Internship Opportunities

Working in our office, students build an extensive professional portfolio and gain valuable hands-on work experience in communications, public relations, marketing, photography and film. Email us at publicity@csusm.edu to inquire about open positions.

Social Media Internships

Are you a master at writing interesting tweets and taking popular Instagram photos? Do you write, use Photoshop or use mobile apps like nobody's business? Do you love CSUSM and want to tell others about what makes it so amazing? If so, the Office of Communications invites you to apply for a position as the Social Media Intern.

Our student web & social media intern(s) will help to curate and compose stories and content about Cal State San Marcos and Tukwut Life (the CSUSM Student Life Experience) across a variety of social media platforms to many different audiences. The intern will assist the Web & Social Media Specialist to measure and evaluate analytics and monitor channels for compliance with policies and guidelines. The intern will also assist in updating the Tukwut Life online events calendar and website content.

Social Media Intern responsibilities include:

Develop content for posting on the main University social media channels, including, but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Provide suggestions and ideas for new campaigns or communications to engage followers.
Effectively share news and information about the University in a way that encourages fans and followers to watch, click or read.
Maintain and update the Tukwut Life events calendar and website with fresh content bi-weekly.
Keep up-to-date on emerging social media platforms and provide suggestions on University use.
Conduct competitive analyses of peer institutions and how they are interacting with their social media following.
Measure and record analytics on key social media channels weekly.
Support various events and activities with pre-planned posts and live coverage on social channels.
Participate in brainstorming and planning sessions to create a posting schedule and plan.
Other duties as assigned.

Desired Skills: Self-motivated, enthusiastic and love talking to people; professional integrity, good judgment and a thick skin; knowledge of what your peers share on Facebook or what they double-tap on Instagram; your personal or professional social media posts regularly get shares, retweets and likes. Prior experience with journalistic writing, graphic design, video production, blogging or social media brand use for a brand is preferred.

Qualifications:

Strong written communications skills; must be able to write professional, concise and effective copy.
Knowledgeable and enthusiastic about CSUSM’s mission, programs, departments and services.
Must be able to represent the university in a professional manner, which includes appropriate work attire, correct spelling and grammar, good judgment and accurate information.
Must have superior organizational and planning skills.
Must be a current CSUSM student, have completed at least two semesters of college (at least one semester at CSUSM) and be in good academic standing.
Must have a personal account on at least two of the following platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat.
Availability to work 10-20 hours per week.

Hours: 10-20 hours per week, flexible.

How to apply:

Answer the following questions and attach to application:

What social media applications do you use regularly? Which one is your favorite and why?
Name one company or individual whose social media strategy you admire. What do you think makes them successful?
Submit two original photos of CSUSM along with captions and appropriate hashtags. Your audience is a new CSUSM student attending summer orientation.

Email your resume, cover letter and responses to the above questions (optional, a link to your portfolio) to:

Alicia Lores
Digital Communications Coordinator
photography@csusm.edu
(760) 750-7315

Photography Internships

Are you interested in becoming a freelance photographer and looking to grow your professional portfolio? Do you enjoy photography, and want to challenge yourself as a photojournalist and see your images published?

We are currently seeking a few energetic and reliable student photographers to join our team in a semester-long paid internship. Using artistic, creative and photographic skills, our interns capture and produce images that reflect the full range of activities at CSUSM. Photographs are used for commercial and promotional use in university publications, on the web and on official social media sites. Photography assignments and photo shoots are largely photojournalistic in style (photography that tells a story), but will also include event photography, editorial photography, architectural and landscape photography, and portrait photography, among others.

Photography Intern responsibilities include:

Photograph university events, people, programs and topics for promotional use
Assist with official university photo shoots
Engage and interact with photography subjects, and provide direction
Process and utilize post-production software programs, and select the best work
Ensure that all pictures are appropriate, processed, catalogued and ready in time to meet deadlines (typical assignment turnaround is 48-72 hours)
Plan and strategize photo shoots with our creative team
Meet regularly with our creative team to discuss assignments and review work
Interns will receive byline credit for all photos used in print and web production
Students are encouraged (but not required) to enroll in an Internship Course or Independent Study credit
Photography interns work 10-15 hours a week, not exceeding 20 hours

Desired skills: Working knowledge and experience with photography and use of a DSLR; strong communication skills; positive attitude and a passion for working across multiple disciplines; ability to work under very tight deadlines; flexible schedule. Applicants will be asked to share their portfolio of photography (in a print or digital format) for the interview.

Qualifications: Applicants need to have completed and passed at least one 3-unit college-level photography course, and must be a current CSUSM undergraduate or graduate student in good standing.

How to apply:

Email your resume and link to your online portfolio or Portfolium profile to:

Alicia Lores
Digital Media Content Coordinator
photography@csusm.edu
Questions, call 760-750-7315

Videography Internships

Are you a creative storyteller interested in a career in the film industry? Are you looking to grow your professional portfolio while getting paid? We are currently recruiting several self-motivated student photographers to join our team in a semester-long paid internship. Working on story development with our creative team and paired with a student videographer, our interns create lively short videos that share the unique stories of CSUSM. These videos are posted on the university’s website and social media channels, and can be shared with local media outlets. See examples of past intern-produced videos on the university’s YouTube channel.

NewsCenter Videographer responsibilities include:

Film, interview, edit and produce up to five (5) 2-minute videos per semester for the University NewsCenter
Responsible for high caliber video documentation of campus life, recording select events and leading the artistic methods used to capture marketing messages for CSUSM
Make technical decisions regarding such elements as appropriate lighting, shooting angle and recording of audio
Develop and deploy compelling videos, assuring the highest quality video by delivering consistency in exposure, focus, audio levels and composition
Meet regularly to discuss and review storyboard concepts, filming objectives and production timeline (videos typically have a 3-4 week production timeline from filming to submission of final product)
Interns will receive closing credit in all videos
Students are encouraged (but not required) to enroll in an Internship Course or Independent Study credit

Desired Skills: Filming and video editing experience; strong and thorough understanding of all aspects of cinematography and photography including production planning, project leadership, lighting techniques, audio recording, video/still camera operation techniques and post production editing; strong communication skills; positive attitude and a passion for working across multiple disciplines; ability to work under very tight deadlines. Applicants will be asked to share samples of completed video work for the interview.

Qualifications: Applicants need to have completed and passed at least one 3-unit college-level video course (such as Video in the Community or a comparable introduction to video course), and must be a current CSUSM undergraduate or graduate student in good standing.

How to apply:

Email your resume and link to your online portfolio or Portfolium profile to:

Blair Houk
Multimedia Productions Specialist
bhouk@csusm.edu

Writing Internships

Are you a creative storyteller? Are you looking to grow your professional portfolio while getting paid? Email Eric Breier, interim assistant director of public affairs and operations, at ebreier@csusm.edu for information about writing internship opportunities in University Communications.