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Melissa Longo

Marketing and English

Marketing Internship

Fall 1998

  • I learned to focus on the consumer and try to use the same mindset they use. Try to think like the consumer. This way you can address their needs
  • I learned to try to find out why a potential advertiser says that they will not advertise with us. I kept trying to address them so that we can try again.
  • I found out that Microsoft Access is a valuable tool for keeping and upgrading sales data, as well as for the creation of reports
  • I found out the importance of the image you present to the potential advertisers. Make sure your materials are the best possible (for example, read your media its thoroughly, watch the tone of your calls, e-mail's, and any other communication you may have with the client)
  • I found out that, in order to appreciate different ideas, you have to keep an open mind. However, it is also very important to become critical of why a particular strategy might not work. This is difficult to do if the strategy is your own. I learned to list all of the reasons why or why not the strategy may or may not work. During this process, you are forced to cut out the unessential steps and streamline your plan. Essentially, you can say that I learned the basic process and application of plan management.
  • It is important to remember that any elaborate plan that you make, you have to maintain. You cannot delegate at this level, so watch unnecessary intricacies.
  • I learned Microsoft Access
  • I learned Microsoft Excel
  • I wrote and critiqued a media kit

These are just some of the behaviors and skills that I have learned at my internship at TriCity Computing Magazine. As with experience, there is more knowledge gained than I could ever hope to set down on paper. It is important just to use this experience fully as a learning tool.

English Internship

Sring 1998

  • I learned to use Microsoft Access
  • I learned to use Microsoft Excel
  • I learned the particulars of layout (what is needed and when)
  • I learned how to edit while keeping true to the authors' style (or how not to make every article sound like I wrote it)
  • I learned the importance of voice within a magazine and how adding a few words can make such a difference
  • I learned to recognize that the real end of an article is not when all of the information is relayed, but when the article loses the interest of the reader. That is why it is so important to keep your article fresh enough so that you'd want to read it again
  • I learned to read what you wrote; it's basic, but it keeps you from handing the editor something that would just make him/her tear their hair out
  • I learned that, by writing a very simple outline before writing that big story, you're able to hit all of the essential points more clearly and concisely. Your article flows, telling all of the information clearly
  • WATCH YOUR GRAMMAR!!!!
  • When writing about a subject that does not hold my interest, I learned to be sure to be vigilant for mistakes within the text (such as inaccurate information) that would certainly drive the enthusiasts crazy
  • In my major, I rarely ever got to learn anything new about computers. It is a refreshing change to learn something new almost every time I write and article. (How often is it that you can say that you learned something new almost every time you wrote a piece?)

These are just some of the behaviors and skills that I have learned at my internship at TriCity Computing Magazine. As with any experience, there is more knowledge gained than I could ever hope to set down on paper. It is important just to use this experience fully as a learning tool.