Alliance Française de Las Vegas: Social Media & Marketing Internship

This internship was primarily virtual, and the picture I have included is of myself and another Alliance Française Summer Intern in the Lied Library. We often met up to complete our tasks at the library, so that we could collaborate and help one another on our very different yet interconnected tasks. This internship was a really great opportunity for me to incorporate my major in French language, as I was able to practice my language skills on a regular basis. With very few exceptions, all of my work was completed in French, and though I felt fairly comfortable before the internship began, I can definitely tell that it has increased my capabilities. My upper level French conversation-focused courses were definitely helpful, and contributed to my success in this internship. It's one thing to prepare a class assignment ahead of tme, but contributing effectively in the moment during a marketing meeting with international partners who are fluent speakers is another thing entirely. My increased French language proficiency as a result of this internship has been a huge benefit, and has provided an excellent foundation as I move forward in my linguistic career. For future interns interested in working with the Alliance Française, I suggest they take at least a semester of French to really maximize their experience. The organization specializes in French education and everyone within the organization spoke English, so while mastery of French is not required for the position I held, it is a unique opportunity to practice in a very learning friendly environment with fluent speakers. That being said, to create effective marketing content that focuses on Francophone culture and language, background knowledge in the language and regions it is spoken is very helpful. This internship required me to be comfortable working independently, and autonomously, with attention to detail and deadlines. Because my supervisor was often traveling, it was necessary for me to make sure that my work was completed and submitted to her as far in advance as possible, and because my internship was mostly virtual, I was the main one holding myself accountable outside of our biweekly meetings. Future interns should definitely keep this aspect in mind when considering applying, as this is definitely a skill worth developing, but is not something that comes easily to everyone. I am very motivated and I enjoyed my job as a content creator and marketing liaison, so staying on track wasn't terribly difficult. While this isn't my first experience in a Social Media Marketing position, this is the first time I have worked with a non-profit organization. I am very interested in continuing to be a part of community driven organizations, and Social Media Marketing continues to be a field I enjoy and hope to have more opportunities in. To gain a full-time position in this field, I need to build up my portfolio a bit more. Aside from having more tangible examples of my work, outside of the two organizations that make up my current portfolio, I think that I am adequately prepared for this career field.