Sneak Peak: As a new intern, Crystal made an effort to make connections and show her dedication to being on the research team, actions that have paid off and continue to help her further develop her skills.
As a research department head, Crystal Moore has many responsibilities. These responsibilities have increased over time due to her hard work and promotion from a research intern to a department head.
She started the VSFS VA internship in August 2019 as a research intern, working on the line-by-line fact checks required for each publication. It takes over an hour for line-by-line fact checks to be completed, but Crystal is a detail-oriented person. She enjoys verifying the accuracy of graphics and dates and takes pride in being the backbone of all the projects being produced.
During her time as a research intern, Crystal made an effort to be active on Slack and made contact with her research department head whenever she had questions. As an intern, she knew it was important to make connections and find ways to be remembered, and she did not let the virtual aspect of this internship deter her from doing so. She worked hard on her research tasks and included detailed weekly report write-ups with commentary about each task. She wanted to make sure her department head knew she took the position seriously.
This hard work paid off for Crystal, and she was later promoted to become the new department head of research after the one prior graduated. As a department head, Crystal is now in charge of managing the research team and helping interns with any questions they may have. She goes through and checks the work of the interns on her team, making sure all factual inaccuracies have been fixed so that publication goes smoothly.
Going from a research intern to a department head meant switching to a more administrative position. This position consists of spot checking and question answering, but Crystal enjoys the responsibility of leading a team and making sure the team’s performance always meets required standards. This position also requires her to be creative and address any problems that occur. For example, she works to identify department needs and is currently working on creating a boot camp for new research interns to utilize.
Crystal got to where she is today as a result of her hard work and communication. It is harder to be a good leader in a virtual environment, but the effort Crystal puts into this position is preparing her to be successful in future jobs, especially considering the virtual direction the world is shifting towards.
To every intern looking to get the most out of this opportunity, whether it be gaining skills or achieving a promotion, take note of the efforts Crystal made after onboarding as an intern. The virtual environment can be a difficult new experience for interns, but it’s important to put yourself out there and make sure others can see that your work is important to you.
Writer: Kimberly Kassis
Editors: Brooke Wolfenbarger and Katie Shin-Yi Wang
Graphic Designer: Helena Strohmier
