Ashley Johns

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

I went to Handshake and applied for an InternFSU position with The Center for Leadership and Social Change. 

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your job offer, what were they? How did they support your application process?

 I was able to participate in a Mock Interview and have a meeting with a career advisor on how to better my resume. They were able to give me insight on how to prioritize my experiences and skills on resume. They also helped to identify my verbal fillers and gave me ways to work on them. 

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

Most of my responsibilities were designing social media tool kits to market and promote Center programs. I also worked closely with my team to assist in the re-branding of the Center into two offices. One of the names I helped brainstorm for The Center has actually been considered a finalist.   

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

Every day was typically a little bit different than the last. I would come in and, if I didn't have an assignment, meet with my supervisor to discuss projects and what she needed from me. After that, I would work on that project with various consultations with my supervisor until the graphic was to both our likings before sending it to the advisor of the program. 

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

One of my major takeaways was from this experience is that is helped me be more open to criticism. A lot of my communications positions before have been just me so there haven't been much in the way of criticism. This experience allowed to experience what it is like working under someone and receiving feedback on designs. I really appreciate being able to start with what I imagine for a graphic because it allowed me to see where I can improve in terms of direction and design, something I feel would be missed had I been given total direction. 

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

This experience helped me to narrow down what my end goal for my career would be. I want to be the director of a diversity and inclusion office in the communications office of a major company or organization. It really opened my eyes to how companies promote diversity and inclusion and how it extends to campaigns and posters and not just in board room discussions.