By Laurie Bedord, Chair, Future Agricultural Communicators
Do you want to give a young person the opportunity to gain practical experience, while also benefitting the company for whom you work? If you answered yes. . . or even if you answered maybe. . . then you need to keep reading.
Why? Because I’m going to share four reasons why you should consider applying to host the 2019 AAEA editorial or marketing communications summer intern.
- You get bragging rights. What better way to get in on the ground floor of an aspiring ag communicator than to host an intern. As that young person’s career takes off, you can look back and say, “That talented person was our summer intern. I could tell he/she was going to do great things in our industry.”
- You get an extra set of hands for FREE. Because each of the internships is 100% paid by AAEA’s Professional Improvement Foundation, no money comes out of your company’s pocket. Who doesn’t like free labor?
- You may discover a future employee. Having an intern is not only a great way for a young person to test-drive a career in your company, it also gives you the opportunity to evaluate if he/she would be a good fit for your company in the future. Did you know that many Fortune-500 companies retain over 80% of their interns as entry-level hires?
- You get to sharpen your skills. The intern isn’t the only person who comes away a winner. As a host, you can become a mentor to that young person as you guide and educate him/her. . . a reward that is priceless. Mentoring also allows you to strengthen your coaching and leadership skills; not to mention the fact that the ability to manage people different from you is a valuable skill.
While I could add many more benefits to the list, I’m going to let our recent interns share why becoming a host is a worthwhile endeavor and what they gained from their experiences this past summer.
“Partnering with AAEA to host an intern ensures that your company is visible to the right students and tells those students it is worth applying for,” says Alexa Nordwald, a senior at the University of Missouri – Columbia.
As the intern with Minnesota-based Padilla, Nordwald says she knew she wanted to gain experience in an agency setting in a new city, so she could not only learn more about herself but her future career path.
“The marketing communications internship provided me with just that,” she says. “I learned about things like agency culture, proper client communication and media relations. Most importantly, I was able to put things I had learned in the classroom into practice.”
Cheyenne Dunn says AAEA’s editorial communications internship was everything she had hoped for and more.
“My duties as an intern included developing print and web stories, traveling with the TV show team, and taking photographs,” says Dunn, who was an intern with Successful Farming in Des Moines, Iowa. “From planning meetings to interviews to layout decisions, the Successful Farming team made sure I was involved in the entire process. They also allowed me to branch out from what I’m familiar with (livestock) and write stories about different segments of agriculture.
“As I prepare to head back to Purdue University for my senior year, I am incredibly grateful for how this opportunity helped me grow as an agricultural communicator,” she continues. “The things I learned can’t be taught in a classroom and will serve me well as I begin my career.”
As you can see, what both Alexa and Cheyenne – and the many interns before them – get out of these experiences is priceless!
It’s your company’s turn to help a young person gain practical experience. Be a part of that aspiring ag communicator’s journey as he or she develops and hones his or her skills thanks to the guidance, expertise, and mentoring your organization provides.
Click here to access the 2019 host company application.
The deadline to host either the 2019 AAEA editorial or marketing communications intern is Monday, October 1, 2018.
Don’t miss your opportunity to make a difference!
