City of Pembroke Pines

Social Media Intern

June - August 2019 • Pembroke Pines, FL

What I liked

Because the Communications Department had never had a Social Media Intern before, I was able to create a unique role for myself in the program. I provided creative ideas to help achieve the marketing goals of the City of Pembroke Pines, but I was also able to gain insight into the collaboration across various departments of the second-largest city in Broward County. I got to do graphic design, creative strategy, branding, and content creation. I met a lot of people that work for the city in Planning, Recreation, as well as some elected officials. I was also given agency over specific projects: the Children's Film Festival, Hurricane Preparedness Campaign (#PembrokePinesPrepared), Mayor's Kids Day Instagram Story Coverage, Blood Drive Story Coverage, and Summer Snake Safety Campaign. My supervisor entrusting me with so much, and allowing me to direct the program based off of my interests, really emboldened me to feel a part of the ream, rather than an assistant-type who was not included in the creative process.

What I wish was different

It would have been nice to have received pay or 3 credits for an internship course. I learned a lot from this experience that I will definitely use moving forward. I was able to get 1 credit through the Toppel Internship Program (TIP). I just wish I could have put the time toward my Communications minor.

Advice

Don't be afraid to reach out to people. I knew I would be home for most of the summer so I literally stalked LinkedIn to find any potential opportunities in my city. When I saw that the Social Media Manager for the City of Pembroke Pines was a black woman like myself, I immediately reached out. She was amazing from that first encounter and really became a mini mentor for me. The city did not have a formal internship program for undergraduates within the Communications Department. When I expressed my interest in learning more about social media and sent her my resume, she advocated on my behalf and we developed the internship role together. If I never reached out, the internship would have been nonexistent and I would not have gained so much knowledge and experience about both social media and the behind the scenes of a local government. Also, I would have missed out on a supervisor who invested so much into me. I would advise students to capitalize on platforms like LinkedIn and Handshake. A message/email never hurts :)

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