-Tell us about yourself.
My name is Caitlin Fournier and I am a senior concentrating in public relations.
-Where did you intern and how did you find it?
I am the MSU Athletic Marketing intern. I found this position through a friend who had the position before.
-Briefly describe the organization.
MSU Athletic Marketing is the group that plans all of the giveaways, promotions, and programs such as Hail State Rewards and Maroon Memories.
-What were your responsibilities as an intern and what communication skills did you utilize?
I help come up with new and creative ways to entice fans to come to sporting events. I also help with the implementation of all promotions during basketball and baseball games. I email customers who purchase Maroon Memories experiences and send them their photos if they were a part of the experience. Writing, public speaking, community service, the use of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are all communication skills I use almost daily with this internship.
-What was the most enjoyable part of your internship?
My favorite part of this internship is learning the planning process that makes everything happen that no one gets to see, as well as having direct interaction with fans and making their gameday experience the best! Fan engagement is so important in sports, and I enjoy getting to work with them on game days.
-What was the most challenging part of your internship?
The most challenging part of my internship is that there is no down time. MSU Athletic Marketing oversees every single home sporting event for all MSU sports. Many times there are multiple events going on simultaneously, and to be able to balance and delegate tasks to make sure everything goes perfectly is difficult. My bosses are really good at preparing us and scheduling us so that it goes well, but as the Maroon Memories Marketing Assistant, there are times I have to be at many different games during one day. It is long hours, but when you love it, it's so much fun!
-What advice or recommendations would you give to other students thinking about interning?
Have an open mind and find the learning opportunities in everything you do. There's so much that happens around the office that if you just listen or read, you learn just as much. Your superiors are experts in their field, and they have so much to teach, you just have to pay attention to learn the little details that can help you stand out. I am so glad I did internships during my undergraduate career!