Unfortunately, this summer was dealt with great challenges that affected many people and job opportunities. Luckily I was able to still partake in my summer internship with BWD Web Group Companies as their Marketing and Sales intern despite the restrictions of COVID-19. Even though I was not able to physically be in the office I was still able to work and complete tasks and learn new skills which is what an internship is all about. As an intern, I learned the basics of what it was like to be a saleswoman such as how to make a cold call, how to close a deal, figure out which persuasive strategies to use, and analyze marketing techniques of products. During my internship, I realized that the company was leading me in more of a Sales Representative rather than Marketing which was very new for me. With the experience and knowledge, I adapted from my time with the company I came to the realization that Sales was not the route I wanted to go in. But I would have never come to that conclusion if I hadn’t taken this opportunity. I believe the purpose of an internship is all about experience and the ability to learn as well as what interests you. I am glad that I took this opportunity and learned from it and was able to come to the conclusion that Sales is just not for me because I still have time to gain more experience and find my path before I graduate in Spring 2021. 

During my internship, I worked on various projects and one of them is to create a flyer for the company. I wanted to create a flyer that displayed the company and its unique style and work setting. At BWD Web Group Companies and their sister company SurfCat Marketing, they work with small local companies. Their goal is to publicize and create a bigger audience for the companies.

I believe the School of Communication prepared me to succeed in my summer internship because of the knowledge I have learned in my classes. For instance, theories of persuasion were a beneficial class especially if interested in business as a career. By taking the class I gained a better understanding of persuasion. For instance, I gained an insight into persuasion tactics and strategies, how to apply them to real-life situations, as well as having a better understanding of why persuasion is used and how I can use it for my benefit. I would highly recommend theories of persuasion to any communication student who has even the slightest interest in the business field or corporate communication. I guarantee you will finish the class gaining beneficial information that is useful in any career choice. 

Here is the back of the flyer that I created to showcase the products that SurfCat Marketing has to offer. Each product is uniquely named to go along with the beach and orange county aesthetic that the company is proud to be apart of.

One of the benefits of interning for BWD Web Group Companies and specifically their SurfCat Marketing Company was that upon completion of my summer internship I noticed that the company was looking to hire. I applied to be an Executive Assistant and was granted the position because of my time with them during my internship. This goes to show how important it is for college students to have internships because you never know what opportunities will come from it. If I had to give any advice to other Chapman students who are in pursuit of an internship is to not put yourself in a closed-off box. Every internship I have had thus far has been different than the other. I think it is important to try new things even if you can’t really picture yourself in the career choice for the rest of your life, but if you have even the slightest bit of curiosity I say go for it. There is never a wasted opportunity or a failed experience because every experience you gain will make you a better candidate for your future career. My advice would be instead of closing yourself off in a small tight box and a specific niche is to expand and broaden your horizons. That is one of the beautiful things and benefits of being a Communication major because the major is broad and the skills that are developed from the classes will be useful in any career.