This summer we’ll be sharing ‘Intern Insights,’ a series of guest posts all about internships, from students enrolled in UC 225. Today’s post from Maryam Squillace, a Screen Arts & Cultures major interning with NBCUniversal in NYC, offers some highlights from her experience so far, and insight into the increasing importance of social media within the media industry as a whole. Thanks Maryam!
Maryam Squillace on the set of TODAY
I don’t think many people realize how important social media is in our lives. It is more than tweeting what you are doing tonight, or checking in to a cool restaurant on Foursquare. What started back in chat rooms before I was born has now become an inexpensive way for many massive media conglomerates to interact with their audience. I knew this summer I wanted an internship doing something media-related, but I never imagined how large a role social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram play in the success of media corporations.
I knew this summer I wanted to get out of Ann Arbor for a little while and move to a big city. This past semester, I felt somewhat at a crossroads in my college career. I knew I needed some experience to say more definitively what I want out of a future job. I decided to look for internships in New York because I had family I could stay with there. After applying to multiple media and PR internships, I received an email about an interview from the News Communications department at NBCUniversal. I learned in early April I had gotten the internship and the rest of the month was a blur. I moved to New York only days after my last final, without ever setting foot in the city. I love living here, and it is amazing to walk into 30 Rock every day and have a badge that allows me into the building. I love knowing that so many brilliant minds have been in this building, are currently here, and will be when I leave; it’s the same feeling I have walking around Michigan’s campus.
I have learned a great deal about the media industry at my internship. Working in News Communications, it’s a mix of PR, marketing, and digital media that work together to make the final TV product show up in as many households as possible. I am lucky to work with some of the most brilliant people in the industry, who work on promoting the news programs I grew up on and still love. Its incredible to see all of the work that it takes to look so effortless on the viewer’s side. Working in the media industry, I have seen how important social media skills are on a resume. Almost everyone I have had the privilege of speaking with or working with has told me that social media is something to know now because it is only going to get bigger. One of the first questions in my interview was if I had a Twitter, and what I newspapers I followed. One example of social media’s importance was watching the department prepare for Justin Bieber to perform during the Toyota Summer Concert Series on the TODAY show. I worked with the department to spread the #BieberTODAY hashtag throughout the media before the concert happened. NBC’s followers then began to use the hashtag to begin a conversation about the concert with their own followers, and the hashtag’s usage grew even more. The hashtag even trended worldwide at one point. I watched as Justin Bieber sent out Matt Lauer’s first tweet (on a TV, but still) and watched as Mr. Lauer’s followers rapidly grew by the thousands because of the help of Justin Bieber. It is a digital reminder of how linked humanity really is.
Posted by Scott Tsuchiyama 
This is a one year internship at a law firm that would be a great opportunity for someone taking a gap year before law school. It would also be great for someone interested in working in the legal field while exploring if law school is right fit for them. I found this position by typing law into the keyword search and setting the position type as internship.
When I talk to students vested in working in government something I like to say is: Explore options beyond the Federal Government for government jobs. I strongly encourage investigating State and Local opportunities too. A great example of this principle is the Policy Analyst position listed in C3. This job really resonates with me because it centers on special education policy in DC schools. It sounds like a fascinating opportunity to analyze policy and work towards the Division of Special Education mission of ensuring all DC children with developmental delays and disabilities have access to high quality services and education.
If I didn’t already have a job I would unquestionably apply for this position. In fact, I might regardless because this sounds like such an incredible and fun opportunity. Community Elf was founded in 2009 by two former McKinsey and Company alumni and is a social media management company. The position has a desirable level of autonomy and leadership as it entails coordinating with the development team, overseeing social media account managers, assigning tasks, establishing goals, and conducting performance reviews. They also sound like a down to Earth company to work for as they are looking for someone who has a pet peeve of inefficiency, are a jack-of-all-trades kind of person, love every day being completely different, and of course have an interest in social media and want to help transform the way companies drive their growth. Oh, and did I mention you’d be working in the exciting and innovative atmosphere of a startup company? Don’t miss this opportunity!
There are more than a few times where I’ve sat in my driveway or the parking garage, unable to turn off the car because the story someone was telling on the radio was so fascinating I had to wait to hear the end! The Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, Mississippi is giving someone the chance to help capture the stories and narratives that have shaped the history of the Southern Jewish experience by working as an Oral History Intern. Imagine spending your summer traveling through communities in the American South interviewing and filming subjects as a means of sharing and preserving history. And if that doesn’t sound amazing enough, as a native Southerner, I can also assure you’re bound to encounter some of the best eats you’ve ever had!
