Intern of the Week: James Gallagher for English/MCS

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 12:20:47 -0400
careers, english, internoftheweek, internships, mcs, mediaandcommunicationstudies

Name: James Gallagher

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Lockheed Martin

Position Title: Communications Intern in the Ethics Department

Major(s)/Minor(s): English, Media & Communications Studies

Expected Graduation Year: May 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I didn’t have clearly defined job duties or anything like that. More or less, in the words of my supervisor, I'm there to "wordsmith." Wherever the Ethics department needs it, I work with words to create a solid, usable product. That could be infographics, memos, news articles, social media posts, reports, presentations, talking points, or any number of other assignments. My responsibility is to help wherever I can by creating effective and engaging ways of communication.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

This internship came to me completely out of nowhere. I spent tons of time on UMBCworks, but for whatever reason I didn't end up at any of the places I found there. My mom actually forwarded me the Lockheed Martin intern application page, but I have no idea how she found it. I came so, so close to not applying because I didn't have much passion to work for a tech company. I wanted to work somewhere artsier, somewhere smaller, somewhere with more creativity. But at the last minute, I did apply, because I was applying to as many places as I could. After putting in my name for a "non-tech" internship, I received a phone interview, and it was a good ride since. I'm so happy I applied and gave it a chance, because it's been such a great experience. Sometimes you find a fit where you don't expect it, so never rule anything out.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

It's a very supportive workplace. Everyone stops to talk to me, everyone says hi in the hallway, and we have a lot of group lunches. That support isn't just social–it's also professional. I've had coworkers bring my resume places without me ever asking; I've been introduced to more people than I can count for the sake of networking; no one's ever too busy to answer a question that I have. As an intern, it seems like you're supposed to stay quiet and stay out of sight, but at Lockheed Martin it's the opposite. Every one of my coworkers is actively trying to create learning and professional opportunities for me, and I'm very grateful.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

It would be easy to talk about the overarching big picture impacts of improving Ethics and ethical conduct in a formerly corrupt field. But that's not really where I see my impact. Sure, the daily tasks that I completed contributed to that broader mission, but my impact was much more immediate. Just by being there, by providing my feedback in conference calls, by helping facilitate training sessions, by putting more time into tasks than a “real” employee ever could, I helped my team do their jobs. I built some great relationships at Lockheed Martin, so that's a great impact for me, but it goes both ways. By being helpful and willing to work, I helped my team accomplish so much and I made their summer a little easier.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

The biggest thing I would say is never to dismiss an opportunity. There were all kinds of things I didn't want to do this summer. I was never really interested in script writing, I didn't want to attend a trade conference, and I was too shy to want to spend time with my VP. But I did all of them and I learned from them, and I think I'm in a better position now than I was before. I love my comfort zone more than anyone, but I'm realizing that it's true–you have to leave your comfort zone sometimes. I wouldn't have gotten anything out of this summer if I hadn't.