Intern with WGI

Intern with WGI

I did; why you should too!

By Hayley Holloway

I am a recent college grad who interned for WGI during my final semester this past spring. I was a Communications major, and was looking for an internship in marketing, copywriting, public relations, or social media. During my search, I found that WGI offered a Marketing Intern position. Having participated for three years with Mechanicburg High School’s pit, I thought this would be a great opportunity. My WGI memories from high school were some of my favorites. After high school, I didn’t keep up with WGI news, so the possibility of reconnecting with the organization was amazing. I decided to apply for the position, and was lucky to receive it.

Here’s what you should know about interning with WGI:

Flexibility
I went to Lebanon Valley College, a school in central Pennsylvania, so I worked remotely. My internship hours were chosen with my class schedule in mind, so it fit in great with my weekly schedule. Not all WGI internships have location flexibility, but work hours will always be scheduled around classes.

First – Hand Experience
I loved my experience with WGI because I got so much first-hand experience, which I might not have been able to get if I worked for a larger organization. My main duties were creating and sending out the digital awards after each competition weekend and helping with social media management and planning. I had learned about social media in many classes — it’s one thing to read about best practices and strategies in a textbook and to actually see how an organization manages its social media engagement. I monitored the social media content calendar that had ideas for posts and then scheduled those posts on Hootsuite, a website that helps manage social media accounts and schedule posts for the future. It’s often overlooked how much work goes into social media. I spent a lot of time making graphics, coming up with the right wording for a post, and finding great photos to share.

A Different POV
I loved my internship because it was a lot of fun to see WGI from a different perspective. I used to only see it from the perspective of a participant, and had no idea how much else went on behind the scenes. My favorite part of my internship was attending Percussion World Championships. The last time I attended was in 2013, and I had an absolute blast seeing the event from the other side. I got to help prep the lounges in the hotel for the judges, hang signs, sell the souvenir drumheads, and do social media coverage for two days of competition. WGI sets up headquarters at the University of Dayton Arena during Championships, where I spent a lot of time. The events are run by tons of volunteers; without them, the events couldn’t run as smoothly because WGI has a fairly small full-time staff. Meeting and being welcomed by this community of volunteers was a great feeling. I truly enjoyed being around so many people who care so much about this organization to give up days of their time every year.

College Credit
WGI also made it very easy to coordinate with my college to make sure I received credit for my internship.

Overall, I had the best internship experience that I could have hoped for. I worked for an organization that I really cared about, I got to meet a lot of great people, and I gained practical experience that will be helpful to my professional career. I am so thankful to WGI for this experience.

For information on open internship opportunities for the coming season, visit: wgi.org/internships.