Intern Profiles

Blake M.

As a longtime sports fan, Blake had seen Daktronics equipment showcased during games for as long as he can remember. So when it came time to do an internship, Blake decided to be a part of a company that helps make those sporting games a success. All roads led him to Daktronics.

Blake landed an internship in Live Events, a position that reinforces what he’s learning as a mechanical engineering student at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

“A large part of my internship has focused on the creation of process documentation for various testing procedures of products made by Daktronics, specifically in the Control subdivision of the Live Events department,” he said. “This engineering internship has allowed me to work across a variety of engineering fields including mechanical, metallurgical, electrical, and industrial.”

Working on contracts for well-known sports teams is a part of Blake’s internship that he’s found to be very exciting.

“It was almost surreal seeing names like the Oklahoma City Thunder on contracts that I’ve worked with,” said Blake. “I watch these sports teams on TV and it’s cool to be able to watch a game on ESPN and say ‘I worked with that contract directly and I was part of its success,’ and know millions of people are seeing that same product on their TVs and in the stands.”

Kayla A.

When many people think of Daktronics they think of bright LED displays, but a lot of other work goes into making Daktronics the kind of company it is today. With the Internet growing at a rapid pace, it is crucial that Daktronics keeps an online presence as vibrant as its displays.

This is one of Kayla’s main responsibilities. Kayla began in May 2011 as a marketing graphics intern for Commercial Sales & Marketing Administration. Her job responsibilities include updating pages on Daktronics.com, posting news releases, success stories, and project photos to the Web, and coding email marketing pieces.

“I really enjoy using what I have learned in my classes at school in the real world and the challenge of getting the code to do what you want,” said Kayla.

A memorable moment during her internship was when she and a few other fellow interns travelled to Rapid City to educate the public on a billboard display issue that was coming to a vote.

“I was given the opportunity to join other interns and Daktronics and Lamar employees in Rapid City and go door-to-door informing voters about a ballot measure relating to billboards,” said Kayla. “It was definitely a new and interesting experience for me and it also gave me the chance to get to know a couple of the interns and employees outside of my area.”

Matt G.

When Matt graduated from North Dakota State University with degrees in both business management and marketing, he realized there was a hole in his résumé where valuable experience should be.

After researching applicable businesses to do an internship, Matt found Daktronics and the rest is history.

“I have always loved sports, and the opportunity to have an internship in the sports industry that also included the opportunity to travel around the country sounded perfect,” said Matt. “So I applied, and luckily enough for me, I ended up getting the internship.”

Matt is now the Large Sports Venue Marketing intern. In this position he assists with coordination for large conventions such as setting-up displays, testing and loading equipment into trucks. During the conventions, he works the Daktronics booth and talks with potential customers to generate project leads.

“I like the atmosphere of the conventions, and I’ve gotten the chance to meet and interact with some cool people,” said Matt.

When he is not working conventions, he works on marketing research projects in order to compare what the competition is doing and then tries to see how Daktronics can improve its marketing strategies.

Matt’s favorite part of the internship is traveling. He said driving from place to place has enabled him
to see parts of the country he had never seen before.

Megan H.

Other than genetics, one thing that runs in the family for Megan is working at Daktronics – making it the perfect place for an internship.

“I remember my brother, Robert, talking about his experience at Daktronics and highlighting different projects and displays,” said Megan. “Keeping his experience in the back of my mind, I checked out the Daktronics website
during my job search and I was intrigued by all of the internship opportunities.”

Megan is working as an intern in the Commercial Business Unit. Her job responsibilities include: communicating with and assisting the field sales team in generating leads, contacting potential customers, and maintaining relationships with current customers. In addition, the Commercial department works closely with sign companies to promote and build Daktronics business.

Working in Commercial also brought Megan the opportunity to travel the country for trade shows, conventions, and demos.

Derek D.

Before moving into his sales internship in Transportation, Derek worked as a student project coordinator for Daktronics, thus giving him an insider’s perspective of the kind of experience he could expect during a Daktronics
internship.

This knowledge made it an easy for Derek to decide to tackle an internship.

“I chose Transportation because I wanted to branch out and learn about a different business unit and its products,” said Derek. “It is an opportunity to develop sales and other professional skills as well.”

Not surprisingly, with an internship in Transportation means a lot of travel for Derek. While on the road he has many responsibilities including assembling and operating the Vanguard Roadshow trailer for demonstrations, convention setup and execution, bid opportunity searches, market research, and assisting Transportation marketing staff.