Hey! I’m Joe and I’m the current Marketing Intern at Elite SEM. Elite SEM is a full service digital marketing agency providing services in Paid Search, Paid Social, CRM & Email, Shopping & Feed, Amazon & Marketplaces, Performance Display, SEO, Affiliate Marketing, Creative Services, CRO, and Analytics & Marketing Science. My experience at Elite SEM has been nothing short of life-changing in just the short time I have been there. Due to the amount of trust, responsibility, freedom, and confidence I am given I have become a stronger player in the industry every day. As the marketing intern for Elite SEM I am responsible for various internal marketing strategies such as the maintenance and analytics of our various social media channels as well as managing and reporting for relationships with our Partners such as Google, Bing, and Tableau. Elite has pushed me to go after my passions at full speed and not look back. Due to this, I have become a strong advocate for internal marketing analytics and reporting and I want to share with others that data based decisions can help make important decisions and can be fun and interesting while doing so.

There is nothing worse than working and seeing no reward. When someone plants a seed they hope that it will grow roots and branches until the point where it can bear fruit. But, if the tree is baron then all the labor would seemed pointless in the end. Even if your internship is not compensating you for your efforts it is important that you generate value for yourself. Take advantage of the opportunities to learn new skills and programs that you otherwise would not have had access to. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about what systems are used and why because any new method that you can add to your own tool belt will only improve your marketability and improve your adaptability. Don’t be shy; if you have the opportunity to make acquaintances with people in other departments there’s no reason not to. Maybe, the IT department isn’t very social at your internship but they might have some good tips and tricks up their sleeves that might make you a better  or more efficient ad buyer. There’s no telling how the connections you make with co-workers might impact your life; having pleasant conversations with someone by the water cooler could lead to a recommendation for your next job. If you enjoy your internship and think that you would want to keep working there it is likely because your personality and the culture of the company are a good match. Therefore it is important to show that you vibe with the rest of the organization as a team player. When there is no more work to be done, ask for some. The ‘Thank you sir may I have another’ mentality will show your steadfast dedication to delivering quality work and capability to handle more responsibility. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew because swamping yourself with too much work will only serve to make you look irresponsible. When there’s not even extra work to be done try to brainstorm some ways that you can add value to the company that perhaps have gone overlooked, if there is minor issue that you can solve present your case to your boss. The first law in Robert Greene’s classic, The Laws of Power,  the first law is to never outshine the master. Even if you think you might be more knowledgeable on a certain subject it is important to share said knowledge with tact. The last thing you want is to be looked at with disdain for doing something that by all appearances was for the benefit of the company.

Hi! My name is Shannon Vo and I’m a senior majoring in Advertising, concentrating on account management. My internship at Legacy Recordings is coming to an end. Before interning at the record label, I had only been to New York City twice. Now, I can somewhat say I know my way around. Waking up every morning on the days I go to the city is horrible, but worth it. I never really thought that I would ever get an opportunity to intern in another city besides Philly.

My internship this semester has been with The Shades Co. The Shades Co. is a luxury sunglass specialty company with locations in seasonal areas, mainly across the Jersey Shore. On top of the administrative duties I am responsible for, I am also spearheading the development of a new merchandising system for the store. With this merchandising system , all stores will be laid out in the same way, allowing ease for employees who need to switch locations for a shift along with the customers who can easily find any frame at any given time in any of the locations. Another part of this is an auto reorder system. As most frames do not resell more than 4 times a day, the plan is to have at least 4 frames in stock at all times of the top models all season long. A trigger system will automatically reorder the frame and have it ready to be shipped to the store in about a day. This way, the display will always stay filled and able to be restocked with ease. Each frame in every store will be in the exact same (labeled) spot on the display. Doing this will not only make it easier for the employees to restock, but if there is a hole in the display, it is a good trigger to prove theft and check the cameras. This system also lays out a template for future stores to be planned. This model simplifies the process. All the company now has to do is find the storefront and buy the space. After that, the design team will be able to give the stores all the same layout within the display which allows for quicker expansion. This system will change the way people buy sunglasses. Since sunglasses are more of a “try it on” type of product, the majority of sunglass shopping is still done in store. This project I have taken on has been quite the tedious endeavor. I had to begin by going through every sunglass we sold in the reports, creating a large excel document with the item number, how many we sold, at what margin, give it a sell through grade, and rank it by what sold most. Not to forget, the lens color, size, polarization, and if it folds or not. This had to be done for 420 different ray ban models alone, along with all of the other brands the store sells. This process was not the most enjoyable assignment I have ever done, however I have gained a lot of knowledge and understanding on how exactly the buying process works, and can benefit a business financially.