Devin Haskins

Major: Communication; Concentrations in Media & Mass Communication and Public Relations and Strategic Comm.

Communication Intern at the Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS)

1.) How did you learn about your internship opportunity?

I learned about this internship opportunity through searching for communication related internships on LinkedIn.

2.) How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals? How did being a Liberal Arts student at Purdue apply to your internship?

This internship focuses on distributing information to the members and employers of INPRS. I was able to gain a clearer understanding of how important communication tactics are when trying to reach a large amount of people. This allowed me to have a newfound perspective for communication and made me proud to strive for a career in the field.

Whether it was working on long term projects, or designing social media deliverables, I was constantly learning something new and building my skills. Leaving my internship knowing I utilized many skills I gained from classroom experience was very rewarding.

3.) What is a piece of advice you would give someone in your major looking for an internship?

Have an open mind. Communication internships are hard to come by, especially one that resonates with you. When I applied for the position at INPRS, I remember thinking to myself that it would be the last place I’d hear back from, and it was the last place I was interested in. Now, I couldn’t be happier the only place I heard back from was my last pick. This internship taught me so much and allowed me to create lasting relationships. It resonated with me more than I could have imagined. My advice to you, apply to all the internships, every single one, you never know.

4.) What key responsibilities or tasks have you taken on during your internship?

I took on a handful on responsibilities during my time at INPRS, the biggest responsibility I was given was a summerlong project. A fellow intern Emma, on the investments team, and I were tasked with updating and redesigning defined contribution investment factsheets. Over the course of the summer, we conducted research and collaborated within the agency to complete this update, and it was a huge success. Alongside that project, I took on responsibilities of drafting articles for the digital magazine and creating social media posts.

5.) In what ways has the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University supported your internship journey? How has your participation in our job-ready program specifically aided your professional development? Please elaborate on the significance of being a CLA student.

Going into my senior year, I couldn’t be prouder that I am a CLA student. All of the staff within CLA are incredibly caring and supportive of their students, they make sure you aren’t alone during your academic career. The support I have received from professors is truly amazing. My participation in the job-ready program helped me feel prepared and excited for my internship. I had no idea job-ready existed until the spring of my junior year and I wish it was something I had utilized sooner!

6.) Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in this program that you find particularly noteworthy?

I could highlight two notable aspects of my experience. The first would be the people, INPRS provided me with the most welcoming and supportive team I could have asked for. They made me feel truly a part of the team and I’m eternally grateful for them helping prepare me for my future career endeavors. The second noteworthy experience would be the summerlong project I mentioned above. Working on the project, I wasn’t thinking about the after, I was focused on trying to get as much done as possible in three short months. At the end of our final presentation, we were reminded that our work on the project would end up reaching thousands and thousands of people, something I hadn’t thought about. Knowing that something I worked on, put effort into, is going to reach and help that many people is truly rewarding.