Communication studies major at the University of Nevada, Reno, Emile Guzman, recently completed a summer internship at the Tesla Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada. Guzman was beyond excited about the opportunity and said it was a student's internship paradise. He said many of the courses he has taken in his major were applicable to his summer work and felt the University prepares students well to follow in his path to obtain their dream internships.

Guzman originally applied for a human resources internship at the Gigafactory but was not accepted. A couple of days later, a recruiter called Guzman and asked if he would be interested in applying for an internship with the University recruiting team.

In his role at the Gigafactory, Guzman helped shape the Tesla experience of all interns. He organized a number of intern events, including a speaker series and sports outing. He also assisted with administrative duties for other human resources teams.

Guzman credits his public speaking class with University communications instructor Jill Tolles, which provided him with confidence to address large crowds. He also said his group project work in his major really helped him with planning events and preparing several options in the event of a cancellation. He put all these skills to use during his time at the Gigafactory.

Tesla's interns come from all over the country, including Canada, and from many different prestigious universities including Cornell University, Michigan State and Cal Poly. Guzman was surprised he didn't see more students this summer from the University of Nevada, Reno.

"I think a lot of our students would fit these roles phenomenally," he said.

An internship at the Gigafactory isn't just for engineering or STEM students. Guzman said he knew of a handful of teams that had internships available to students with a similar major as his.

Guzman said he advises students interested in obtaining an internship to get involved in extracurricular activities.

"People can see what you're studying, but if you're going out of your way to be involved in that field somehow, then that shows you really have a desire for what you're doing," he said.

Although he still has a couple more years before he graduates from the University, Guzman said he plans to look into careers in recruiting, marketing or public relations. His internship experience at the Gigafactory made such a positive impact on him, he is now interested in pursuing those career fields.

"There are a lot of positions in Tesla and other companies like it that would employ people in our (liberal arts) discipline," Guzman said.

So, he's keeping his options open.