How Bayer Became My Classroom
Cristina Martin, Intern, Internal/External Communications
I walked into Bayer’s Whippany, NJ office on June 7, 2016. For that summer, I was leaving behind the five math intensive classes I took and an internship at the small New York office of a U.K. fashion company, and entering a communications internship at a large corporation. Gulp! Little did I know, walking in the door that day would be the first step to learning so much and having such a great experience, that I would be back June 5, 2017 for another stint.
Last summer, I interned solely with Internal Communications. I supported the team with U.S.-wide employee communications. My projects included composing and editing articles for various newsletters and the intranet, creating promotions for digital signage, and providing logistical support for the First Responders Thank You Lunch and the “Bayer in 6” campaign — an experiment to engage employees in telling six word stories about their work at Bayer.
August came way too soon, and it was time to head back to New York City for school. I immediately realized how I kept applying the habits I picked up at Bayer in class, extra-curricular activities and my part-time job. At first I began to notice the little things, like following AP style in my writing. Then I realized how much easier it was to plan events and stay on top of multiple responsibilities at once. Working on the “Bayer in 6” campaign had to be the most impactful experience. It made me recognize just how much I enjoy partaking in the planning and creation of a full-fledged campaign. I spent the next two semesters learning and creating campaigns in my marketing classes.
Fast forward almost one year and I’m back at Bayer. This time I wasn’t so nervous walking in to the building, because I was thrilled to see everyone again. These past few months I’ve not only been working on internal communications, but I’m also taking a crack at external communications. Joining the external team was a perfect segue from last summer. I’m now able to apply what I learned both in- and outside of Bayer to my new projects. This past June, I visited Gettysburg, PA with the department for a leadership training program. One of my main takeaways from that trip was to always be open to continuous learning. I believe possessing knowledge is one of the best assets you can have in life. Without knowledge, or the desire to learn, you will never be able to grow as a person. I am proud to say I work for an organization that allows me to grow and learn everything that I can for the next step in my life.
Bayer is my classroom today. Tomorrow? I’m excited to find out.
