervous for this internship because it made me a little bit uncomfortable and really pushed me out of my comfort zone. But I quickly realized that you do not learn anything until you are uncomfortable, and my site supervisor kept telling me to get comfortable being uncomfortable because that is the only way you are going to grow as a person.
How was this internship related to your Applied Humanities degree?
This internship was related to my Applied Humanities degree because I was constantly learning practical skills that I can use in a variety of careers. Throughout my time in the Applied Humanities, I have been taking classes that have made me realize that not everyone communicates the same way. Which is a huge part of not only your personal life but also in your work life. I learned how to communicate effectively, which was essential because Echodyne has a diverse group of employees with all kinds of different backgrounds. Learning how people interact with each other and understanding one another is key to relationships and overall success.
How did your Applied Humanities coursework help prepare you for this internship?
My Applied Humanities coursework greatly prepared me for this internship experience. In the Pre-Internship course, PAH 383, we read articles about success in the workplace and learning how to secure a job. We also learned how to create a strong resume, cover letter, and worked on our interviewing skills. Without this prior practice and knowledge, I would not have been able to secure this internship because I did not have a strong resume or cover letter. I also used to be nervous for interviews, but now I know how to properly prepare.
What did you find challenging about your internship?
I found learning the company lingo one of the more challenging parts of this experience. At first it kind of sounded like gibberish in meetings and I would lose track of where the conversation was going, but as time went on I started to catch on. From this I learned to just study and get to know the basics and foundation of the company you are a part of. It is so important that whether you’re an intern, employee, or CEO, that you stay informed about your company processes and its values because it presents a strong front for past, current, and future clientele.
What was your favorite or satisfying part of your internship?
The most satisfying part of my internship was when my mentor gave me positive feedback on something that was critiqued the first time I submitted it. This gave me motivation to keep learning and growing because my hard work was paying off. It was also very rewarding when I was able to complete a project without help from my site supervisor. When I was creating my first few presentations on marketing strategies, I had to ask a lot of questions. But eventually I grew confident that I knew what I was doing and what my main focus points should be. I feel proud of my progress when comparing myself now to when I started back in August, and I do not think I could have gotten a better experience than I did with this company.