I can’t believe it has already been a month! As the weeks have progressed, I have fallen into more of a routine. While studying in Florence I am a part of a marketing and sales internship. The company I work for is called Tornabuoni Tuscany. They are a fashion bag company, also selling products like wallets, jackets, and belts. They are located directly across from the Duomo! My primary role is creating social media content with the goal of increasing engagement. 

             While working for Tornabuoni Tuscany, I have had to learn a lot about their production and quality of their items. A fellow Pitt Business student is also interning alongside me, so we work together on most things. Research is definitely a major aspect of this internship. As I am responsible for managing the social medias, I need to understand how to optimally do this. To grow a small business can be hard! It is important to have a strategy, be very active on the platforms, and create engaging content. I am at the store Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, being remote on Wednesday. The store itself is on the smaller side, but the content in the inside is of the highest quality. My boss and her husband own the store and are in and out every day. Accompanying them are two work associates. 

             The skills that are needed for this internship are communication and resilience. Social media can be a hard place to make an impact. It is important to be a good communicator to get an idea clearly and efficiently across that speaks the right message to the right audience. This is also an important skill while working with my boss and fellow intern. We need to be good at communicating ideas and opinions to one another to make sure we are all on the same page. I am trying to attain my boss’s vision for her company so it is vital I communicate efficiently. I also need to be resilient because creating content and striving to achieve a certain number or result can take a lot of trial and error.

My to Clifton Strength is adaptability which is useful while interning in a foreign country. I need to be able to create content based on different product and ideas to a global market. It is important for me to stay openminded and adapt to the current scenario I find myself working with. Another strength of mine is connectedness. This can be useful when relaying content on social media. I am trying to connect with the brand but also see through the eyes of the customers and what they might be looking for. I also try to stay in-tune with the companies values and goals.

Overall I am learning a lot and staying openminded!