For my CIP internship (applied learning experience) I worked as an Assistant Game Room Manager position at Sharky’s Game Room and Box Office.
I got involved in this applied learning experience due to the fact that I already worked at Sharky’s Box Office & Game Room as a Sharky’s Associate. When I was promoted to the positon of Assistant Game Room Manager, I decided to turn my training experience into a CIP Internship as I was learning new skills.
Through this position I improved my technical skills in the areas of online event construction and management, inventory control and stocktaking, and social media advertising. I also gained hands-on experience in keeping efficient and accurate financial records. Additionally, I also further developed my skillset regarding customer service, identified aspects that could be improved within Sharky’s, and came up with cost-effective ways to implement these solutions. One aspect of my position that I found most challenging was that my job was very “go with the flow.” With my position as a Manager-in-Training I simply never knew when something was going to come up that required my attention. As a result, it could be quite stressful if something came up unexpectedly and I was required to complete said assignment during a short amount of time on top of classwork commitments.
This internship has helped me grow in ways that would make me a more viable candidate when either seeking a job or applying for graduate school as it has given me the skills to improve my professional correspondence with fellow staff members (or, in my case of projected post-graduate plans, professors and other academics), both orally and electronically. This experience has also taught me how to assert myself in the workplace (or, if I become a TA in graduate school, the classroom) and create an effective work agenda to complete tasks (something that is valued by employers and academics alike).
