[Doyi's Blog] The Internship (aka best part of the program)

You know what’s most special about the Chicago Program?
You get an internship
and college credits
in Chicago!

As part of the curriculum, each student prepares, interviews, and works for an internship at a company/organization of their choice, in positions of their career interest. Plus, students get academic credit for it! This is honestly what drew me into applying for ACM Chicago in the first place; I had neither internships nor significant volunteer experiences, and as graduation approaches, I needed one. Lucky for me, this abroad program gave me an awesome opportunity to expand not just my resume, but also my professional skills and insights as part of a larger learning experience. 

 
I work for Chicago Filmmakers, a non-profit organization providing artists the opportunity to learn about, distribute, and exhibit films outside the mainstream marketplace. They offer a variety of film classes, too: screenwriting, Final Cut Pro X, and producing, just to name a few. Recently, the Chicago Filmmakers celebrated its 32nd annual Reeling LGBT Film Festival--the second largest of its kind. The festival featured several LGBT movies, directors, and actors, and I was happy to be a part of the staff that created it. 

To be more specific, I am the Chicago Filmmakers’ marketing intern. Since I’ve been very interested in pursuing a career in the marketing/ advertising/ PR field, and since I liked the closely knit, laid-back atmosphere of the organization, I applied for this job. 

So far, it’s been good. 

The Reeling film festival kept me busy, as I’ve been writing and scheduling tweets, shortening URLs, organizing every online article, and sending promotional emails. My marketing director, Gary, has been really helpful and informative about new social media tools and strategies I’ve never heard of. For instance, I learned how to use three tweet-scheduling sites, Hoot Suite, Tweet Deck, and Ad Twitter.
I’ve also done a lot of extra work along the way. Some include maintaining the box office, creating VIP passes, and checking passes for the festival screening. I knew I wasn’t always going to do something marketing-related, but I still value the experiences I’m gaining here. 

 

However, I’m planning to get more marketing-work done. I realized that I have to be more active about my professional objectives in order to achieve them. To make the most out of my internship, I drafted a list of learning goals that includes gaining in-depth knowledge/experiences related to marketing, learning Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, and utilizing my artistic abilities in the marketing field. And to attain these goals, I’m going to talk about it with my supervisor tomorrow. What I’m hoping to gain from the conversation is a chance for me to design and print Chicago Filmmakers’ film/class schedule for next spring. I’ll let you know the results in the next blog. 

Until then, wish me luck!

-Doyi