Growing a Public Relations Career with a SXSW Internship Success
Career and Professional Development (CAPD) Opportunity Helped Land a SXSW Internship
During her work-study shift at the Student Success Center Information Desk, Cressida Rodriguez ‘27, heard from her boss, SSC Business Manager Elvia Guadian, about the opportunity to visit the South by Southwest (SXSW) headquarters in downtown Austin. Through Career and Professional Development’s Career Treks, students can learn firsthand about internships and application processes at companies like SXSW.
The very next day, Rodriguez joined a group of other students and Senior Director of Career and Professional Development Brittany Stansel to prepare for their visit. Then, they were off to explore the behind-the-scenes operations of one of Austin’s largest festivals. What began as a film and music festival in 1987, has now grown into a global event bringing together directors, artists and other professionals from booming industries to network and share their expertise.
“It’s truly an honor to connect our students with employers through CAPD programming, and the SXSW Career Trek was a perfect example,” Stansel said. “Students got a behind-the-scenes look at this iconic organization, learned about its culture, and gained valuable insights into the application process. These types of experiences are not just about networking; they help students make informed career decisions and see firsthand how their skills align with industry needs.”
At the Career Trek, Rodriguez excitedly picked the brain of her current boss, SXSW Event Staffing Manager Stephanie Sanders, about all things event planning. A few days after their Career Trek, applications for internships opened and Rodriguez made her way to CAPD to update her résumé and send it in. The following Friday was the Career Fair where she spotted the SXSW table and told them about her application, putting a face to the name.
Real-World Application of Communication Courses and Event Planning
As a Public Relations and Advertising major, Rodriguez’s passion for event planning paired with her communication courses prepared her for every aspect of her internship—most notably, her Introduction to Communication course with professor Teri Varner.
“I feel the basics of communication has really prepared me. I know when people need help without saying they need help and then I can jump in. Classes are very beneficial, especially when you are passionate about what you're learning about; but then when you put it into use, it's completely different.”
Aside from preparing the logistics for volunteer events, Rodriguez and a sessions manager also brainstormed a new way to communicate with their 300 plus volunteers. Instead of sending out pages of information to volunteers, Rodriguez learned new softwares to create interactive emails to help each crew prepare for their event.
This kind of creativity is what SXSW hopes interns can bring to the table to help this renowned event run smoothly.
“The roles our interns play leading up to and during SXSW is essential in fostering the creative innovation that SXSW strives for,” Sanders said. “Interns from across many different departments, help organize and prepare a variety of information and build communication skills that prepare us for an amazing event.”
Learning New Skills and Growing Confidence for a Career in Sports Public Relations
When she’s not drafting interactive emails, she’s answering questions via email and preparing venue packets for crew managers to last them both weeks of the festival.
One of her favorite parts of the internship is how comfortable and welcoming her team is, creating a safe environment for her to learn and ask questions.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself—I’m a very passionate person,” Rodriguez said. “If somebody says, ‘let's just start thinking about an idea,’ I'm going to think about it, plan it out; I want it all done right then and there.”
Rodriguez hopes to go into sports PR, either working for the Dallas Cowboys or for a professional soccer team like Austin FC. She’s becoming more comfortable putting herself out there and has gained plenty of experience taking a chance. After leading RecWell Zumba classes as a freshman, Rodriguez took a chance and reached out to the SEU Athletics to help revamp their social media. There was no job posting; this was just something she felt passionate about and so she created the job for herself.
This internship has also taught Rodriguez to use new tools to better her work. Her perspective has shifted and she’s bringing these new tools into practice during her classes.
“What I didn't really know until working with SXSW is that I like to look for constructive criticism,” Rodriguez said. “So being able to ask my boss and my peers, ‘What do you think about this?’ Is something that I never even thought of. I’d be scared to raise my hand in class. Now I'm like, okay, I actually have to ask this question.”
Fostering Connections and Gaining Insight for Future Career Journeys
As president of St. Edward’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America and small business owner of an event planning company, C. Celebrations, Rodriguez is bringing her experience back to the hilltop to share with others and apply to her daily life.
As she prepares for the festival, Rodriguez is excited to meet some talent and see what her hard work has led to. She’s also looking forward to shadowing different parts of the festival, meeting the PR team for SXSW and watching Meghan Maroney perform.
“I encourage students to take advantage of Career Trek opportunities and other CAPD programming,” Stansel said. “You never know the impact a single experience can have or the connections that may shape your career journey. Cressida’s story is a powerful example of how these opportunities can lead to real-world success, and I can't wait to hear more about how Career Treks continues to influence students' career paths.”
