My Experience as a Western University Intern
Written by: Claire Weeks, 4th Year Faculty of Information & Media Studies
Photo by: Annie Spratt on Unsplash
It was mid-August when I got the email.
I was sitting in the breakroom of the restaurant I’d been working at for most of the summer, about to embark on a double-shift, when I found out I had earned a role as a communications and marketing intern with Western Technology Services (WTS) for the fall semester.
This changes everything, I remember thinking.
And while I may not have known exactly what it was I’d be doing for 20 hours a week on top of school, or if I would even be able to manage it - I knew I definitely wasn’t going to be taking orders or cleaning up after high-chair babies, and that was a massive triumph in itself.
Within the first few weeks of my internship, I realized the biggest part of my job was making cybersecurity digestible for students, and mobilizing our resources to those who need it most. Almost every day, I would be tasked with applying CyberSmart expertise to a new trendy concept, based on what I saw in my own feed. As it so happens, our Gen-Z feeds are incredibly valuable, especially when it comes to communicating to a university audience in a language they understand.
No two days have been the same; some weeks, I’ll spend hours on an article. Now and again, I’m on-campus, doing interviews or filming for a reel. Most days, I work on Instagram content, from the pitch to the final design. I’m fortunate to work under a boss who encourages me to work on tasks that will advance my skills and align with my interests.
Since day one, it was instilled in me that regardless of what was happening at work or how important a task may seem, school always comes first. As a student with a full course load, there are weeks when it seems as though everything is happening at once and the world is closing in (ahem - midterms) - and I have always felt supported when taking time off of work to focus on my studies.
Throughout my time here, I have learned more than I ever have about communications and marketing by being and working in a professional setting. It isn’t just theory or a case study - it’s real, it’s happening, and being a part of it has been the most valuable learning experience.
Among everything I’ve learned, a few key takeaways will stay with me long after my time with WTS has come to an end.
1) Your Data Is a Product
When you share your personal information online or with a company, this information is often sold to other businesses to best predict consumer behaviour, and to accurately target advertisements based on an individual’s current interests. If you’ve ever received an ad that seemed way too specific… it is not a coincidence.
Many apps market themselves as ‘free’ because your data is the product. Instagram, MyFitnessPal, Goodreads, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Flo and Strava are all free to use, but prompt us to share so much about ourselves. You may not be posting five times a day, but think of everything you’ve liked, all those reels you’ve viewed on repeat... All of these small interactions build a detailed consumer profile, one that is ultimately used to sell your interests back to you.
Your information has value. Considering we live in a time where AI algorithms control everything we see, it is important to be conscious of what you are sharing online, and how it can be used against you.
2) Making Important Information Engaging Matters
I was never any kind of cybersecurity whiz before getting this job. As a matter of fact, I was shocked by how much I didn’t know, and especially how common cyberthreats really are among the university population. Our team prevented 3.84 million - yes, million - phishing attempts in 2025, to give you an idea.
I’ve had a handful of opportunities to interview students on-campus about their online experiences and cyber threats they have encountered, and as it turns out, there is an overwhelming amount that remains unclear to students about online safety. Plenty of the tech we use every day is fairly new - and as a result, the consequences remain unclear. I spoke with many students about the ways in which they use AI technology; some said they use it for dating advice, meal plans and travel itineraries… another, for her taxes.
While we can’t know for sure what happens to our information when we share it with AI tools, there is always the risk it may land in the wrong hands.
Over the past seven months with WTS, the overarching objective of my work has been to communicate cybersecurity to university students. It isn’t always easy, and nobody wants to be told what to do - but finding ways to make our message engaging, informative and even entertaining has been extremely rewarding, especially when it resonates with students.
3) The Importance of Professional Skills, Not Just Creative Ones
Day-to-day tasks are often quite enjoyable, and almost always allow me to tap into my creative side. Yet, I would consider the professional skills I have acquired equally as valuable.
In a team like ours, there are several people producing content, ideas constantly flying around and countless projects on the go at all times. As such, organization has been a major part of the job, and learning how all the creative chaos gets sorted has been extremely useful.
As a student, it has been especially important for me to effectively manage and prioritize deadlines and to do so while remaining in close communication with my team. Though the workload has been a challenge, it has revealed to me that I am capable of far more than I initially thought. As they say: Don't complain about having a lot on your plate when your goal was to eat.
As my time with WTS winds to a close, I believe it is important that I stress how foundational and fundemental this internship opportunity has been for my professional development. If you are an upper-year student, I highly encourage you to explore opportunities on Western's Recruitment Portal; Western provides a wide range of internship roles for all different skill sets. You have a valuable perspective and so much to offer the university community.
My advice: Send in your resume. You never know what doors it will open.
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