Life as an Intern at The J.M. Smucker Co.

Presented by Maxwell Burton, a student at Ohio University studying Journalism Strategic Communications with a minor in Environmental Geoscience.

Internships can be terrifying. Like many others, my first internship entailed moving on my own to a completely new city, doing a job I had never done before while feeling the pressures of the corporate world for the first time. There are a lot of firsts, and change is often one of the hardest challenges humans overcome. However, with change and risk often comes great reward. I can certainly say the risk I took accepting an internship with The J.M. Smucker Co. was more than worth it.  

Hi! I am Maxwell Burton, the Summer 2023 Corporate Communications Intern. I am pursuing a degree in journalism, strategic communications and environmental studies at Ohio University. As I write this, I have just finished my Summer 2023 internship. I wanted to use this opportunity to tell you about my most valuable learning experience yet.  

A large reason I had a successful internship is because of the Company, its culture and my team. But just as important was my own willingness to give everything to this internship while I was here. Taking a risk and giving my full effort and self to the experience is what truly allowed me to flourish; but, what did that mean? It meant taking on all the projects I could handle, seeking out opportunities to align my work with my passions, using every new project as a way to learn through research, asking questions and being willing to fail. In fact, failure may have led to my biggest learnings over the summer.  

As a Corporate Communications intern, much of my day consisted of writing. I remember handing in my first article. When I got it back, all I saw was a sea of red lines and edits. I spent the next 20 minutes accepting digital edits from my boss. When I finally finished, the article was completely new. After that initial experience, the number of edits on my articles kept going down. I quickly learned the style in which I should write to engage the audiences we are working to reach. 

What we perceive as failure is often a learning experience in disguise.  

My team also played a pivotal role in the success of my internship. They gave me meaningful projects and trusted me to complete them, ultimately building my confidence while offering a great learning experience. They provided edits in kind ways that proved their support and confidence in my work. 

My team ensured I was able to work on projects I had a true passion for, which really helped me flourish. I believe that employees who are empowered to combine their work with their passions become better employees. That’s what The J.M. Smucker Co. is all about.  

The passions I combined with my work were philanthropy and sustainability. I got to work with both the Charitable Giving and the Sustainability teams on different projects throughout my internship. During the summer there were multiple volunteering opportunities  interns were able to participate in. I personally was able to volunteer at our Pollinator Garden located down the street from corporate headquarters, at our Company Store.  

Not only were all interns encouraged to volunteer, but because I shared my interest in this area I was put on special projects to aid the team. Essentially, I worked to assist the department with any communication support they needed, which made the internship more fulfilling than I could have ever expected. 

I can’t thank this company enough for an experience that not only helped shape my career but aided in my personal growth as well.