A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Planning Intern Pursuit

Written by: Jalenah Darby

It All Starts with a Vision

Intern Pursuit may look like a perfectly assembled puzzle piece from an outsider’s perspective. However, there are many moving parts to organizing the largest communications, media, and film internship fair in Central Florida. Intern Pursuit (IP) is more than the UCF AD/PR internship fair. It encompasses everything from a freshman’s first impression of a major they are interested in to a senior’s start to their first big adult job. It’s a million different things to different people, and here’s an exclusive glimpse of what is going on in the puzzle box.

The first step in planning IP is to make sure we concentrate on our relationships within our community and understand our industry options. We have to envision our goals and reflect on what we have already accomplished in our previous semester. We contact our agencies, corporations, nonprofits, and connections we have. This clarity helps us plan our semester and make a strategy for our students and employers. 

Onboarding to Action

Planning a large, recurring event like Intern Pursuit involves assembling a talented team of directors, creatives, and leaders (that could be you!). I applied to Quotes’ executive team last Fall as the Director of Events so that I would be in charge of all things IP-related. The onboarding for this role was detailed and thorough, as it needed to be. I was pleasantly surprised by how meaningful the introduction to my new team turned out to be! I never realized just how deeply I would immerse myself in this role. 

This called for many early mornings spent answering emails, assisting with special events, attending board meetings, and adding to creative ideas. Additionally, this included planning out all posts, emails, and timeframes regarding IP. With all this responsibility came great rewards and practice for other opportunities, but it was never done alone; there were always fellow executive members to lean on.

Partnership and Partners

Sponsorships play a big role in elevating the event’s offerings. The Webmaster (Deborah Bello) and I combine our skills and reach out to organizations to become a Featured Internship. As a featured internship, employers get a dedicated feature on our site, along with premier placement and other advantages. The funds collected from Featured Internships are allocated entirely to the events organized for Quotes. Every great event starts with an even greater team, and this goes for both internal and external. I’ve learned that collaboration is the heart of planning IP. Everyone on the team, from our meetings or our group chat, chips in, and that goes for IP event preparation or just giving someone a ride to get some iced coffee. Each team member brings unique skills to the table, and then we divvy out the portions.

Promoting the Event

This is the fun part (one of many)! Marketing IP comes with making and approving graphics, sticking to a theme, and having our ambassadors reach out to share other events that we host. We host workshops to prepare you for IP, along with making TikToks, networking at events, getting email listings, and we praise word of mouth. We, as a team, combine our connections to form buzz and encourage a strong turnout!

The Big Day

When the day of IP finally arrives, it feels like a field trip day in middle school.  It’s months of hard work, excitement, and anticipation. Group chats are blowing up, your outfit is already laid out, just waiting for you to put it on, and there’s an energy in the air. The executive board gets to the venue hours early to set up; communication is on 10 this day. We double and triple-check the tables’ position and ensure signage is up. As students and employers check in, booths buzz with conversation and instructions. Even when challenges arise, which they usually do, we smoothly fix and adjust.

Reflecting and Growing

After the event ends, we take a step back to reflect. What worked well? What could we improve? Gathering feedback from attendees, sponsors, and team members is a very important part of the process. It’s how we ensure that each Intern Pursuit is better than the last.

Why It All Matters

For students, Intern Pursuit is more than a school event; it’s a chance to think about their future and take steps toward it. For employers, it’s an opportunity to connect with the next generation of potential talent.