If you’ve got an eye for social media, or are looking for an on campus job to leave your mark on the CSU community, look no further.
There are many jobs out there for students like you and me. Sometimes these experiences can be more than just jobs to us, and be something to add to our resume, build our experience, or foster a passion.
Application
I initially found the job posting for the social and digital media internship through Handshake. When making my resume for the job, I didn’t have any previous experience running or managing social media channels. So don’t feel discouraged if you don’t, either! I let my school pride, and passion for creativity stand out above all. You want your resume to show soft skills, such as responsibility, dependability, time management, creativity, autonomy, and attention to detail. It would also be helpful to add any social media experience if you do have any, like on personal platforms and accounts. This could range from any experience using Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or TikTok. Before this job, I had never used Facebook or Twitter in my life, so don’t count yourself out if you haven’t either. Also, don’t be discouraged to apply if your major is not social media based. I’m a Warner College of Natural Resources student!
On my resume I also made sure to highlight social media skills that weren’t as technology based, such as writing. Coming up with fun and engaging captions is something you will be tasked with doing weekly. Even if you know what’s trending at what times, it’s a great skill to capitalize on and apply to this job. Maybe you’re really good at aesthetics and design or even into music and audio. Whatever your interests or skills, I would encourage you to apply!
Interview
I applied for the position in October and heard back within a couple of weeks for an in-person interview. When going in for the interview, the best advice that I can give is to be yourself. It can be very nerve-wracking for some to do in-person interviews, but just know that the social media team is made up of amazing individuals who are deeply kind-hearted and community-oriented. They genuinely wanted to get to know me better, see who I was as a person, and how I could fit into their team. By the end of that week I had gotten an acceptance email and started my new position.
I met the entire team, disclosed my school schedule, made my own “office hours.” It’s really nice to have a space in the office that is separate from your home and school work space. Not to mention having your own desk is another level of joy that you never realize until you have one. I highly recommend carving out time at least once in your week to swing by the office. It’s also a great way to stay connected and catch up with team members.
Expectations
One of the many great aspects of this job is the flexibility. Your role as a student comes first and you have the ability to work completely around your school and social schedule. Being a full-time student, it can be a lot to take on another large responsibility. The work hours of up to 10 hours a week was perfect for me as a student to give my full attention to my studies, extracurriculars, and contribute to our CSU community.
Since this job has a large autonomous aspect I created a weekly schedule for myself for clocking in and setting aside time to work for roughly two hours every day. If I was really busy or tired on a particular day the time would vary. Alongside the schedule I made for myself, I designated certain days for posting, community management, writing blogs, and having check-ins. I organized this time by posting on Fridays, conducting community management every other day, writing blogs on weekdays and having larger check-ins on Mondays. This not only helped myself, but my team hold certain expectations for me.
Experience
Out of all of the jobs that I’ve held in the past, this one has had the best work environment that I have ever experienced. I was able to freely explore, express myself through the work, make some mistakes along the way, and learn so much about social media. The team is composed of amazing, smart, personable, and thoughtful individuals who absolutely excel at what they do. Their love for CSU is authentic. Having two accomplished female bosses was incredibly inspiring and rewarding. I learned so much through their guidance and kindness. It was genuinely something that I’ve never experienced in a work environment before and am extremely lucky to have come across.
I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity to make my mark on the CSU community by putting my skills and interests to use. After spending two semesters online due to COVID, I came back this year wanting to get involved and meet more people. This job is a great opportunity to do just that.
Interested in working on the CSU Social and Digital Media team? Check out our open internships: