OMAHA PERFORMING ARTS

As a marketing intern at Omaha Performing Arts, I spent most of my time here writing content for our website, social media, email and just about anything else! I hope this blog post can give future applicants an idea of what to expect at this organization. Here are some things I took away from the experience:

The qualifications
Applying for a job slightly outside of your specialization can be nerve-wracking. As a journalism student with some industry experience, approaching a marketing/communications position seemed like a daunting task. Here’s my advice to anyone worried their skills might not add up: Go for it. My skills transferred in ways I would have never expected. Even if I don’t go into a marketing career, I’m happy I was able to try it out for a summer.

Great work environment
I cannot speak more highly of the team I was able to work with. The cubicles, work attire and general professionalism can be intimidating to the uninitiated. But one quickly finds just how kind this office is. Internships should be a learning experience — and members of your team should be able to recognize that. Omaha Performing Arts never failed to facilitate learning new skills and developing new ideas.

My first nonprofit
Omaha Performing Arts was the first nonprofit I ever worked for. Believe it or not, there is a noticeable difference in the work culture. Just like any organization, it requires all types of strengths to run this operation. I never would have imagined how much writing was needed at an organization dedicated to hosting performances, yet it seemed that I always had a project to work on.

Cultural enrichment
For me, one of the greatest perks from interning at Omaha Performing Arts was being so close to Omaha’s cultural heartbeat. Local, national and global performances are all common at our venues. With hundreds of different shows every year, Omaha Performing Arts is the city’s artistic champion. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

This internship has been the perfect sendoff from Omaha. The next chapter of my life is sending me to Hong Kong to study for a master's degree in journalism, and Omaha Performing Arts gave me a fun, career-building summer job to bridge the gap between studies.