I completed a six-month internship at CNS Communication as an internal communications assistant. While many of my tasks were not directly related to graphic design, this experience allowed me to develop strong communication, organizational, and teamwork skills in an international working environment.
From team newsletters to event organization and internal campaigns, I got to work on a wide variety of projects that strengthened employee engagement. It was a rich experience to better understand how internal communication works in a big company.
This internship was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting in such an uncertain environment was a real challenge. With many employees working remotely, I had to find new ways to foster a sense of connection and cohesion within the teams. It pushed me to be more resourceful and to think creatively to strengthen internal culture even from distance. It was also the first time that I was working in a international environnement, the company has 8 offices around the world and employes more than a hundred persons.
Over the course of my internship, I had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of communication projects that helped me develop valuable tools, skills, and creative methods that I still use today in my workflow. From producing daily internal content to designing business assets like business cards or video editing, each mission became a learning opportunity, not just technically, but also personally. Each day brought new creative challenges and that’s exactly what made this experience so enriching to me.
I worked closely with an inspiring team: Claire B., Head of HR Development & Communication, and Sandy J., Head of Internal and Corporate Communications. As an Internal Communication Officer, my role was broad and diverse. I often worked alongside Sandy, who generously shared her experience and knowledge. Both she and Claire trusted me early on, encouraged me to take initiative, and gave me the chance to lead several projects, especially those involving graphic design aspects. This experience helped me realize that what I love most about communication is using visual language to deliver meaningful messages. That why graphic design is where I feel most engaged and creative.
With many collaborators working remotely, I participated to the implementation of weekly online internal events, and games, like lunch break activities (Scribble, Among Us, Quiz, etc..) or morning calls to replace the morning coffee informal meeting that was very important for the company's culture. This pandemic gave us the opportunity to create more links between all employees since the solution to teleworking exploded. Thanks to team workshops and ice breaker games, all employees were more disposed to get to know their colleagues better from the other corner of France or in Kuala Lumpur, but still doing the same job.
One of the highlights of my internship was contributing to the company’s move into a brand-new office in Lyon’s vibrant Confluence district, the birthplace and headquarters of CNS Communication. I was in charge of designing a range of visual and print assets for the opening event, including a welcome interactive guidebook. Beyond the creative work, I also helped onboard and support team members through the transition, making sure everyone felt welcomed and inspired during this exciting step in the company’s growth.
Business card design
REXTalk promotion poster
Alongside this, I contributed to strengthening the company’s employer brand through a number of internal initiatives like CSR awareness campaign, for which I created a new logo, posters, and a good practices guide to help engage employees in the company’s sustainable efforts ; or REXTalk, a return-of-experience program designed to foster knowledge sharing across teams and to highlight employee-led insight.
