Did you have the opportunity to do an internship when you were younger? Or perhaps you are young and are looking to find an internship – like I was very recently. Tigris gave me the opportunity to work with them as an intern which was greatly appreciated. I have learned a lot from working with everybody here in the office.
Coming into this event management internship I expected to learn about event planning, event marketing and advertising. So far I have only been here for six days and I have already learned important information that will be beneficial to me in the future. I have learned a lot more than just the basics of event management. In the short time I’ve been in the office, I’ve already had the chance to do some of the payroll. I was able to work on their social media campaign for June and was taught how to properly market them in the online community. I learned about temporary staffing for events and how big brands take advantage of them.
Since the start of my internship, I can confidently say that I have had the a lot of fun working here compared to other jobs I have had in the past. I enjoy working with the other people in the office. They are all extremely helpful and they don’t mind stopping what they are doing to help me if I have a question on something. Everybody is always in a good mood and for me it’s a big thing when the attitude in the office is positive because it makes for a relaxed work place.
I definitely have had an oops moment since working here and it came on my first day while making my first phone call. As I introduced myself to one of the temporary staff members I pronounced Tigris wrong, only to be corrected by someone in the office, you can imagine how embarrassing that was. I feel that everything I’ve learned will help me find a job in the future as I can now say I’ve had some hands on experience. I would have to say that if I had an opportunity to do an internship again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Working this internship and working with the people here has been my favorite part of it all.
Tigris has helped me improve in three crucial areas, event management, social media marketing, and the creative side of things.
1) Events Management
Before I arrived at Tigris I had an idea of what event management was about but it didn’t even scratch the surface. Here at Tigris, they made an effort right away by helping me further my knowledge of what events management actually is. They taught me that event management is known to be one of the best strategic marketing and communication tools for companies of all different sizes. It can cover anything from festivals to press conferences and live entertainment. They also taught me how to study the brand and identify the target audience for that particular product.
An event manager is responsible for a lot more than setting up the event and making a few phone calls. Tigris taught me that the event manager is responsible for brand building, event design, marketing, communication and budgeting. Some of the things they had me do for an upcoming event was making phone calls to the staff to make sure they received their training packages and to make sure they are still working the event. Another thing I did was make an excel sheet to keep track of all the information of the contestants for Miss & Mr. CHIN International, an event Tigris has planned annually for 11 years.
2) Social Media Marketing
As we all know social media runs this day and age and its a big part of marketing your company. It’s the process of gaining website traffic or attention through other popular websites. Tigris uses different forms of social media marketing and I was fortunate to be able to work with some of it including facebook, twitter and also a bit on their website. I found it especially interesting how they track everything. I even got to design a couple of newsletters.
3) Creative Side
With a creative background I am used to limited boundaries when working on projects. When working on a newsletter or training package there is a little more instruction to follow because you have to be aware of the company or brand you are representing and you have to keep in mind what their target market is. Personally I wasn’t used to the structure at first but working with it now for a week I have really enjoyed being creative for a company or product. I would say overall, I most enjoyed working with the creative side at Tigris.
If you’re looking for an internship, whether it’s an event management internship or something else, it’s important to find a company who can give you some of the hands on experience you’ll need to get into the workforce. You also want a company that gives you the time to learn and the flexibility to make the occasional mistake. I can’t say anything better about my time with Tigris and look forward to coming back in August to complete my hours.
Duncan is head into his 4th year of university at Westminster University in Pennsylvania. He is taking a BA in media arts and design – and is completing his education on a full baseball scholarship. He is completing 80 hours for his internship which will be completed over the summer 2015.