- Graduation Year: May 2014
- Major: Advertising
- Hometown: Ottawa, Illinois
- Hobbies: Singing, writing, playing guitar
Current Activities:
- American Advertising Federation
- Alpha Phi Sorority
Internship | Social Media Director at Hard Core Brands International
Duties
I was in charge of the company’s Facebook (22,800 followers), Twitter (2,400 followers), and Instagram (2,600 followers). I posted daily on each platform, provided monthly analytics to measure the growth rate of each website, researched the sites of competitors to compare their interaction rates to Hard Core’s, created and measured weekly sweepstakes and contests, and presented a marketing presentation to Dick’s Sporting Goods to increase sales of Hard Core’s products in their stores.
What did you most enjoy about your internship?
I learned a great deal of information that I will use for the rest of my life. I also thoroughly enjoyed every single day at work. I would look forward to coming up with different social media campaigns. This job did not just include busy work, what I did actually mattered. Different types of posts would increase sales and website traffic. It was amazing to see that I was able to do this for the company. This reassured that I had chosen the right major. It also made me very excited for the future.
What was the most difficult aspect of the internship?
I was in charge of a social media website that advertised for a company that sold hunting products. Before accepting the internship, I did not know much about hunting. So, I did a substantial amount of research on the subject before my first day. When working with social media, I had to communicate with thousands of customers. So, I had to remain credible. This was very difficult at first because I had never actually been hunting. However, I am so glad that I took a job outside of my element. It showed that I do not have to narrow down my job options based on what the company sells. Eventually, I felt very comfortable posting and conversing with customers.
How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your internship?
I would not have been as confident without having the experience that I had attending the University of Illinois. For one, many of the different classes had taught me crucial information. I had a general knowledge of advertising research, which allowed me to accept an internship that was out of my element. Different creative classes greatly helped me create photos and captions to post on the sites. Also, previously presenting to large lectures helped ease my nerves while giving presentations in front of my coworkers.
How has your internship prepared you for a career?
Working with social media gives individuals the ability to deal with coworkers, talk to clients, and create ads. I hope to someday work in the creative industry and this internship gave me the opportunity to practice that. Also, now I feel comfortable creating and showing presentations to coworkers and clients.
What recommendations do you have for other students about doing an internship?
I would suggest that students apply for internships as early as possible. I have had an internship freshman, sophomore, and junior year. Each internship gave me a completely different experience. I learned drastically about many different areas of advertising and marketing. Further, each internship helped me decide which types of positions I would like to focus in on after college. Also, don’t be picky! My best experience was interning for a company that I knew little about. This gives you a greater experience to grow and learn.
