William Messmer

Majors: Marketing and Media & Mass Communication; Certificates: Entrepreneurship & Innovation 

Marketing Intern, Bowen Engineering 

1.) How did you learn about this internship opportunity? 

I learned about this internship opportunity through other friends who were looking for jobs in construction around the same time. They saw the Marketing Internship for Bowen open up and sent it to me and said I should apply because they're a great company. This goes to show the power of networking and making connections in the professional world, no matter what industry it is. 

2.) How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals?  How do you apply your Liberal Arts skills to your internship?  

This internship has allowed me to strengthen my skills in content creation and communication. I've had the lead on many projects where I've had to reach out to project managers all across the country and get in contact with various other companies to work with. Being a Liberal Arts student taught me the importance of communication in the workplace and strengthened my ability to effectively communicate with these people.

3.) What is a piece of advice you would give someone looking for an internship?  

Grow and utilize your network! These days applying to jobs can only get you so far and may not even get you an interview. Having someone you know on the inside or some connection with the company already puts you a step ahead of other candidates and can get you that initial interview where you can then show them what you can provide to the company.

4.) What specific responsibilities have you undertaken during your internship?

My role in this internship was focused on content creation. I was able to travel to many of Bowen's jobsites all across the country to take photo and video content to be used for our company website, social media accounts, recruiting assets, and sales assets. I also assisted our business development team in strategizing proposals, execution plans, and job summary documents. 

5.) In what ways has the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University supported your internship journey? How has your participating in our job-ready program specifically aided your professional development? 

Being a CLA student has helped me through the development of my creative and interpersonal skills. CLA classes push for a lot of teamwork which has improved my interpersonal communication skills and leadership. Along with that all of my classes have sharpened my videography and photography skills that I took into this internship.

6.) Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in this program that you find particularly noteworthy? 

 I really enjoy how this program brings CLA students from all majors together. Being a communication student most of my classes are major specific but this program allowed me to branch out, meet new people, and learn about other majors within CLA.