Sheila Gomez Matias

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship. 

I first heard about my internship through the InternFSU program from The Career Center's newsletter. The newsletter would highlight the experiences previous students would have and the deadline for students to apply by. The paid internship program allows students to apply to various departments on campus and is open to all majors! 

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your internship? 

I made sure to keep in mind the timeline when applying to the InternFSU program and write all my cover letters on time. Making sure to write deadlines in your planner is important to stay organized and not miss applying for opportunities. While also making sure my resume was up to date by attending The Career Center's resume workshops, I was able to receive feedback on how to make sure my resume suited the internship I was applying to. It is important to have your cover letter reflect the experience you are applying to. I made sure my cover letter aligned with what the departments were looking for. 

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

The Career Center offers various resources and tools for students to take advantage of. I have been able to use the resume workshops to find any grammatical and structural errors within my resume. Then I discovered the Experience Recognition Program (ERP) that allows me to receive a transcript notation for my experience. I wouldn't have known about all these opportunities if it weren't for The Career Center's newsletter. I encourage students to read them, as you never know what you may find! 

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your internship. 

As a Risk, Compliance, and Policy intern, I focused on working on projects assigned to me by my supervisor or team members. These projects would include learning about different privacy and security frameworks, such as NIST 800-53. I also worked on Controlled Unclassified Information when working with researchers and learned what information is allowed to be shared with the public and what is protected. Each week I worked with someone different in our department and learned about their responsibilities. I was able to gain insight into how everyone's roles are interconnected and critical when solving security issues. 

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

A typical day throughout my internship is working in-person or remotely. I would communicate with my team through apps such as Teams and Zoom. We would hold weekly meetings and one-on-ones with various leaders in the Information Security and Privacy office and other departments. I would give updates on the projects assigned to me and present my findings when completed. Me and my supervisor would have one-on-ones to talk about my progress, how I am doing, and if there is anything specific I want to work on. Everyone on my team encourages me to ask questions if I need help with anything. They truly show their support for me and help me get the best out of my experience. 

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

The major takeaway from this experience is being able to work in a completely new field compared to what I have previously worked in. I was nervous I was not going to be accepted to the internship due to my major and experiences that did not align as much with Information Technology. I learned that International Affairs and ITS work together in various ways when creating policies and laws, and when taking security measures when protecting people using the internet. This was a new field I wanted to embark on and I made sure to submit my application no matter the outcome. It taught me to take the risk and apply. My team has been extremely supportive since day one and are happy to continue working with me in the future since my internship was extended to the next semester! 

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

Throughout this experience, I have been able to learn about a new field within Information Technology Services in regard to privacy and security. Even when I did not have any previous experience in Information Technology, I was able to get out of my comfort zone and gain new skills working with my team. I plan to go to law school in the future, and through this experience, I learned more about technology and privacy law. I have grown confident in my ability to continue working within this field and apply it to my future.