Internship Program Spotlight: Tyler Batiste

Tyler Batiste is an undergraduate student at the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration. He was an intern at FlyGuys, a nationwide drone service. We interviewed him to find out more about his experience and how an internship has benefitted his professional development.

Tyler Batiste

Senior (graduating December 2020)
Major: Marketing
Minor: Hospitality Management
Hometown: Lafayette, LA

Why did you choose to attend UL Lafayette?
I originally didn’t want to come to UL Lafayette because I thought that it was too close to home. Once I actually got on the campus and realized it was bigger than I thought and had a variety of ways to stay busy and engaged on campus, I figured that I could accomplish some great things here, and also feel like I was at home, because I was! 

Why did you choose to major in Marketing?
I was originally in management, but I had a professor advise me to switch to marketing and that she felt I would be more successful in a more focused segment of business such as marketing. I am so glad that I chose marketing because there are many opportunities in the field, and I love to use my creativity in making strategies and executing plans.

Why did you decide to participate in the Moody Business Internship Program?
I knew that it was pretty common for a student to participate in the program, and I also was aware of how beneficial it would be for me in the long run. It is a great eye catcher on a resume when students have one or multiple internships. Also, it was an opportunity for me to make some extra money, so I’ll never turn that down.

What company did you intern with?
I interned with FlyGuys from March 2019 until April 2020.

How did you first hear about your internship?
Dr. Hollier advised our class to attend the Moody Business Career Fair in Spring 2019 in the Moody Hall lobby, and after I had finished visiting other businesses upstairs, she actually walked me to the FlyGuys table and introduced me to Adam Zayor, CEO. I got to work very closely with Adam and am still in contact with him today. I plan on getting my pilot license soon to start doing some drone photography as well.

What is your favorite thing about your internship?
The best thing about my internship was that I got to learn from market research and different people on phone calls with Adam and the rest of my co-workers. It was also very new to me and I liked learning about the drone industry every day because it’s advancing so quickly.

What were your responsibilities at your internship?
I did many different tasks at FlyGuys. I was one of the marketing interns. My tasks consisted of formulating lists of eligible pilots to add to our proprietary platform, cold calling companies and pilots, project management of jobs in specified areas, creating maps with location of pilots based on equipment type, and communicating with and updating clients and pilots about job needs and progress. I also assisted with keyword research, website reconstruction, and management of social media posts (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).

What is the most valuable thing you learned during your internship?
I learned that making connections in any way possible and treating people with respect goes a long way. I had a pilot contact me recently to check in with the business and he told me that if I ever needed extra work, he’d be glad to add me to his crew. This was a guy I’ve never met in person, but I took care of him with each of his jobs, made sure he got paid fairly, and referred him to other job opportunities as well. I also was given reassurance by the experience with this pilot that customer service is really important and always will be.

How do you think participating in the internship program has benefitted your professional development?
I now know what it is like to work with a publicly traded company that is also a startup. There were actually times where I sat in on meetings and phone calls with key investors. I was able to see a different side of a business and I thought it was a great learning experience. It helped that I am already involved in some other professional organizations, and I got to use those skills that I learned in these organizations in real workplace settings. Not only did I get to apply learned skills, but I also was able to fine-tune them and develop new ones. I also was given plenty of opportunity to use my course work and apply it to our business activities.

What advice would you give to someone considering participating in the Moody Business Internship Program in the future?
Definitely do your research about what companies you are interested in, and make sure to have an open mind about wherever you end up. Don’t take for granted the opportunity that’s in front of you, especially if you like what you are doing. Give it your best, strive for improvement, and seek guidance throughout the entire time you are there.

Students and employers can learn more about participating in the Moody Business Internship Program at business.louisiana.edu/internship or email internship@louisiana.edu.