internship spotlight
Dana Hilgers
Graduation Year
May 2017
Major
Advertising
Hometown
Barrington
Hobbies
Photography, travel, reading
Employer
Turner
Internship Title
Entertainment ad sales intern
What were your duties?
Assist with the day to day tasks of sales executives: attend meetings, research for clients, create deliverables and decks, create rate sheets. We also had a summer long project where we created a mulitplatform sales pitch to a prospective client which we pitched to the entire Turner office.
What did you most enjoy about your internship?
Meeting so many inspiring people and learning first hand what it's like to be a part of a huge company.
What was the most difficult aspect of the internship?
There were many times when I needed to be very proactive and 'ask for work' which I wasn't used to.
How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your internship?
The media planing and digital advertising classes helped prepare me a lot for a media sales internship. I already knew about KPI, impressions, flight schedules etc.
How has your internship prepared you for a career?
It taught me about the importance of informational interviews and what it's like to work in an office environment.
What recommendations do you have for other students about doing an internship?
Don't be afraid to apply for internships that aren't exactly what you want to do, I never knew I would like ad sales until my internship. Also a lot of breaking into the industry is who you know, so work your network!
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