Employer
FCB Chicago
Internship Title
Account Management Intern
What were your duties?
I worked on FCB-X, the experiential arm of the agency. I gained a wealth of experience about both traditional and experiential marketing. On a day-to-day basis, I created event timelines, interfaced with clients, managed budgets, planned staffing for events and participated in group strategy sessions, including those for new business.
I got to coordinate "pop-up" events and out-of-home campaigns around the city of Chicago. For one client, I even got to staff a food-truck event and hand out free ice cream.
Every day of work brought an opportunity to learn and participate in something new.
What did you most enjoy about your internship?
I was extremely impressed by the culture of the agency. FCB Chicago is a large, time-honored, full-service agency and their emphasis on quality creative work is very apparent. Even as an Account Management Intern, I had the opportunity to shadow and work with Creatives and Strategists. Overall, it was a wonderful experience collaborating with the other interns (there were 50 in total) and the hundreds of talented full-time employees.
FCB Chicago's dynamic list of clients is a source of pride at the agency. Working with a range of clients, from Anheuser-Busch to Jimmy Johns, was beneficial to gaining a deeper understanding of how to interact with clients.What was the most difficult aspect of the internship?
At the end of the internship, all interns participated in ThinkTank, a capstone project that involved splitting into teams, receiving a brief and developing a full-scale strategy and multi-platform creative execution for the client.
Working cohesively with a group, developing solid strategy and finely-tuning creative work were all challenging aspects of this project. At the end of the project, which lasts one week, each group presented to the entire agency. Honing our presentation skills was another challenge.
That being said, this was one of the most rewarding projects I have ever been a part of it. It was an excellent learning experience for "agency life."
How did your experience at ILLINOIS and in the College of Media prepare you for your internship?
My curriculum in UIUC Advertising equipped me with knowledge about every department, from creative to data/research. I had the advantage of knowing how a campaign functions, what a creative brief looks like, how to use Google AdWords, etc.
Interns on my program came from various disciplines and universities across the nation, but I felt proud of the practical knowledge that Illinois has provided me.
During ThinkTank, I constantly thought of the group projects I have done in Advertising classes, and drew on those skills to accomplish my project and work well with my group. Likewise, my experience with the American Advertising Federation assisted me in developing a campaign from the ground up during ThinkTank.
Lastly, I realized that the UIUC alumni network (especially Advertising/College of Media alumni) is strong and very helpful in the real world, especially in Chicago. It was wonderful to have the chance to speak with fellow employees who attended this university.
How has your internship prepared you for a career?
My internship showed me how to work well at an agency. I learned a lot about professional etiquette, especially when speaking with clients. I learned about the relationship between Creatives and the Account Team. As I said, every day was a new learning opportunity. The skills I gained at FCB have helped me set a good foundation for my career in Advertising.
After graduating in May 2019, I will be joining FCB Chicago full-time as an Assistant Account Executive.
What recommendations do you have for other students about doing an internship?
Never be afraid to aim high and reach out. I remember being nervous that my only job experience was being a camp counselor. Well, everybody starts somewhere, so never think an internship is out of your league. As an Illinois student, your network is vast. Use it; whether that be reaching out on LinkedIn, attending networking events or just grabbing coffee with an alumnus.