Cover Page

Jordana Broche
COM 497 154
Internship in Communications
Automobile Dealership Program
Midway Ford Miami

Cover Letter
August 3, 2015

Dear Professor Ruiz,

Thank you for the opportunity to practice and strengthen the communication skills I have
learned in the different courses I have taken at St. Thomas University which included better
speaking and listening skills as well as the ability to produce quality materials. As well, thank
you for the opportunity to develop new skills and abilities while I completed my internship at
Midway Ford Miami including: critical thinking, leadership, and cultural awareness.
Please accept this note as a letter of submission of my e-portfolio report. This e-portfolio
follows the guidelines described by the Internship Report under the Assignments tab in
Blackboard. It fulfills the requirements for the class COM 497 154 Internship in
Communications which I have taken during Summer Term 3, 2015.
In this e-portfolio, you will find the information related to the agency where I did my
internship for the past three months. This agency was Midway Ford car dealership. In the
portfolio, you will also find all the activities to which I was assigned and the responsibilities I
fulfilled while I was there.
In addition, you can find a description of my supervisors feedback and recommendations
as well as the relationship of the whole internship experience to the learning outcomes in the

Communication Arts program with specific examples of how the work done in certain courses
helped me develop the learning outcomes.
Sincerely,

Jordana Broche
Overview
Abstract.
This internship e-portfolio report includes an introduction and layout of the presentation.
It includes a synopsis of the report highlighting the activities I performed during the internship. It
describes the benefits of the experience. The report provides a description of the agency where
the internship took place as well as the assignments, activities and responsibilities I held during
these past few months. The supervision during the experience is described and the benefits of the
supervision too. Also included in this portfolio is the relationship of the general internship
experience to the learning outcomes in the Communication Arts program. Lastly, I have included
how I have learned the skills of these outcomes in the communication arts coursework while
studying here at St. Thomas University (STU). Specific examples of the work done in these
courses are also provided to show how they helped me master each learning outcome.

Introduction.
When I registered for the internship class a few months ago, I thought I was only
fulfilling the requirements to complete my bachelors program in the field of communications.
Little did I know that it was going to bring me so much knowledge and hands on experience in
what I want to do in the future. In this report, I describe the agency where I spent the last few
months as a communications intern. This description includes a historical background of the
organization where I worked, together with its mission, purpose, and the service the agency
provides. It includes the changes it has gone through and the trends over time. A description is
provided of the assignments, activities and responsibilities I held while I was there. I have also
included a description of supervision provided. Finally, a description of the relationship of this

internship experience to my Communication Arts Learning Outcomes is included that provides

specific examples of how I learned the skills of the communication arts programs learning
outcomes in the coursework at STU.

Description of the Agency

The Automobile Dealership Program has provided a great learning experience trough my
internship there. It took place at Midway Ford in Miami. The dealership is located at: 8155 W.
Flagler St. Miami FL 33144. Midway Ford Miami has a reach history and an insightful mission.
The dealership opened its doors on October of 1979 in Miami, Florida with a goal to partner
with a company of prestige and industrial quality called Ford Motor Co. of America as this was
well-known internationally and especially in Latin America. Midway Ford has gone through
difficult economic times, but has survived. It reported a gain of more than $1 billion dollars this
year with 3% higher sales than last year. The competition has cut down production while Ford
has introduced new models like the 2010 Ford Mustang, 2010 Ford Taurus, and the first 2010
Ford Fusion Hybrid. This new line car models has revolutionized the automotive market
(Proudly, n.d.).
Ford values quality and it advertises higher quality than Toyota and Honda. It values
safety and shows it in its newest models now known as "Top Safety Picks" (Proudly, n.d.). Ford
continues to progress with new partnerships like Microsoft, to create new systems that will help
them connect with clients cellular phones and music equipment, to provide clients with unique
and unparalleled experiences. The agency has been serving South Florida clients for decades
since it opened its foundation in 1956. It is a family business dedicated to the automobile
industry, selling and serving its clients in South Florida. It has 11 locations in the Miami-Dade
and Broward counties and host six premium brands: Honda, BMW, Infiniti, MINI, Mazda, and
Volkswagen. Since 1956, the company has grown into one of South Floridas most recognized
and successful brands employing more than 1,000 and its franchises rank high in national sales.
Their secret is to treat employees as part of a world-class team and their clients, as a worldclass experience (About, n.d.). They believe that a staff that is consistent and engaged will
provide a consistent and engaging experience for their clients.
Different Career Paths at Midway Ford
Variable and Fixed Operations. Provide high quality customer service and satisfaction through
sales and ownership. It includes sales, guest services, financial services, business development,
service department team, collision center, and parts department. Careers include: Sales
Consultant, Financial Services Manager, Guest Services Representative, Sales Manager, Service
Advisor, Collision/Bodywork Tech, Automotive Technician, and Parts Advisor.

Dealership Accounting. The accounting team is a critical group to the companys success as it
keeps the finances and bookkeeping accurately, processes customers financial transactions,
works with Floridas Department of Motor Vehicles, and handles vendors and outside contracts.
It also ensures that the finances and financial data for all other dealerships, departments and the
organizations is accurate. Careers in this area include: Office Manager, Title Clerk, and Accounts
Payable and Receivable.
Dealership Support. The Dealership Support Team is in charge of designing and maintaining the
infrastructure for the staff, technology and departments. This team covers the welfare and
security of the employees and the companys data, networks, and other resources. Careers in this
area include: Security Officer, Financial Analysis, Administrative Support, and Information
Technology.
Leadership. The company aims to provide all employees with the tools and training needed to
grow into a position of influence and leadership that is best for them. It emphasizes promotion
within while increasing employees motivation and engagement as well as fueling their
leadership team with increased communication, understanding of roles, and processes. Careers in
this area include: General Sales Manager, Fixed Ops Director, Service Manager, and Accounting
Manager.

References:
Proudly Serving South Florida for Decades. (n.d.). Web July 30, 2015.
http://southvistacareers.com/our-story/
About Midway Ford Miami. (n.d.). Web July 30, 2015.
http://www.midwayfordmiami.com/ford-miami-florida-dealer-about-us.html

Description of Assignments and Activities at the Dealership

The first thing I was asked to do, even before my supervisor completely approved my
internship application, was to learn all information about the 2015 Mustang. I guess that my
supervisor wanted to know whether I could memorize information that I could later relate to
others. I like learning about cars and I have even test-driven a Mustang before, so I thought this
was going to be an easy task, but I soon realized that it was more difficult than expected. There
were different models of Mustangs: the V6, the Ecoboost, the GT, the V6, the regular, the
premium. Each of these models has specific features and package deals. But, I learned as much
as I could about the Mustang and my internship was approved at Midway Ford. I did a lot of
things there. Assignments and activities at the dealership included:

Create a Twitter account

Develop advertising in Social Media Twitter, Facebook

Develop job application forms

Create postcards for employee events

Create postcards for customer appreciation

Participate in sales meetings

Participate in meetings to increase understanding of departments goals, employees roles

and job requirements

Description of Supervision During the Internship Experience

My supervisor was hands on with my internship and provided as much feedback as
possible on a daily basis. Supervision took place during regular internship hours on a weekly
basis, which were usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays about five hours daily ( from
10:00am to 3:00pm), unless the supervisor requested that I come earlier or stay later for a
meeting or to finish a task.
I was evaluated formally and informally - face to face - by my supervisor during
internship hours. My supervisor always explained to me why we were doing something, like
creating a new account on Twitter, or why he wanted me to sit on a meeting with him and other
store managers or representatives from other agencies.
He would explain the activity or task he wanted me to complete. I would do it on my
own, in the computer and office he had provided. Then he would sit with me and review what I
had done. He would give me feedback on what he liked or did not like and explain why and how
something would look or sound better. I would then make the changes.
We always met face to face during my internship hours at the agency. Although he did not
say that he was evaluating me, I noted that he would say 'good work' or 'you are doing better',
thus evaluating me informally. I later presented the evaluation form provided by the professor
and he completed a formal evaluation.
Before giving me the evaluation to submit with the internship package, my supervisor
discussed the grades he had given me. He explained that he was pleased with my work in the
dealership and all that I had done and learned while I was there. He congratulated me and
encouraged me to continue learning and moving forward. He said he was impressed by my
positive attitude towards work and sales specifically. He even provided me with a
recommendation letter that I was not expecting.

Relationship to Communication Arts Learning Outcomes to the Work Experience

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts curriculum is guided by eight learning outcomes to
support the Institutes goals. These are:

Acquire and demonstrate critical thinking skills.

Develop and integrate the ability to write in an articulate, complex, and clear manner.

Develop skills to identify and produce quality production materials for their area of study.

Develop skills to express themselves orally in a clear, articulate, and intelligent manner in a
variety of situations.

Develop skills to be proficient in current technology.

Be familiar with, value, and demonstrate cultural competence in a multi-cultural

environment.

Understand the power of media and the ethical use of that power.

Establish and develop leadership skills.

Conclusion
The courses in the communication program prepared me for the internship at Midway
Ford. The readings, discussions and assignments helped me develop the skills to complete the
internship. The same way, the internship helped me improve in many ways. The coursework and
the internship have helped me improve my communication skills, attitude towards the media, and
even my leadership skills. I faced some challenges. For example, during the internship. For
example, when writing an ad or developing a flyer or job application form, I had to consider
people from all cultural backgrounds because I did not want to offend anyone by what I said or
did. I remembered the global market as well as the consumers that we wanted to attract to the
agency. We wanted them to see that our products and services were superior to others. For this, I
developed headlines, ads, and visuals. I also researched other advertising campaigns to learn
from them. I even opened an account on Instagram, I was always careful about what I said and
posted.
One of my limitations was my Spanish language. Even though I am of Cuban descent and
speak Spanish with my grandparents and some of my friends, I feel more comfortable speaking
English. However, most of the dealership staff members and customers were Hispanics,
especially Cubans. I had to speak more Spanish than I expected. This helped me practice and
improve my Spanish. I have decided that I must continue to practice Spanish to help clients and
to become fully bilingual, which will help me get a job soon.
The courses and the internship have helped me grow personally and professionally. I am
more careful about what I say or write. I can express my opinions and feelings better. I have also
developed leadership skills by communicating better with others. I feel more confident when
participating in professional events and staff meetings with people from different cultures. I try
to be more open and friendly and feel better as part of a team than before. I am now better
prepared to face the future ahead.