Some Lessons Learned the Hard Way
In the past three years, out of all the college experiences that have shaped the way in which I work, my internship at Beetle Press has been the most impactful.
When I began, I had no idea what to expect, even after Janice had assigned me a few of my main tasks, which included managing the social media for the Mill River chapter of BNI, of which Janice is a member, and interviewing BNI members to blog about their work and experience.
My meatiest assignment was to interview volunteers and a cancer survivor associated with the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Hampshire County and write an article on their work for the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
Working for Janice had a tangible effect on the efficiency with which I performed my work for Beetle Press and my school work in general. Despite having a busy schedule during the semester, I became extremely organized and focused on allotting specific time to complete tasks.
Being in good contact with Janice also got me into the habit of using my email more than ever and kept me up to date on my assignments, which grew week by week.
My favorite experience in working at Beetle Press was interviewing BNI members. I had a great time meeting with and speaking to members and getting to hear both about their businesses and their experience with BNI. It was a pleasure to meet these successful people, and it allowed me to gain a lot of experience in conducting interviews and writing profile pieces.
While most of my work ran smoothly, I did manage to make a mess of one particular assignment; this formed the basis for my best learnings, among them taking responsibility for my assignments, maintaining clear and open communications and taking charge of follow-up efforts.
Throughout the rest of the semester, I noticed my interviews with BNI members improved. I was more thorough. My confidence grew, and I rarely had to go back to those I’d interviewed for more information. I paid better attention to detail and knew how to follow up on questions and comments.
Working at Beetle Press this semester has helped me improve both my writing skills and my work practice in general. Working with Janice and the other interns has been a pleasure and a great experience. I came to Beetle Press for a real-world work experience and a learning experience, and I got more than I had imagined.
