Practicum Self Reflection

Corey Scott Intern #20
Practicum Self-Reflection Essay
1. Now that you have nearly completed your spring practicum, what advice would give to an
incoming student about the organization you interned with?
My experiences while interning with Good Karma Brands and ESPN Cleveland have
provided me with a whole new set of skills that will help with my upcoming professional career.
Coming into the internship, I was anticipating it to be full of challenges, learning opportunities,
and fun experiences. It was everything that I had hoped it would be. The most important rule that
I attempted to follow while interning was to always ask questions. The culture at ESPN
Cleveland is extremely welcoming and Good Karma Brands was founded with a goal of listening
to all employees. Each teammate at ESPN Cleveland is more than willing to help when they have
the time to, and being able to have that available as an intern is extremely important to getting as
much out of the experience as possible.
Whether its asking for help with a project, getting a more in depth explanation of a
program or process, or shadowing a teammate while they work each work day is full of
opportunity for interns to take advantage of. While interning, you will face an overwhelming
amount of new information, which is why it is so important to ask questions and receive
clarification. Good Karma Brands and ESPN Cleveland pride themselves on their accepting and
welcoming culture, as an incoming intern its extremely important to ask questions and be
hungry to learn as much as possible.
2. Explain in detail using examples of how you contributed to your organization.

Interns at ESPN Cleveland are presented with numerous responsibilities throughout the
length of the program and are expected to execute their duties fully. Work shifts at ESPN
Cleveland are separated into three categories: show shifts, office hours and events.
While working the show shifts for the Really Big Show on ESPN 850 WKNR I contributed
to the success of the show by doing show preparation, brainstorming content for on air hosts,
cutting and editing audio and recapping what went well during the show. Office hours were
dedicated to working on assigned projects from teammates. Examples of projects completed
include writing copy for commercials and live reads to be read on air, creating a presentation
about company culture and history, writing an article about NBA betrayals, and conducting
marketing research and analysis. For most event shifts, I implemented a street team with one of
the ESPN Cleveland partners on-site (typically at a bar or restaurant) to promote our relationship
and generate buzz about our partnership. Two major events that I contributed towards were the
ESPN Cleveland Fan Appreciation Party and the NFL Draft Party. For those major events, I was
primarily responsible for checking in guests, redirecting them to the appropriate place, engaging
fans in conversation, and assisting teammates with their individual needs all while representing
Good Karma Brands and ESPN Cleveland to their standards.
3. Explain, including examples, how you applied your coursework in communication to the
work you did at your organization.
My knowledge acquired as a communication studies major has greatly contributed towards
my success as an ESPN Cleveland intern. Communication theory is one class specifically that
has influenced the way that I communicate with others by applying theory. Visual design literacy
and advanced visual design, which are specific to applied communication concentrations, helped
immensely throughout the internship. One project assigned was to create banner ads for four
ESPN Cleveland events and thanks to those two classes I exceled at creating banner ads in
photoshop.
Writing across platforms taught very valuable information about how to write for different
mediums. For instance, copy for a live read should read differently than copy for social media. I
was assigned several writing projects throughout the internship and applied what I had learned as
a JMC student to successfully write across several platforms.
4. List three new skills you learned and used during your practicum. Provide examples.
One new skill that I learned during my practicum was editing and cutting audio files. The
Really Big Show is made up of several segments, live reads, and interviews. We cut and edit
audio from each show to save for partners, upload to our podcast, and post online. I previously
had no experience with Adobe Audition, however the internship has taught me the skills to
operate the program.
A second skill that I learned during my practicum was creating digital ads. I had previous
experience using photoshop to create static banner ads. Following the creation of the static
banner ads in photoshop, I was taught how to transfer the photoshop files into a program called
Google Web Designer to make the ads digital meaning that they move like advertisements
online.
A third skill that I learned during my practicum was how to write copy for commercials and
live reads. As a student, I have spent countless hours writing papers and essays, however, I had
never had to write copy for a commercial or live read. Wording and writing style for
commercials and live reads is very different from other mediums. For instance, when writing for
live reads its essential to transition from segment to live read so that it sounds natural and more
believable, in hopes of influencing listeners and convincing them that the testimony is genuine. I
wrote copy for two commercials and one live read during my practicum with ESPN Cleveland.
5. How did this practicum prepare you for the real world?
First and foremost, the practicum helped develop and enhance my skill set, which will help
me be a productive employee in my future career. Specifically, the practicum program helped
strengthen my communication skills, both verbally and non-verbally, my writing skills, and my
relationship building skills. Through my practicum with ESPN Cleveland I built relationships
with many teammates which can be used for references to the quality of work I can produce.
Networking is extremely important and by creating connections with ESPN Cleveland was
presented with an opportunity to further my career with Good Karma Brands and ESPN. I
applied for a marketing consultant position with Good Karma Brands and ESPN Madison and
have been going through the interview process, hopefully leading to a full-time job with the
company.
Having completed the practicum with Good Karma Brands and ESPN Cleveland, I feel
confident that I would be a valuable teammate in Madison. My experiences in Cleveland have
put me in a position to be successful and I wouldnt be nearly as qualified or prepared without
the practicum experience.

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Corey Scott Intern #20

Practicum Self-Reflection Essay

much out of the experience as possible.

hungry to learn as much as possible.

2. Explain in detail using examples of how you contributed to your organization.

dedicated to working on assigned projects from teammates. Examples of projects completed

Good Karma Brands and ESPN Cleveland to their standards.

work you did at your organization.

My knowledge acquired as a communication studies major has greatly contributed towards

a JMC student to successfully write across several platforms.

operate the program.

me be a productive employee in my future career. Specifically, the practicum program helped

confident that I would be a valuable teammate in Madison. My experiences in Cleveland have

put me in a position to be successful and I wouldnt be nearly as qualified or prepared without

the practicum experience.

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