by Britany A. Byers

When I started my internship at the Columbus Chamber I had one goal in mind; work so hard that they offer me a full-time job.

My marketing internship began in January 2011 and in the five months of working I grew to love the Chamber, its mission and its employees. With graduation right around the corner, what better way to prepare myself for the “real world” than work near full-time hours at an organization that never sleeps?

A successful internship, in my opinion, is one that challenges and utilizes an intern and continuously involves the intern in the organization’s operations. The Columbus Chamber did that and more.

The Chamber helped me develop a feel for how to work and operate in the professional world. My day-to-day tasks and side projects truly made me feel like another Chamber employee, and not just an intern. My supervisors trusted me with big projects, such as compiling content for an advertorial in C.E.O. Magazine, and appreciated my opinion. They made me feel like a valuable part of the team.

The Chamber not only taught me professional skills but also helped me on a personal level. I have always wanted to live in Columbus but never really knew why. Through my internship I learned all about Columbus, its assets and its award-winning rankings. The Chamber confirmed my belief of wanting to live in Columbus in the future.

When my internship ended, there were no open positions in the marketing department. I was very disappointed, but I realized that working toward the goal of getting a job with the Chamber is what made the internship successful. I was always hungry for more work and never afraid to take a stab at something I hadn’t done before. Having this attitude allowed me to show my supervisors what I was capable of which then increased my range of responsibilities. Thanks to my internship experience I feel more confident in myself, my skills and my plans for the future. I am ready for the “real world.”

If I could offer any advice to employers who hire interns it would be to use the heck out of them. An internship doesn’t have to stay tailored to the job description that he or she applied for. Make an intern’s time worthwhile. Challenging an intern can result in growth for your intern and success for your organization.

As for interns, make goals at the beginning of the internship. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or take on additional responsibility. Your internship should benefit you just as much as your work benefits an organization.

Britany Byers is a former intern at the Columbus Chamber. Britany is a 2011 graduate of Otterbein University and currently works fulltime as a reporter for This Week Community Newspapers. Check out more of her musings at BritanyAByers.wordpress.com and follow @BritanyByers.

By Quanice Shumpert and Cody Price

Located downtown in the Lazarus building, the Columbus Chamber has become a learning lab for two Ohio State University students, Quanice Shumpert and Cody Price. Both seniors, Quanice comes from an economic background, whereas Cody is the Chamber’s first city and regional planning intern. Both are interning in the economic development department of the Chamber, specializing in economic analysis.

Quanice’s Experience

As a Columbus Chamber Intern, I am given an insight into a whole new business world that you only learn and read about in college. My internship experience is everything I thought that it would be, and more. This experience will help me gain a better understanding of the possibilities my major in economics offers me.

So far I have sat in on major staff meetings, discussing the changes at the Chamber and the role of Columbus 2020!

My internship coordinator, Dr. Bill LaFayette, has exciting new projects for me to dig into every day. From analyzing data for quarterly reports to preparing economic/demographic assessments for new business ventures to come into Columbus, every task has a real life purpose and meaning.  I truly feel like I’m learning valuable information for my career in economics and building bridges and networking connections to last a lifetime.

Cody’s Experience

Being the Chamber’s first city and regional panning intern first came as a shock to me, because economic development is a key part in planning a successful city. When first interviewing for the position, Dr. Bill LaFayette and I hit it off for we had a similar interest in real estate. Dr. LaFayette received his Ph.D. in Real Estate from The Ohio State University, and being interested in real estate myself, I knew this would be a great fit.

When I first started working for the Chamber, I was involved in numerous data analysis projects that would analyze employment and population statistics for the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area. From this, we would be able to project future trends and find out “the behind-the-scenes” answers to questions such as, “why has the employment rate decreased?” Knowing how to interpret data is a vital part to most careers nowadays because computers are used to compute the data but they are not able to actually analyze the data, which is where I assist Dr. LaFayette in this process.

We have now added more exciting adventures and are currently working on an investment opportunity for the downtown Columbus area. Learning the ropes on how a project is first started to its completion is a valuable learning experience which cannot be taught inside a classroom. I am very excited to have been given this opportunity and will value this experience when I further my career after graduation in spring 2011.

Quanice Shumpert is a senior majoring in economics at The Ohio State University. She is originally from Columbus, OH.

Cody Price is a senior majoring in city and regional planning at The Ohio State University. He is originally from Marion, OH.

By Steven Nyeste

Many college students are motivated, excited and desire creating change and leaving their marks in life after graduation. My question is, why wait?

During my nine months as the community affairs intern with the Village of Canal Winchester, not only did I gain experiences that directly lead toward my future career path in government and public affairs, but I helped implement social media for the village’s overall communication strategy.

I worked closely with my boss in drafting a plan, and then working on explaining the benefits of having a presence on both Twitter and Facebook to village officials. We had to do some convincing and we had many obstacles to overcome, but we kept at it.

With a budget of exactly $0 to complete the project, I helped my boss with tips, suggestions and tools from various websites that I had been researching, along with creating a list of people to follow on Twitter. I actually designed the current layout on the Twitter page. What happened? The village of Canal Winchester embraced the new social media presence. Citizens now know where they can go to find answers to questions, and to share any concerns and most often, kind words about what they love about living there.

At a village council meeting, my boss and I presented the new pages to the media in attendance, along with the village officials. I was asked a few questions by reporters, and I was quoted in one publication, and had my name published in another. Having a few quotes in the paper while only being an intern is an awesome feeling.

There was a lot of work involved in the planning, researching, convincing and designing of this project and at first the project seemed overbearing. I knew going in that this project would add a lot of work on my part and it could have been easier deferring the project. When an opportunity like this comes along, however, I knew I had to take it. I believe the whole point in an internship to be challenged and to grow from the experiences; otherwise, what’s the point of having the internship?

My suggestions to you interns out there: Learn all you can about the company or organization you work for. Once you know all you can, don’t be afraid to make suggestions and use research as your source of confidence. Successfully achieving tasks is great, but if you help implement something that makes your boss’ life easier, your organization will never forget you and your hard work. Don’t just reach expectations, but become remarkable and overachieve. Leave your mark, even if you are only in college!

Steven Nyeste received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Dominican University in May. He majored in public relations.

Columbus Internships intern spotlights put a focus on students, their experience, what they do and how they are involved with local businesses.