Elizabeth Brunette

With which organization did you intern?

Wells Fargo

Where is it located? 

Minneapolis, Minnesota

How did you find out about the internship? 

I searched for internships using the university’s job website, and I applied for the Communications Internship at Wells Fargo. It took me awhile to find an internship that was a good fit, and I’m glad that I found this one!

What were your responsibilities?

I had the opportunity to write and edit stories for both internal and external publication, create a capstone internship project on a team of six, and report on key metrics for stories and communications materials. I also got to do some work with organizational announcements and learn about brand management through sitting in on meetings and asking lots of questions!

What did you most enjoy? 

I am extremely interested in how companies brand themselves - from the design of websites to the logos that are used to the writing style of a company. I got to work with talented communicators and designers who think about branding all the time, and that was extremely interesting. I even got to lead the branding of our internship project, and I loved it!

What is something that you learned from your internship experience? 

I learned how to prioritize my work. In school, I know exactly what is going to be due on which dates, so I can plan ahead and make a schedule. More or less, I know what to expect. On any given week at my internship, I didn’t know what would come up or if I would have to write something on a quick deadline. It was so beneficial for me to learn to say “yes” to what I could take on, figure out what was most important, and set realistic timelines for myself and the projects I worked on.

How will your internship help you in your future studies/career? 

I gained so much confidence through this internship, and my team was absolutely wonderful in their willingness to mentor me and encourage me. I realized that I am capable of juggling a lot of projects, working on short deadlines, and delivering a product that is worth publishing. The confidence I gained will definitely impact how I approach my assignments and interactions with classmates, professors, and employers. I know I am able to achieve high standards, and this will help me both in class and in my job search after college.   

What's one piece of advice you would give other students about securing an exciting internship? 

I would say don’t settle and have fun in your search. Interviews can be pretty intimidating, and being turned down feels awful (I applied to a lot of internships before getting this one). Employers want to get to know you, though, not just your resume. So, when you’re applying to internships, be yourself and know that you are valuable - your classwork, extracurricular activities, and passions are important and will add to the team on which you intern!