Hello, I am Samir Magar, and in this blog, I will be talking about my experience as a multimedia tech intern at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). When most people think about careers in the tech industry, they typically imagine high-end shopistacted start-ups or previously existing major tech organizations such as Google or Amazon. However, my experience as a high-school multimedia intern at PennDOT was not anything like that; it didn’t have fancy up-to-date modern technology or super high-paying opportunities. However, it had something better than those formerly listed places didn’t have, which is a second family and deep, valuable insight into how the real world works and how I can succeed in it.
Creating Web-Based Trainings That Impact Real Workers
PennDOT is not typically thought of as a technology-based organization since it mainly represents construction, roads, and cars, but you would be surprised how much it relies on digital systems and multimedia to work properly. During my internship, I worked on WEB-based trainings, designed to help PennDOT employees perform their jobs in optimal and efficient ways. These trainings were entire guides and courses that required employees to not only understand but also be able to apply their knowledge to be able to pass these courses. Working on these web-based trainings was fun and also engaging. It really made me happy knowing that this work was going to assist real workers in their everyday tasks.
Behind the Camera: Learning Professional Multimedia Production
Furthermore, I also did other things alongside creating web-based trainings, such as editing videos, working with a camera, and assisting with general multimedia production. Because of this, I was able to get some more experience with the professional workflow and handling of clients. During this one recording with my mentor, I realized how many things go for granted when recording content. Every recording needed to be clear and concise, with multiple copies so that we could fall back on the duplicates if something happened. Every video had to be perfect down to the decibel levels of the audio and also the importance of perfect grammar. As any of these mistakes could cause confusion among the views or worse, slow down somebody’s ability to do their job, which required me to pay close attention to every little detail to make sure everything was perfect.
Government Vs. Private Tech
One of the biggest lessons I learned here at my time at PennDOT is the difference in government technology compared to more private-sector companies like my school’s shop. Instead of focusing on things like super technology speed and modern upgrades, PennDOT prioritizes longevity, stability, and consistency in its technology. We have tools that must work consistently and properly for a wide range of people, though I did have a bit of trouble adjusting to the slow rendering of files I was working on, this was all in all a great experience as I learned about having technology that accommodates to all and serves a wide variety of people compared to just the most caught up people.
Finding Confidence in a Professional Workplace
As a high school intern, walking into a professional workplace such as PennDOT was a little intimidating at first. I mean, I was surrounded by long-term qualified professionals who had been doing this for years. This mentality caused me to be a bit afraid at the beginning of submitting my work or asking for help, in case I looked like a fool. However, my co-workers and managers made me feel very comfortable and welcomed whenever I did end up asking questions, which really helped me feel more comfortable with asking questions and also learning in general. Taking feedback helped me open up to learning and grow both professionally and technically.
A Life-Changing Experience and Looking Ahead
Overall, my internship at PennDOT is amazing and has and contounteiously is changing my life for the better. It has shown me many meaningful and impactful tech skills I would have never been able to experience anywhere else. Government agencies like PennDOT are crucial in maintaining a proper society, and even if I am a small part of it I am so glad to help out there. This internship has helped me gain so many skills that are crucial for me moving to know moving forward.