Anna Heintzman plans her life on her iPhone. She stands at the calendar at Dash's Market and triple checks her work schedule to make sure she is not double booked.
After she is done with that, she checks her email for the assistant schedule at her promotions job.
Then she checks her schedule for the Student Association. She must stay on top of things, or one mistake could disrupt her whole routine.
The junior communication major is an employee at Dash's, a promotions assistant and intern at Entercom Radio Buffalo and SA's hospitality coordinator.
When she is not slicing deli meat, running the cash register, helping to create an image for four major radio stations or helping in the office of the radio stations as an intern, she is helping to put on events through SA.
Heintzman learned the importance of "getting her foot in the door" at a young age. She knows how important her future is and decided to get a jumpstart early.
Her brother, Marc, was studying communication at Syracuse University. His experience and involvement in the field illustrated what the future might have in store for her.
"He told me that experience is going to be everything and it's going to make a huge difference," Heintzman said. "He told me to get involved early because in this field, you start at the bottom and work your way up."
As an intern at Entercom, she calls contestants and informs them of contests that they have won, in addition to communicating with the sales staff. Prior to her internship, she was terrified of calling people.
"It sounds silly but one of the biggest things I've learned at my internship/promotions job is phone skills," Heintzman said. "Before, I hated talking on the phone to people I didn't know. I hated even ordering take-out or calling a business for their hours, as dumb as that seems. But now I don't care at all. I'm 1 million times more comfortable on the phone, which is actually a really important skill to have in this field."
During events put on through the SA, she is constantly on her phone making sure things are running smoothly. Whenever there is a problem, she uses her phone to communicate via text or call. It is her lifeline.
"One thing that we're always told before events is that you make sure your phone is charged and that you bring your charger," Heintzman said.
Organization is one thing that is always present in her life. Without an effective plan, things could be turned upside down.
"I have to be pretty organized," Heintzman said. "I use my iPhone calendar a lot. I put everything in there for all my jobs and I have to be extremely diligent when requesting days off at jobs."
Allison Brace, Heintzman's friend since birth, attests to her skills.
"Her ability to manage time and priorites is [impressive]," Brace said. "She is very good at working around other people's schedules and fitting everything in."
Heinztman believes it is never too early to get involved in your field.
Email: features@ubspectrum.com
