Major: Communications Arts and Sciences, Art History
Minor: Korean, Information Sciences and Technology minor for Communication Arts and Sciences
Hometown: Qingdao, China

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

I worked in the Marketing and Communications department as the Marketing intern. Every Monday (all day) and Wednesday afternoons consisted of Museum Studies program which included tours and presentations from all departments. The rest of the week we worked on projects in our offices. My job consisted of a couple different projects including strategic planning for digital advertising, exhibition title comparison, and creative partnership opportunities. It was a very good networking experience because we were able to reach out to staff across departments and were able to have private conversations. The experience also allowed me to explore my potentials in areas (such as marketing) that I was not familiar with. The hands on experience on projects and being present at meetings allowed me to understand the diverse opportunities a museum can offer.

The experience really allowed me to put information I learned in class into practice.

How did this experience impact you academically?

It allowed me to put what I learned in class into practice. For example CAS 483 Communication Information and Technology points out the importance of social media and I was able to see how social media is used in a large institution for advertising purposes. My Korean minor came into play as I discussed the Korean art market and ways of attracting audience with the Korean curator. The experience really allowed me to put information I learned in class into practice. I am currently taking CAS 452, Organizational Communications. Even though its only been less than two weeks in class, I can already relate my experiences from my internship to the lectures in class which allow the lectures to be much more applicable and relevant.

What are your career goals and plans?  How did this experience impact them?

I was not aware of the different types of jobs at a museum setting and had not thought about pursuing marketing as a career. My supervisor at the job suggested that I pursue a marketing career, so this experience definitely allowed me to see new opportunities. I hope to begin my career in Auction or the Museum doing communications. Because I am an international student from China with a minor in Korean, my ultimate goal is to be the cultural bridge between the Asian and Western art worlds. Since art follows the market, and China has an increasing demand and interest for art I see opportunities for myself in that area.

Would you recommend this experience to other Liberal Arts students?

I would strongly recommend this experience because a Museum is not all about Art. There are research jobs, archival job, communications and marketing jobs (social media, press), exhibition planning, curatorial, and so much more! Although this is an unpaid internship, the experience and networking opportunities is worth the time. The internship has been done for many years and is very structured and well respected by the staff at the museum.