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Student Spotlights

Sydney Springer: Communications

Sydney interned as a student editorial supervisor for BYU College of Life Sciences during spring/summer 2022 semester.

Describe a day in your life as an intern.

As an intern I worked from home, training the new hires we brought on just before the internship period began over Zoom and phone calls, writing emails, writing and editing stories, managing the website, attending and hosting meetings, and preparing reports for the new dean. The overall task was finishing the Spring 2022 issue of the alumni magazine, called Impact, and sending it to print. As supervisor I was directly in charge of planning, creating, and overseeing the magazine, from the stories written to fact-checking, editing, design input, and proofreading.

What industry/job specific skills did you learn?

The most important skill I learned and improved was being a leader and mentoring peers. I'm the same age as the other writers and we're all students in the same college for the most part, so learning how to gain their respect and trust while being approachable and respectful in return was a balancing act. I also made tough decisions as our initial deadline for the magazine came and went, coordinating with superiors to still value our contract but also negotiate more time to complete the project. Additionally, training and hiring the new writers was a new experience for me, one I learned the most from and am improving on in my current role as the new school year begins.

What is one thing you learned from this internship experience that could be applied to other settings?

I learned how to hire someone, which is applicable in any job setting. I got to write the job description, design the job flyers, and coordinate with other departments on campus to promote the job opening(s). Then I was on the other side of the table, interviewing potential candidates with my supervisor, reading resumes and analyzing writing samples to determine if they would be a good match for the job responsibilities and office culture. And, of course, then I trained the new hires and oversaw their first few months in the role, making adjustments and having private meetings as needed. All of those opportunities will certainly be used in other roles, and offered me insight into the other side of the job application process.

What was your favorite part of your internship experience?

My favorite part of my internship experience was how many different areas I got to work in. Being able to work more hours meant the "do when you have time" items on my list were actually completed. My internship was just my regular job, which is a role I love, so more time and more opportunities to do new things was easily my favorite part.

How did this internship experience contribute to your growth?

This internship challenged me in many ways. I had never interviewed someone for a job before, never hired or extensively trained employees. I was in a key decision-making role and had mentoring privileges, two areas out of my comfort zone. I practiced patience more in that first month than I have ever in a job before. And the best part was adding more to my portfolio, which made the stress worth it.

Professional photo of public relations student Sydney Springer, current editorial supervisor in the College of Life Science's Dean's Office.