In this next installment, Upma Kapoor writes about what it's like to be the Web and Social Media intern.
Dedicating every living moment to the internet sounds like the dream job for a handful of 20-somethings. Fact: I and many other applicants may have underestimated the investment, intense consumption of knowledge, and responsibility towards managing social media. I applied for an internship at Island Press because the organization operates on two subjects I identify with on a personal level: literature and the environment. The Web and Social Media internship, unmistakably, provides me with a platform to learn how to make information about the environment more interesting and accessible to the masses.
We broadcast our books to a large audience, but those readers double or triple when news is published online. What I find both challenging and rewarding is the virtue frequently forgotten: the internet is written in ink. Errors, while made, are often avoidable: I draft tweets, proofread posts, and carefully select articles with the intention of educating and attracting more readers, inevitably leading them to Island Press.
Sitting at a desktop and live-tweeting our current climate crisis is only one aspect of my job description. I work with Jason Leppig, Island Press’ Marketing Manager, with developing online e-blasts, scheduling updates, advertising publications, and maintaining regular installments for the intern experience for IP Field Notes. At its core, this internship is interdisciplinary as I have gained some irreplaceable insight in writing, advertising, marketing and publishing.
Most importantly, I am constantly recognizing the sustainable solutions surrounding us today.
I think I’ll tweet about it.
