Jenna Schreiber
Introduction
Internships are one of the most sought-after things as a communications major. The idea of building your resume and gaining experience you can take with you to your future career is as exciting as it is nerve-wracking. You spend so much time as a student learning, and getting to take those skills and apply them to a real-world scenario is exhilarating until you remember you are representing the brand, and that what you create impacts the image of the company.
As an incoming sophomore eager to start making content, I knew that an internship would be the best way to kick off my time in Bellisario. This past summer I worked with a fitness and nutrition-focused influencer to create social media content and help her throughout her rebranding. It was a great learning experience. This was not for credit or pay, so because some of the usual pressures felt with an internship were lifted, I wanted this to be a resume builder and acquire some useful resources for future recommendations.
Starting the Internship
Going into the internship, I used the knowledge I had from clubs and some classes, as well as the experiences I had as a young social media user. This is truly one of the best things about being a communications or advertising major. Much of what you do is learned through previous experience, so I knew what people would want to see because it was what I would want to see.
Through an initial meeting with the influencer, we determined what she wanted me to focus on the most. We covered some of the brand basics for the internship, like brand guidelines which included consistent fonts and colors for her social media, brands she would like to reach out to for partnerships, and goals with interaction.
Gaining that initial information was crucial to starting my work. I began by making a mass number of information-based posts about different foods or workout routines we could use as filler in her feed, and that was a terrific way for her to critique and learn what she liked, as well as help me understand more about what she was looking for.
I did my own research on the best times to post according to her audience and different hashtags to add to her posts to increase engagement. After that, with an open line of communication being utilized, I worked to grow her brand, following, and likeness.
What I Learned
I would not say I did anything groundbreaking, but I made an impact. Again, I am an incoming sophomore with extremely limited experience and this was the perfect opportunity for me to work on my skills and learn about what I am good at. My biggest takeaways from this experience are that personal style is likely not what people are hiring you for, that most brands’ main focus isn’t the work you’re doing for them, you are simply helping to promote what they focus on the most, and that you are allowed to speak up and voice what you feel would be best, within reason.
Personal style is sometimes hard to overcome. How are you supposed to create content without deciding what looks good together? It is impossible, but learning how to put aside personal style and keep the style of your employer at the front of your mind will give you more satisfaction than making something that is not the company’s style, I promise.
When being hired in a position that is your main job, it is hard to remember that not everyone can be so focused on the content you create. For example, in this internship, I would ask for certain content in certain time frames that, looking back, were truly unrealistic for my employer who was working a full-time job while also raising a family. It is a mental adjustment you must make, but if you give 100% and are patient, the content will be created, and the payoff will be worth it.
That being said, giving your opinion about content or how much focus is being put on the creation of that content is not a terrible thing if it comes respectfully. Always remember that being employed, especially as an intern, is a privilege. The mark you leave with the people you are working with will follow you throughout your career. Even the smallest thing such as speaking up and saying, “I think these colors would look better together,” or “I don’t have enough to create the content you expect at the rate you expect it,” are perfectly acceptable ways to insert yourself as a driving force in the marketing of a brand.
Being a young intern, this summer has taught me a lot of things that I hope to take with me to my future here in HVC and in my later career. Advertising is such an interesting and integral part of any brand that often gets overlooked or put off. Learning to be that driving force or the voice in the back of your employer’s mind, while staying respectful and true to yourself is an incredible skill some people never learn. Focusing on it while you are young and allowed to make some mistakes will come back to tremendously help you.
Listen to the people around you, share who you are, and remember that if you expect respect, you must give it!
Happy Valley Comm 