My virtual internship at Johnson & Johnson

Name: Maria Duranona

Hometown: Weston, FL

Degree: Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communications

Position: Web development and communications intern in the Pharmaceutical Research and Development Program Management Department at Johnson & Johnson

How did you get your internship? I found it and applied through LinkedIn.

What projects did you work on?
Throughout my internship, I worked on multiple projects. However, I mainly focused on developing internal sites for the company. I started rebranding and redesigning the Pharmaceutical Research and Development Program Management Department website. This was my favorite part of the internship as I do love website building.

How did your internship experience change with the pandemic?
My internship experience was remote because of the pandemic, which affected my experience for good and bad. The group that I work for is based in Philadelphia, so being able to work remotely allowed me to stay home and wear pajama pants to work. However, there are some fun in-person moments that I did not get to have, like the casual coffee break and just getting to know my coworkers more. Regardless, I’ve had an awesome experience.

What was the most challenging part of having to work during a pandemic?
The most challenging part was the fact that my internship was remote. However, everyone at Johnson & Johnson helped me feel informed and stay on track. Daily, I would schedule meetings with my supervisors and show them my progress. However, receiving feedback on my work in a timely manner was affected due to my remote form of working, as I always had to schedule a time to talk to my supervisors.

What was the coolest thing that happened during your internship?
Developing my network! I was blessed enough to work with awesome people. Everyone at Johnson & Johnson lives by the company’s credo, which has some really cool values when it comes to how to treat others. My supervisors were super interested in helping me grow as a professional.

How did your coursework at FIU help you during your internship?
The BOLD Level 1 class prepared me a lot for the work I did during my internship. We designed advertisement campaigns, which helped me develop my video editing and illustration skills. I definitely used those skills during my internship at Johnson & Johnson.

What did you learn about yourself?
I learned that I like to talk to new people and that I enjoy corporate business. Moreover, I also learned that I am a very independent worker.

How did this internship help you expand your skills and knowledge of the communications industry?
Yes, it definitely has! I am currently working on some webpages and designing promotional videos for the Pharmaceutical Research and Development Program Management Department.

What was the most useful thing you learned from this internship and experience?

I was able to learn a lot about public speaking and how to properly present a topic in order to get the right feedback. My internship also taught me how to work more effectively.

How did it help you prove yourself in the “real world”?

It gave me more confidence in my work.

What advice do you have for those beginning the internship process?

Enjoy it! Also, be grateful for it. Nowadays, getting an internship is a competitive process, so make sure you make the most out of it.

—Reporting by Zion Sealy