Internship Story: Diverse tasks provide the framework to grow into a communications professional

The EduJyväskylä network offers opportunities for university-level internships in communications. Read about our intern Emmi-Julia’s experiences.

This internship story is written by Emmi-Julia Lehtonen, EduJyväskylä’s communications intern for this autumn. My internship at the University of Jyväskylä in EduJyväskylä’s communications began at the start of August and will end at the end of December. In this five-month internship, I’ve been able to become a real part of the work community and had time to both learn and carry out a wide variety of tasks, including longer projects.

I am in my final year of studies in the Cultures, Communities and Change (KUMU) program at the University of Jyväskylä. In my studies, I have focused on anthropology, sustainable development, and various themes related to social media. Even though I am not formally trained as a communications professional, communications is strongly present in my academic interests—for example, in my thesis, where I study the role of TikTok advertising in consumer behavior.

So, I am not a communications professional by training, but my interest in communications began when I served as the communications officer for my student organization. Since then, I have developed my communications skills through both work and organizational activities. I have worked at the Finnish National Agency for Education and at the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Central Finland as a communications trainee, and I have also been involved in communications and events within organizational activities. The internship in EduJyväskylä’s communications has been a perfect place to further develop and complement my skills in these areas.

My tasks include a wide range of communications work, such as producing communication materials and maintaining EduJyväskylä’s website. The Finnish Music Campus, which operates within EduJyväskylä’s sphere, organizes many events, so my work also involves a lot of communications related to the Music Campus events—for example, designing event posters, assisting at events, and photography. The best part of this job is that the workdays are often very varied, which is truly inspiring! A day’s tasks can range from concert photography to designing graphics, from creating social media content to writing press releases. During the internship, I have especially developed my skills in graphic design by creating posters and logos and illustrating guides.

My work community has been very warm and welcoming, and it has been easy to become part of it. From the very beginning of my internship, I have felt welcome. This internship has provided excellent conditions to grow into a communications professional. Thank you to everyone I’ve had the chance to collaborate with this autumn!