Where were you over the summer? Why were you there?
This summer I was in Chicago, IL for a publicity and promotions internship with Allied Integrated Marketing.
How important would you say finding an internship is for students?
It is not only important finding one internship but it is important to have at least 2 internships before you graduate college. Internships are a way to either figure out what you like (or don’t like) and to solidify what you like to do. The more experiences you have, the well off you will be as a job candidate. Jobs are now expecting 2 or more internships so to be a well rounded candidate for a job, you definitely want to have internships.
Why did you decide on this specific internship?
The summer before my senior year of college I wanted to intern for a company that I could see myself working fo in the future as well as in a new location I have never been. While researching internships, I found Dream Careers, a company which helps students connect with companies in various locations. Dream Careers gave me a lot of options and I interviewed with 3 companies before I accepted the position at Allied Integrated Marketing. Allied is a marketing agency all over the United States that promotes and markets movies.
I decided on this internship because I have never worked at an marketing agency before and I wanted to see if I would like the culture of an agency versus a corporation.
Before leaving, what were you most nervous about? What were you most excited about?
Honestly, I wasn’t worried about moving to a new location let alone a new city – I was nervous about meeting friends. Dream Careers definitely helped with that because there were about 20 people in our group. We all had different internships and were from all around the world – so it was fun getting to know them. I also met people at my internship.
I was most excited about learning. I know that is geeky but I love learning the cool spots of cities, learning where the good restaurants are, and of course learning more about myself and what I want to do in life. The best conversations I had were with my bosses or older professionals listening to their insight.
What did you learn from your internship?
I learned a lot from my internship, more than I ever imagined. First, I learned about the marketing agency world. I learned to always offer to do something (even if you do not want to) because people notice. The only way to know if you like something is by doing it – so just do it!
On a career level I learned how to make cold call to individuals and businesses and connect with social influencers. On a more personal level I semi-learned how to network. Networking is really the art of making friends – so although it doesn’t seem that hard, it can be nerve wrecking.
The one piece of advice I received and I can offer to you is always offer something to the person you are talking to. For example, if you meet someone that works at the company you want to work for ask what projects he or she is working on and naturally slide in that you would love to help doing that work or you can offer help with that project. That way you aren’t always asking for something you can offer something and then start a relationship.
If you could do it all again, would you change anything? If so, what?
This is an ironic question because my friends asked me this and I thought long and hard and my answer was to delete my netflix account so I wouldn’t stay in and actually go out and explore Chicago more. But in all reality, I wouldn’t change anything about my experience with Allied Integrated Marketing or being in Chicago.
What advice do you have for students who are looking for and applying to internships?
My advice is to use the UNCG Spartan Career website and the wonderful staff in the department. I think a hidden secret of our university is the men and women in the Spartan Careers office. Their jobs are to network with companies to figure out what kinds of skills students need in order to get the jobs they are offering. I have gone in that office to get an i-9 form signed and ended up talking to the business development manager and we spoke for an hour about my life and what kinds of jobs fit with what I want to get out of life.
My other piece of advice is to always be proactive. If it seems like nothing is working out, start e-mailing people in your network and ask if they know if anyone is looking for jobs or internships. It never hurts to ask – and in general people are always willing to help college students.