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I took on this internship, quite
honestly, because the end of my senior year was approaching
and I was afraid to graduate without one. I’m not quite
certain what I want to do with my life but I’m certain that I
want to write. I thought that an internship for a website
(Emmitsburg.net) would be a good place for me to sharpen my
editing skills while providing me with the opportunity to
write my own articles, and not to mention adding “Editor” to
my credentials on my resume.
This
internship hasn’t been quite what I had expected, but
nonetheless it has taught me a variety of things. I do not
work in an office setting, rather I work at the home of the
website creator (Mike Hillman), but I find that working from
home is no less demanding as far as time-management and
deadlines. I still have responsibilities, and hard work and
efficiency in all that I do for this website is crucial to its
success.
For the
first two weeks, I was a “student” of the site. I was
introduced to the world of internet “knowledge sharing.” Mike
has taught me a number of things about creating web pages and
linking information for user-friendly access, but more
importantly, I have learned how a knowledge of this sort can
help me in whatever field I choose upon graduation, and
especially considering my specialty in Communications. In
today’s world, the Internet is communication.
It is growing more and more rapidly every day, and just about
any company or institution that has a name, has a website. It
is a way of connecting with audiences, with customers, with
other organizations, and even with people within an
organization. Website management REQUIRES the skill of
effective communication, and ultimately, that is how I will
benefit from this internship.
After I
spent some time learning the in’s and out’s of the website and
it’s purpose (which is to create a community link between
information, people, and content that will bring visitors to
the site and keep them coming back), I began working on the
scanning and text recognition process for the interactive,
online use of Robert Chambers’ The Book of Days, a
historical document dating from 1864. There are few online
accesses to this book and the one created by Emmitsburg.net
will be one of the first that is interactive. It was my duty
to scan these pages, edit the text using text recognition
software, transition it to a web-page format, and examine the
content to find user-friendly links (meaning words or phrases
that a user might want a definition or explanation for, and
including a link from the site’s definition page right to the
word or phrase on its original page).
I did this
for a number of weeks, working both out of Mike’s home and on
my own time using my portable laptop. I put in many hours on
this and found it to be not quite the experience I was hoping
for, knowing that although any job will require, especially at
first, a number of unfavorable tasks or busy-work, I needed
something more useful if I were going to benefit from this
experience. This is why we worked out a plan for me to write
my own articles for the site.
The site
has a special section for “Interesting and Creative Articles”
that range from a variety of topics. I have free reign to
write on just about whatever idea so pleases me. This can be
daunting, however, as with too much freedom, it is hard to
narrow down a worthy subject. I plan on using this freedom to
web-author a number of interesting articles, drawing on the
many styles I have learned within my time here as a
Communications major. Additionally, I feel these articles
will be valuable additions to my portfolio, considering that
employers want to see a prospective writer’s style and
ability. They will remain on the site, as well, with a link
to my resume and contact information (a minor job marketing
strategy).
Now that I
have completed the more menial scanning and editing of The
Book of Days, and continue to produce works of my own
for submission, Mike has promised to switch gears for the
second half of the semester and teach me about marketing the
effort over the internet. I am hoping to gain knowledge in
this area that will benefit me whether I have a job with a
magazine, a public relations firm, a television company, or
wherever I might find myself with employment.
I know that
having knowledge in web-related areas is definitely a benefit
in today’s job market, and I do not regret having this
experience as a way of setting myself above all the other
writers and communicators looking for jobs in this field.
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"Imagination is more important than knowledge... knowledge is
limited, but imagination encircles the world. To see with
one's own eyes, to feel and judge without succumbing to the
suggestive power of the fashion of the day, to be able to
express what one has seen and felt in a trim sentence or even
in a cunningly wrought word... is that not glorious? When I
examine myself and my methods of thought, I come close to the
conclusion that the gift of imagination has meant more to me
than my talent for absorbing absolute knowledge."
-Albert Einstein
The most
important thing I learned throughout this internship is that
my ability to write and communicate far outweighs any
knowledge that I could acquire in technical areas such as
internet and web-building functions. In my first reflection,
I recognized how this technical knowledge will help me along
whatever career path I am led, and I stand by that idea
because I have seen how the internet has carved the
communication of the present and the future. If I want to be
a part of that communication, knowledge in the area is
essential.
However, in
this second half of the semester, I have realized that without
the ability of good writers and communicators working BEHIND
the technical scenes, the efforts and knowledge in the area of
technical skill is useless. What good is knowledge and skill
of website creation and maintenance if there are not people
with the ability to fill it with content?
I have
enjoyed writing articles for emmitsburg.net over the past few
weeks. It has challenged me to think about the importance of
writing for a particular audience. It has helped me to see
that my craft is essential to the craft of any skilled
internet technician. It has forced me to practice my writing,
knowing that my work would not be intended solely for myself
or for my professors, but for a wider range of readers.
This
internship has not turned out to be what I had initially
expected. I thought it would be more geared toward the
editing process; and while it has certainly allowed for the
practice of my editing skills, it has been much more useful in
helping me to realize how my education, background, and skill
in writing and communicating will ultimately earn me the
career and future I am looking for.
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