Sari Bernfield
Graduation Year: May 2016
Major: Advertising
Hometown: Deerfield, IL
Campus Activities
- American Advertising Federation
- College of Media Ambassador
- Alpha Epsilon Phi
Internship: Leo Burnett - Community Relations and Events Intern
What were your duties?
I assisted with community relations and events. I helped with initiatives that supported the 8 Leo Love non-profit partners. This included managing donation drives and coordinating volunteers. I assisted with the Wood Family Foundation baseball clinic. I coordinated volunteers to go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. I helped coordinate Leo Burnett’s 78th anniversary. Overall, I assisted with approximately 15 internal and external events, from conception to execution.
What did you most enjoy about your internship?
I enjoyed the people I worked with the most. I was able to learn so much in such a short period of time. My boss included me in major meetings, as well as venue searches and client visits outside of the office. As amazing as my day-to-day work was, the most exceptional part of my internship was the intern group project. I was the youngest in my group, and they taught me so much about creating a successful campaign for our client, Lemonhead. I loved collaborating with my peers to create something incredible. The day we presented our campaign, I could not have been more proud of my team and myself. It was an incredible feeling to know how impressed my bosses were when they saw the presentation my group created. In addition, my group was ecstatic when we found out that Lemonhead would want to use our campaign in the future!
What was the most difficult aspect of the internship?
The most difficult part of my internship was making sure I was always contributing and making a difference. It was easy to just sit at my desk when I had nothing to do, but that is when I needed to remind myself to make sure I was always asking people in my department if there was anything that I could assist with. It was not just about working from 9:00am to 5:00pm. There were plenty of nights I had to say at work until 11:00pm and get to work at 6:00am to prepare for events and to coordinate volunteering. It was difficult getting to work early and staying late some nights, but it was incredibly rewarding when we finished an event. It kept me motivated to come into work everyday excited and ready to work nonstop until I commuted back home to the suburbs.
How did your experience at Illinois and in the College of Media prepare you for your internship?
My experience at Illinois and the College of Media greatly prepared me for my internship. Throughout my experience at U of I, professors have continuously expressed the importance of public speaking and asking questions. It is so important to ask when one is unsure, whether it is in class or at an internship. People at work did not mind assisting me because I would rather ask how to do something and do it right, instead of guessing and doing a bad job. Learning this throughout school greatly helped me be confident when I did not know the answers to everything. I was not afraid to speak up at work because I was prepared by presenting speeches in front on my classmates. Additionally, interviewing for clubs on campus greatly helped me through the internship process of finding an internship. I was able to learn the kind of questions they ask in a standard interview and the best way to answer those questions to promote myself in the best way possible.
How has your internship prepared you for a career?
My internship has greatly prepared me for my career by showing me that there is more to the advertising industry than just account managers and creatives. I had no idea volunteering and giving back to the community could be connected with advertising. Which are two things that I love to do. I was also given the opportunity to learn about how to create a campaign for a real client from strategy to execution. Since I want to have a career in the advertising world, it is crucial to understand every aspect of the industry because each role is equally as important because they are all connected.
What recommendations do you have for other students about doing an internship?
My biggest piece of advice would be to apply anywhere and everywhere! Even if it does not seem to be what you are interested in doing in the future, stay open minded. I almost took an internship at a bank, which is the complete opposite of working at an advertising agency. So if you accept an internship that is not in your field of study, there will always be something that you can take out of your experience to connect it to your industry of choice. Whether it is communication skills, or a great connection with your boss that you can use for a recommendation for future internships and jobs. Be flexible, confident and create connections no matter where you may be working!
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