Communication, leadership, organization, management and teamwork: these are just a few of the skills students involved with internships have learned through the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences.

On Tuesday, students displayed posters that summed up their experiences during their internships in the Lumpkin Student Lounge.

One of those students was Mark Smith, a junior management information systems major, who interned at Archer Daniels Computing in Decatur.

“I was nervous when I first started, going into this corporate setting,” Smith said.

Archer Daniels Computing sets up and builds computers for businesses and people who have a specific idea of what the computer will be used for, Smith said.

“The first computer I helped build was for the CEO of the company,” Smith continued. “I was so scared – he could just fire me.”

During his internship, Smith said he learned how to act in a corporate setting.

“I have the social skills and I’m not nervous to talk to CEO’s anymore,” he said.

The poster presentation was one of the assignments required for business majors who are earning academic credit in their major for their internship experience.

To be involved in the internship program, a student finds his or her own internship through Career Services, School of Business contacts, family and friends or other resources, said Renee Stroud, the admissions and internship coordinator and academic adviser for the Student Center for Academic and Professional Development.

From there, the student submits an internship proposal and learning agreement to request approval of their internship for academic credit, Stroud said.

The students involved interned at a variety of locations including The Swiss Colony, Inc., State Farm Group and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

During their internships, students complete the work at an internship site, complete written assignments that are submitted to the school’s internship coordinator, participate in the Internship Poster Presentation and are evaluated by their internship supervisor.

While some students interned in Charleston and surrounding towns, others were able to get job experience right on campus.

Marcus Pailler, a senior business management major, interned with general operations at the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Pailler said it was helpful to get out-of-the-classroom experience that he can apply in the future.

“(General operations) oversees each area in the Union and helps run each business on an individual level,” Pailler said.

The athletics department is another area that offers many internship opportunities on campus. Five of the poster presentations came from students who worked with the athletic department for athletic marketing.

Linda Arquilla, a senior management major, said a lot of her responsibilities while working with the athletics department included setting up events for halftime or between innings at games.

Brittany Tharp, a senior marketing major, said during internships it is important to be creative and to constantly think of new ideas.

“There will come a time when a free t-shirt isn’t going to cut it anymore,” Tharp said. “That’s where the marketing team comes in.”

Greg Baumann, a junior marketing major, said while he gained a lot of management and leadership skills, there were still hard times.

“It’s hard to go up and talk to strangers and try to get them to participate, especially when you get rejected,” Baumann said.

Kaylia Eskew can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].