Courtney Simoncelli

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship/research opportunity.

First I applied through Handshake for this opportunity with my resume and cover letter. Then I was selected to interview with Ken Baldauf, Director of the Innovation Hub. After the interview process, I was offered the job!

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity?

I started working on writing a standout cover letter to apply for this opportunity a few weeks before the deadline in order to allow myself adequate time to showcase my best qualities in my resume and cover letter!

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your internship/research opportunity/fellowship, what were they? How did they support your application process?

I used Handshake, which is an awesome Career Center resource, to apply for and obtain my internship as the Entrepreneurial Operations Intern at the FSU Innovation Hub. This internship also was directly through the InternFSU program provided by the Career Center.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity.

I was in charge of the Marketing Committee for the Innovation Hub, so my team and I were responsible for running the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and coming up with social media strategies to get the community engaged and in-the-know about the Innovation Hub as it was a new entity on campus. I also was responsible for planning events and programming and coming up with outreach strategies. One of the events I organized was actually with the Career Center, which was a great experience for everyone involved! Overall, a lot of my focus was getting the word out about the Innovation Hub and enhancing our presence on campus.

What was a typical day like "on the job?"

One thing I really liked about the Innovation Hub was that every day you could be doing something different and there was a lot of room to work on projects that you are truly interested in. My "typical day" might consist of running the social media accounts, working on getting the Innovation Hub connected with other resources/organizations on campus, planning outreach events to allow the Innovation Hub to have more exposure around campus, giving tours to people visiting, and answering questions at the front desk.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

My internship showed me that there are so many different opportunities I can be a part of with my degree and qualifications. Normally, I wouldn't think of an Entrepreneurship major working in an a high-tech Innovation Hub with 3D printing, virtual reality, etc. but I found that there was really a place for me here.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?

Definitely! As I mentioned before, I knew nothing about technology, 3D printing, etc. before working here and I never imagined working in a technology-fueled environment. Now that I am comfortable in this setting and see the value I can provide in this type of workplace, I could definitely see myself working in this field providing entrepreneurial expertise in the future!