Jordan Black
LinkedIn
Graduation Year: May 2016
Major: Advertising
Minor: Communications and Public Relations Certificate
Hometown: Lincolnshire, IL
Campus Activities
- Gamma Phi Beta Sorority
- American Advertising Federation (AAF)
- College of Media Student Ambassador
Internship - Phelps Agency (Santa Monica, CA) - Account Management Intern
What were your duties?
Since Phelps does not follow a typical agency structure and does not have departments, I was able to get a wide variety of experience. Although I was an account management intern, I helped out a lot with public relations, planning and strategy, and new business.
A few of my main responsibilities were:
-Competitive Analyses research and presentations
-Target market research and presentations
-Event planning negotiations
-Request for Proposal (RFP) management (facilitating meetings from planning to execution stages and gathering and maintaining assets)
What did you most enjoy about your internship?
Aside from being in such great weather and so close to the beach, I most enjoyed the agency culture. The culture at Phelps was so friendly, and on an almost daily basis I was interacting with the CEO, COO and CCO among other very talented and experienced individuals. You can learn so much from talking to these people who have been in the business for a long time.
What was the most difficult aspect of the internship?
I was trusted with a lot of responsibility, which was great, but at times it was also overwhelming. There were days I was researching and putting together decks for three different projects with tight timelines. Agency culture is fast paced, and you have to be ready to hit the ground running.
How did your experience at Illinois and in the College of Media prepare you for your internship?
The College of Media prepared me for internships in so many ways. Through classes you learn how to work in groups which are so similar to the teams you work on at an agency. There always will be someone who's more of a slacker and someone who has to keep everyone in line, and it's nice to know how to work with these types of people. The College of Media also helped prepare me for the actual work I would be doing. I had much more knowledge of buzzwords and industry terms than even the Master's graduate who started shortly after I did.
How has your internship prepared you for a career?
This internship has been so much more than a resume builder. I had the privilege of working on some really cool projects, but beyond that I learned a lot about agencies in general. I have a better understanding of industry roles and where that may take me, and now I have 90 more connections in the industry as well.
What recommendations do you have for other students about doing an internship?
Internships are all about what you make of them. You have to be willing to go the extra mile and prove your worth to the team. When you go the extra mile it will not go unnoticed. Always remember that you will probably run into these people in the industry again, so be sure to make a good impression.
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