Street Team Intern: Weeks 5-6

I am now over a month into my internship with the Indiana State Museum, and every day that I am here I find new ways to appreciate the museum and further confidence in having chose public relations as part of my career path.

Though I have come across some challenges, particularly trying to rack my brain to generate social media content, I look forward to most of the tasks I’m given. I’ve probably now roamed the museums exhibitions ten times all the way through, either as a nice stroll on my lunch break or searching for some new angle to take a nice photo. It’s truly a unique experience to have the privilege to do so.

People continuously ask me how it’s going, and they never seem satisfied with my solid “good” reply. Everyone wants details, but at the end of a 9-5 day it’s honestly hard for me to go back and pick out details quickly. I always need a moment to decompress, because a lot goes on, but not all of it is as interesting to others as it is to me.

As for the social media content I mentioned before, several posts I have drafted have now been published online on all three main platforms for the museum: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I’m very pleased with the work I’ve been able to do and the feedback I’ve been given so far.

This weekend I will be attending my first actual Street Team event by going with my coworkers to the Fishers Freedom Festival. Though I know absolutely nothing about what the festival entails or what is to be expected of a museum running a booth there, I’m doing my best to look forward to it and be confident rather than nervous. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Update: Though spending the majority of my Saturday sitting at a table in Fishers, IN was never at the top of the list for cool weekend plans, it went considerably well. It was interesting to observe the people of Fishers at an annual event for the community, and the food I had on break (a gyro) was delicious. The weather was pleasantly cool and breezy, which posed a problem for some vendors with large signs that wanted to blow over, but we had no such issues. It had been a while since I’d really had to use my sales pitch voice, and I think I did well! I am glad, however, that I will not be spending another Saturday away from home.

Street Team Intern: Weeks 2-4

As promised, here is an update on the work I’ve been doing with the Indiana State Museum:

In the past few weeks, I have updated the media contact lists for all eleven state historic sites in an effort to ensure that all press releases are sent to relevant media outlets, reporters and news directors. This means I have spent time sweeping the internet for information on radio stations, television stations and newspapers. While it’s mentally draining to sit and stare at a Word document full of names for hours at a time, it’s a necessary evil that I’m happy to do.

Having updated the lists, this past week I accomplished two different tasks which were a bit more fun and creative: writing a media pitch and drafting every museum tweet for the upcoming MuseumWeek. Not only would some of my words be sent to every media contact for the state historic sites (it’s a lot of people, trust me) but also potentially be seen by the museum’s 19,800 Twitter followers (@indianamuseum). To a PR geek like me, that’s a big deal!

See the media pitch content here. Updates on the tweets will come once they are officially posted later in June.

As always, I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to work somewhere that’s letting me hone my skills and also teaching me what a positive work environment can look like and do for its employees. I will do my best to continue to keep my blog updated, but be forewarned that this summer is flying by fast and it’s hard for me to keep track of it!

Personal Update: Summer 2017

Typing up a quick check-in as the the spring semester of my sophomore year comes to an end:

I am so excited for this summer, not only to get a chance to relax and do fun things (like road-tripping to Tennessee for one) but also because of the professional opportunities I have ahead of me. I will be continuing my work as a content strategist for the IUPUI Division of Undergraduate Education, a position which has so far really helped me gained confidence in my writing abilities. Additionally, I will be interning for the nonprofit organization Indiana Futsal and for the Indiana State Museum! 

Having only been at IUPUI for two years, I’m ahead of most others pursuing a journalism/PR degree thanks to taking dual credit classes in high school. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to do that. 

I’m excited for these upcoming positions not only because they’re going to look fantastic on a resume but because the supervisors for each of them value and support me as a young professional. Though I haven’t began the position with the museum yet, it’s already clear to me that my boss is a kind and flexible person who is understanding and values those who work for her. Additionally, I’ve already been working with the director of Indiana Futsal and he has made it clear that he values my insight. I say these things not to brag (okay, yeah, a little bit to brag but I deserve it) but to point out the value of working for people you like. Between my job and my internships, I’m excited to complete the work that’s expected out of me – which is definitely not something that every professional can say. 

I’m so incredibly thankful and I plan on doing my best to keep this blog updated so stay tuned to see what these opportunities have in store for me!