JOURNAL ENTRY 2

Dates: February 17, 2014- March 28, 2014

Details of Duties:
It is past the halfway point of my internship and Im astonished at how fast time has gone
by. Since I began the internship in January, I have advanced and progressed very quickly in my
position. During the first portion of my internship, I worked primarily on basic calls and
verifications via telephone and online research. I was given fairly simple records to complete in
order to build my skills and become more comfortable with the process. By February 17th, I was
working on more specific activities and more complex verifications that contributed to my
growth. As a media researcher intern, it is imperative that I sharpen my basic skills before I can
move onto more difficult projects. At this point, I had a good understanding of my expectations
and had gained enough experience to take on more complex duties.
Many days, I was assigned difficult records by my supervisor, Dave, that had been
attempted a few times by others but were not ultimately completed. Many of these newspaper
contacts had disconnected telephone numbers, changes in address, or little information online
that made it difficult to confirm. I had to think of new and creative ways to get around these
roadblocks and get the verifications done. I called local libraries and even other stores located on
the same street as the newspapers to get information about what was going on. Although
difficult records can be frustrating, they helped me to grow in my internship by challenging me
to look for new ways to solve situations.
Other daily activities that I completed were merges, deletions, college records, and
grouped contacts, all of which I discussed in my weekly point papers. These records have much
more detail and require more knowledge in order to complete. Merges and deletions were helpful

activities because it allowed me to become familiar with other buttons in the research tool.
Learning how to merge or delete records was very beneficial to me as a media researcher
because I now had the ability to complete these records on my own. Prior to learning these tools,
I would need assistance from a senior media researcher in order to merge or delete a contact from
the database.
Lastly, I was able to work on foreign records and records from other time zones during
this portion of my internship. Verifying foreign records challenged my communication skills and
helped me to develop better ways of speaking to others. Foreign records mostly include contacts
from Canada, Puerto Rico, and any other newspaper located in the U.S. that is published in
another language. This can be challenging but very rewarding. I even got the opportunity to work
on my Spanish-speaking skills when calling newspapers that operate in Spanish. In addition,
working on newspaper records that are based in other time zones allowed me to be strategic in
my calling practices. I have to plan out my calling schedule each morning in order to ensure that
I will be able to reach each outlet. Time will be wasted if I attempt to call newspapers that are not
even open.
Overall, I think that my duties have gotten more complex as I have begun to get a better
understanding of my position and the newspaper industry. My supervisor, Dave, has given me
helpful feedback and praise throughout the entire time that has helped me become more
confident in my role. As a result of my hard work, he keeps giving me more complex tasks each
week because he feels as if I am ready to handle it. Dave has said that I am ready to take on more
challenging tasks and that I will be ready to begin work on my final project in the next week.
Professional Value:

The professional value that I have gained thus far from working at Vocus has been great. I
am generally able to complete 11 verifications an hour, which is the standard that we are
expected to meet. If I am assigned difficult records, then the number will drop slightly due to the
fact that these verifications take more time. I have successfully learned how to manage my time
at the office and meet a goal each day, which is something that will be very valuable to future
employers.
In addition, I am very comfortable being on the phone with people who I have never
spoken to before. I was very nervous about this when I first began my internship, however, after
a few months I have gotten so much better. I know how to respond to certain questions that the
contacts may have and know how to deal with conflict if any issues arise. Being able to conduct
a phone call properly in a professional setting is an advantage that I have over others in the
working world. I have no reservations about cold calling clients and I think that this is a skill that
will be useful long after college.
Lastly, I think that I have gained a better professional understanding of the journalism
field. I have experienced firsthand the relationship between journalists and PR professionals and
I understand how they function in relation to each other. Since this is a field that I hope to get
into, I think that my internship with Vocus will stand out to employers. I have gotten to see a bit
of both of these professions and have a well-rounded knowledge of the two, which is a
marketable trait.
Personal Value:
I never had experience in this industry prior to working at Vocus, however, I am pleased
with myself for how far I have advanced in such a short amount of time. It is really fulfilling to
know that I have grasped an understanding of the job and am comfortable in my daily duties.

Coming into this job, happiness was a huge factor for me. I was nervous to come into a work
environment where I was new and did not know what I was doing. However, this has been a
good experience because it challenged me to step outside my boundaries and learn the culture of
the organization. I was also very nervous about being on the phone in the event that anything
went wrong or if a contact got angry. I have come across an array of situations while on the
phone and have dealt firsthand with contacts who have gotten angry. I know how to deal with
them and how to prevent conflict from erupting, which is comforting.
Another factor that contributes to my happiness at Vocus is the fact that I have made
friendships with the other interns at the office. Most of the media researchers in the College Park
office are college students and in Greek life, just like me. I enjoy going to work because my
colleagues are all very personable and friendly, which makes the days go by much more quickly.
I feel as if I fit in with the other employees, which is a great feeling to have as a new intern. In
addition, my supervisor, Dave, has given me positive feedback the entire time. He has said that I
am one of the better interns that he has had, which makes me really happy and motivates me to
work harder. He also gave me a great review during the on-site review, which definitely
contributed to my happiness and confidence at the job.
Connecting Dots to Major:
Many of my Communication courses have been relevant to my internship at Vocus. One
class in particular taught by Professor Simon sticks out in my mind. Comm350 is an introductory
course to public relations theory that I took sophomore year as an elective. The textbook, Public
Relations: The Profession and the Practice, discusses the media and its role in public relations.
Given that Vocus is a company that links PR professionals to media contacts, understanding the
relationship between PR professionals and reporters is crucial to be a successful employee. The

textbook discusses the roles and responsibilities of newspapers, newswires, magazines, radio and
TV. This directly pertains to me because these are the exact outlets that Vocus works with. The
book also explains the ways in which journalists and PR professionals view each other, which
gave me an inside look at the positive and negative stereotypes of each. It then leads into a
section that focuses on mutual dependence and gives tips on how to build positive relationships
that will benefit both parties. This textbook was extremely relevant because it put into
perspective how journalists and PR professionals function in relation to each other. Since I am
interning for a company that bridges the two fields, it is imperative to understand this
relationship and foster communication that will yield positive results.