Richard Torres

Comm 386
Journal 1

Working Remotely and Handling Deadlines
Jan. 22, 2014- Feb. 18, 2014

Since I was 16 years old I have worked for the same restaurant company and
loved every minute of it. I have learned to adopt the company culture as my own and
value customer service like never before. Almost a decade later since starting at that
company I have been involved in so many different projects, from management
training, to new store openings, and most recently internal communications for
some of our locations. But one thing that all these years at this company has not
prepared me for is working away from an actual building.
This semester I will be working as a blog and social media intern for a small
start-up media company based out of Washington D.C. called Intellectuals DC. The
organization specializes in creating 4-6 minute video blogs of influential members of
the Washington D.C. area. My job is to write blogs that complement these video
blogs in informative and engaging ways. In addition to writing these blogs I will also
be responsible for producing social media content that promotes the organizations
mission to produce engaging and informative material on topics of interest to the
citys culturally affluent and educated members.
So far it has been a bit of a culture shock, as I have had to get used to working
from outside of the office. No one in the organization has a set schedule or is
expected to be in the office on any specific days.
(more)
I communicate with my supervisor most by email or text and she informs me when I
am expected to come in for team meetings or office time.
As the producer of our video blogs, my supervisors schedule is also very hectic so
she relies on me to do things in a timely manner in case things need to be changed.
One of the things that has become apparent in the culture of Intellectuals DC
is the importance placed on deadlines. I have been assigned specific days and time
frames when my responsibility is to manage and produce social media posts. During
these time frames I cannot be occupied with other activities since I have to monitor
how our posts are being received and interact with our online audience when
necessary.
So far this internship is preparing me for working with deadlines, which I
know will be a huge part of my career as a public relations practitioner and working
outside of the office. As part of my career goals, I hope to travel often and gaining
experience on how to discipline myself to be productive outside of an office setting
is crucial to getting ready for the world after graduation.

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Richard Torres
Comm 386
Journal 2

Interning/working for a start-up
Feb. 19, 2014-April 1, 2014

Since beginning my internship, I have been exposed to a lot of different
aspects of working for a new start-up company. So far, it has been a little challenging
for me to get used to the informal structure of handling IntellectualDC projects and
assignments. My internship supervisor has been very supportive and has started to
pay more attention to my work and overall development as an intern. Unlike my
other work experiences, my internship allows me to exercise a lot of freedom in the
way that I write and to create my own voice in the blog I am managing and my social
media posts.
One of the things that I am getting used to is the on-the-fly changes that occur
often at start-ups. Since I have started, I have tried to follow the social media content
calendar I created for myself to facilitate the posts that I make, but depending on
what is going on around the world I have to be quick to adapt to the changes in what
I post.
For example, I recently had to attend a protest in support of the Ukraine and
its efforts to keep Russia out of the country. The day of the protest I had scheduled
different content to post online, but quickly had to adjust it to share live updates
from the protest on our social media platforms.
The communication in the office is still very digitally dependent.
(more)
Some days I have to wait a couple of days before I get clarification on something that
I am working on, which means when I get the answers I am expecting I have to be
ready to use it and submit my assignment.
As spring nears, I am getting ready to attend a lot of events that are being
held in the DMV. The expectation is for me to send real-time posts on social media
and then write a blog about the event. I am looking forward to attending these
events because I know they will help me improve my social media practices.
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Richard Torres
Comm 386
Journal 2

Networking
Apr. 2, 2014-May 10, 2014

As my internship comes to an end I want to dedicate this journal to the
power of networking and good impressions. I have had the pleasure of working with
a great team of thinkers and doers. My internship supervisor is very well connected
in the Washington D.C. area and through her I have encountered some of the
smartest people I have ever met. I feel as though she really trusts me to represent
her and IDC in any public setting and because of that I have been able to establish
myself as a person of interest to some of her colleagues.
One of my most recent connections was with an accountant from Deloitte.
We met at an event featuring world-renowned visionary Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev,
whom I wrote a blog about, and exchanged contact information. Through her I have
been in contact with a Deloitte recruiter in the Chicago office for possible marketing
and communication opportunities in the fall.
Through my time here I have learned the importance of making good and
lasting impressions. The key to creating these impressions is to carry yourself with
confidence and to treat people with respect. My supervisor shared wisdom on
networking earlier on and I remember her telling me that the best way to make an
impression is to let the other person talk about him or herself as much as possible.
This has been crucial in making these connections because people feel good when
they talk about themselves and remember that feeling when they think about you.
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