Joining the Mass Communication department was a difficult transition for me. As a transfer student, I was eager and excited about coming to a new school but didn’t apply to the Mass Communication program right away. I wish I knew the concentrations are two year programs no matter how you slice it. To avoid the same mistake, you should learn early how to plan effectively. Look at the courses listed and see how they line up with your degree plan.

So here are some tips that I think are invaluable:

Make sure you leave room for error, internships, practicum’s, or possibly a Disney Internship. All of these elements can easily put you a semester behind.

If you can take classes over the summer do so; it’s a great way to get ahead. Many classes conflict time wise with each other and this is an excellent way to solve that problem.

Be proactive while degree planning; which goes a lot further than picking up the green concentration planning sheet.

Form a working relationship with your adviser so your not afraid to ask questions. They’re here to help.

I love love love my Public Relations experience and I’m glad I’m progressing with an amazing group of gals and guy ;-), but learn from my mistakes and save yourself a year.

In essence, I’m trying to say, learn the curriculum it will help you in the long run.

This summer I interned for OfficeMax in Charlotte, NC. This was an overall great experience. I broadened my network in the Charlotte area by meeting new connections and added a reference to my resume regarding my work ethic. The internship started off very slow, but by the second week I felt as though I was one of the employees.

OfficeMax used my experience and did not hesitate to trust me with projects.
My internship responsibilities consisted of basic office duties ie: answering calls, faxes and mail correspondence. I was also responsible for updating the Paid Time Office (PTO) spread sheet, employment verification, resume rating, and research during the audit.

I was allowed to sit in during internal interviews for an available Lead Position in Atlanta, GA. The first round of interviews were held via conference call and I got an interesting prospective on what potential employers are looking for. I rated the candidates using OfficeMax’s rubric for lack of a better word, and I entered all of the scores and other data into Excel creating a database for the highest rated candidates. I also completed many office day-to-day tasks. My inbox was always full with documents to enter, process and file. I worked with the planning committee to coordinate office birthday celebrations and a team of new evacuation leaders.

My large project was working on the Servant Management, Ethics, and Unions training course that I help put together and execute. I had the opportunity to assist in the creation and presentation of a training course, which was later presented to the 1st and 2nd shift manager in the district nine area of Charlotte. Office max has taken a unique stance on unions; they are training management on exactly what unions are, as many employers are still and in the dark as to how they serve. OfficeMax is taking an aggressive stance towards union. The thought behind this is that they as a company trust that their managers are doing the right thing and should not be scared of the union.

This is was my first time working with a public company with a union and it changes the nature of the HR position, because the employees have someone who works somewhat in the same capacity that we do. The most valuable asset I gained from working at this internship was the usage of SAP. It’s an HR software program that is used by many companies. It is a valuable addition to my resume and although I do not feel that I am an expert using it, I can navigate throughout the problem with minimal trouble.

Overall I learned how to work SAP, interview and work within a team with minimal supervision, auditing what it is and why it’s needed as well as a better working understanding of the field that I have chose as my career path. A position opened up in the Accounts Payable field and I was asked by my supervisor to apply, and she offered to put in a good word. It is awesome that the staff I worked for wants to keep me around, unfortunately the application deadline is August 31st and I will be back in school, but I will keep them in mind come December and they promised to do the same in return. A great internship experience I’m glad I got to work here and I am more confident than ever that Human Resources is where I want to be.