Harper Yang: Hitting the Ground Running at the San Jose Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs!
This year, I have embarked on the journey that is my junior year of college. I was nervous about the obstacles, challenges, and — most importantly — the workload that this year could bring. However, as I started my position as the Marketing and Communications Intern at the San Jose Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, the welcoming environment and supportive coworkers allowed me to slowly relax.
At City Hall, I hit the ground running. During my first few days in the office, I began outreach for the next blog post announcing the recipients of the Creative Economy Fund Grant, created posts and infographics for Instagram, and compiled a list of free workshops for the newsletter to small businesses from OEDCA partners. At first, it was daunting to be emailing prominent nonprofit companies, creating captions and images for the @SJeconomy Instagram page, and writing blog posts for the city’s website. However, with constant support and feedback from my advisor, Carlos Velasquez, my confidence began to grow. I was also fortunate enough to sit in on a Team San Jose meeting with San Jose Theatres, where we took a tour of the San Jose Civic Center and Montgomery Theatre after discussing recent revenues for San Jose Theatres.
One thing that surprises me about this organization is how much everyone in the office genuinely loves their job. There’s a shared passion for making real change and promoting San Jose’s prosperity, which is infectious. It’s incredibly motivating to be surrounded by people who are both committed to their work and deeply care about the community they serve. The sense of camaraderie is clear — coworkers share jokes and lunch invitations throughout the day. My advisor made it a priority for me to be formally introduced to everyone I interact with, whether virtually or in person, which made me feel at home from the beginning. Each introduction started with a warm smile and a firm handshake, and by prioritizing face-to-face connections, my advisor fostered a supportive and interconnected environment for me and the entire office. This has helped me ease into my role, knowing there are countless people who know me by name and are more than willing to help me through my journey.
One of the aspects I love most about my work is the opportunity to meet with the small business owners I’m helping. I’m particularly excited to go out into Downtown San Jose and help these businesses create content for their social media pages. My placement allows me to get to know San Jose better than ever before, which makes me excited to come to work every day.
Every time I walk into San Jose City Hall and scan my badge to enter, I feel empowered and confident that I am making a positive impact on San Jose.