Economic Development & Tourism Intern

Responsibilities

• Assist with marketing and promotional programs as part of the Economic Development and Tourism team.
• Gain first-hand experience in research on special projects related to real property development, business and entrepreneur vitality, placemaking and promotion, or talent development and attraction
• Social media content creation for small business testimonials: photo, copy, and video, and editing
• Business newsletter content preparation and audience management
• Graphic design projects (Canva)
• Data analysis and report writing for economic development research projects
• Conduct market research, including mid-week visitation and length-of-stay initiatives
• Develop marketing content and collateral that brings the "Live the SLO Life" brand to life
• Coordinate communications with hotel members and strategic partners
• Support trade and media requests and familiarization tours, and assist with Business Retention and Expansion outreach to the local business community

Requirements

• Currently pursuing or have recently obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree in journalism, political science, marketing, communications, tourism, business, public policy, city planning, or a related field
• A genuine curiosity about how local government, destination marketing, economic development, and community engagement all connect — and a desire to see it firsthand
• Comfort with Microsoft Office Suite and Canva, with an eye for clean, polished content
• A knack for research and turning data into insight
• Confident, clear communication — you can write for an audience and speak up in a room
• A self-starter mentality: you take initiative, juggle multiple projects, and hit deadlines without needing to be asked twice
• Sharp organizational skills and an eye for the details that make good work great
• Maturity and professionalism to thrive in a fast-paced, real-world office environment
• A positive, can-do attitude that makes you someone people want on their team
• The confidence to own a project independently — and the collaborative spirit to help the team hit shared goals

Preferred

• Currently pursuing undergraduate or graduate degree in political science, marketing, communications, tourism, business, public policy, city planning, or related field
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Canva
• Experience conducting research and applying analysis
• Effective oral and written communication
• Ability to show initiative, multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Demonstrated maturity to work successfully in a fast-paced setting
• Professional, positive and confident attitude
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of projects
• Ability to work as a team to achieve departmental goals

Benefits

• This is a temporary position, with no benefits.