Amanda Bouchard

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

The year before my election with the film club, I joined the club as a member. I went to club meetings every week and became close with several other members and officers. When it became time to run for officer elections, I ran to be the public relations officer. I gave a speech to the club members about why I would be a good fit for the position, and I was elected.

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

I knew about two months prior to elections that I wanted to be an officer. I brushed up on my graphic design skills and made a mock advertisement for the club. Once I was elected, I had all of summer break to prepare for the 2019-2020 school year along with the fellow officers.

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

First and foremost, I was in charge of graphic design for film club flyers, emails, and social media posts. Every week we needed at least one new design. I also managed our social media and email accounts, took notes for the club president at our meetings, and partnered with students at the film school to provide opportunities for our club members to work on film sets.

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

A typical day working with film club would entail making a new design for the club and sending it out on a couple different platforms. I would then respond to any emails, comments, or direct messages from present of prospective club members.

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

One major takeaway from my work with film club is to always be one step ahead. Our schedule could change very easily, so I had to learn how to get information out to our club members at short notice. This skill has helped me to be flexible with my workflow, and to not get too stressed out when there's a change in plans.

 Another big takeaway is the fact that good advertising is advertising that fits seamlessly into your audience's lifestyles. Our members seemed to like Instagram and emails the best for notifications, as both of those platforms are already a part of most of their lives. This has taught me in a practical way how important it is to cater to your audience.

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

This experience taught me quite a bit about the good and bad sides of mass communication. I now know that I definitely could work in media like this, but I would like for my workplace to have lots of structure.