Now that fall semester has begun, It’s time to reflect on 2023 summer internships and the valuable experiences MSTC students have gained, as well as takeaways on the job search process and advice for first years. TCA surveyed a variety of MSTC students on their internship experiences over the summer, and we’ve compiled a list of fun and interesting takeaways!
First, all of the respondents were remote or hybrid internships. This flexible work environment means that you can broaden the scope of your search to include areas outside of RTP!
Job titles for internship roles included User Assistance Developer, Technical Writer, Instructional Designer, Digital Marketing intern, and Technical Communication Intern. There’s not one specific job title or description that fits for all technical communicators, so make sure to open your search to a variety of roles.
Half of the respondents indicated that they had found the opportunities from emails to the MSTC listserv from the program director or graduate services coordinator.
Respondents discussed some of the ways that their industry knowledge grew during the internship:
- “I gained real world application and gained experience of release cycles and agile workflows.”
- “I was expected to design and execute a new document storage plan from scratch with a team that didn’t have any standard storage process. I felt very out of my depth at first. No one was there to tell me what to do, but I was able to work with my team members to figure out their needs. I got to use a dozen new software programs that I’ve never touched before. I was able to branch out into instructional design.”
- “I developed further personally, professionally, and deepened my industry marketing and tech knowledge”
- “My biggest learning curve was exploring the different ways that Oxygen offers reuse. One of the colleagues on my team is the information architect, and she was able to assist me with anything I needed help with in Oxygen. I learned about profiling, reusing certain words and phrases, coding in words and phrases from document values, reusing entire steps, and reusing entire topics. In addition, I was able to learn about Jira, as well as get experience with working with SMEs. Finally, I have been fortunate enough to be able to continue my internship with them for 10 hours a week during the school year, and even at 10 hours a week, I am constantly learning.”
Respondents also included advice for first years on the internship search:
- “Never be afraid to apply for a position, the perfect candidate doesn’t exist, give yourself the chance to excel!”
- “When you’re applying and interviewing for internships, be confident in the skills and experience you have. Yes––you are qualified. You will learn so much through these internships.”
- “Start applying now. Don’t just look for postings on job boards, start contacting companies you would be interested in working with. Set up your LinkedIn profile and don’t be afraid to connect with people working in your chosen field.”
- “Get an internship your first year. You’ll practically guarantee yourself a job after graduation.”
It’s never too early to start looking for a summer internship! Keep an eye out for job postings from inside the NCSU network, including opportunities forwarded from our program director, Dr. Walls. Be open to a variety of roles, and be confident in your capabilities and skills! Your classmates and professors are always happy to help with your internship search.
To stay up-to-date with TCA and the professional development opportunities that we facilitate, make sure to follow us on Linkedin, Instagram, X, and Facebook. We’d love to connect with you!
Want to know more about TCA, be more involved with TCA, or know more about SpeedCon? Email ggbrown2@gmail.com.