Interning at Alyeska
Tara McGrogan graduated from UAF in May 2016 with a BBA in marketing and a minor in music performance; she is currently pursuing her MBA at the School of Management. Tara worked for the in the summer of 2016.
Why did you decide to pursue your BA degree?
When I first started attending UAF in 2011, I had no idea which industry I wanted to work in, but I knew a business degree would give me options because of its diverse applications. After working at SOM as a marketing assistant, I was motivated to get a concentration in marketing and continue in that field of business. The business degree I received gave me a versatile education and I will be able to contribute and have an impact on my local community in the future.
Why did you want to intern for Alyeska?
I wanted to intern for Alyeska because they have such an impact on small communities in Alaska. They have provided job and career opportunities to people all over the state, not only through their own employment but through strong partnerships with other organizations. Alaska’s economy is highly impacted by oil revenue, and working for Alyeska over the summer gave me insight into the steps that they take toward protecting the state’s economic and environmental future.
Working for Alyeska was a great experience because I was immediately drawn to the corporate culture they have developed over the past few years. They have core attributes that each employee has embraced and integrated into their daily workday. Every employee is treated as a vital part of the organization. I had heard about Alyeska’s great relationship with its employees, and it was one of the reasons I applied for the internship.
What did you learn through your internship?
My internship at Alyeska was full of new learning opportunities, and the best part was that my department was so willing to teach and collaborate. I was placed in the Corporate Communications department, and I was first tasked with learning the basics of Adobe products, such as Photoshop and Illustrator. I was able to contribute to social media and both external and internal newsletters by the end of the first week. After a few months of sharpening my design skills, I helped my department create the posters and displays for Alyeska’s month-long food drive campaign for the Food Bank.
During my initial interview, I had mentioned my work with Business Leader of the Year and other events hosted by SOM, so I was excited when I was asked to help with a few events at Alyeska. I put my event coordination skills to use during a few of Alyeska’s award ceremonies, the Atigun Awards, and was a part of the coordination, execution, and post-event activities of the Fairbanks and Anchorage ceremonies.
Working in the communications department allowed me to sharpen my writing skills and produce pieces for Alyeska’s monthly newsletter. I was able to meet people in the engineering, environmental, and health and safety departments and learn how to communicate information that they provided – including steps that Alyeska takes to make its daily operations efficient, safe for employees, and friendly toward wildlife and surroundings. By writing about new projects, I gained the real-world experience needed to work with people in other fields that I might not be familiar with. Everyone at Alyeska was happy to take time to answer questions about their role in a project for my next writing piece.
What advice do you have for students interested in internships?
I received the best piece of advice on my first day from both the Alyeska President Thomas Barrett and from my mentor for the summer, Josh Niva: What a student gets out of an internship is entirely up to them. Make the decision to learn as much as the company is willing to teach, because an internship is an excellent opportunity to ask questions and expose yourself to a potential career field.
What was the best thing about your internship?
The best part of my internship was the trip to tour Pump Station 1 in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Not only did I get a broad tour of daily operations at the station, but I also got to meet many people I had interviewed on the phone over the summer and see the progress of the projects we had talked about in person. I ended my tour by participating in the annual Pump 1 Fun Run, which was a cold jog, but worth the new views!
