A Faceless Experience: My Internship At Starlite
Hey everyone! My name is Ryan Simpson, and I am a Senior Advertising major with a focus in brand strategy and account management. I’ve recently had the opportunity to intern at an advertising agency called Starlite Media. Starlite is an agency that specializes in out-of-home (OOH) advertising through digital and static displays placed outside of retail locations like Shoprite and many more. It’s a nationwide corporation that has worked with brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, Starbucks, and more.
Some of my responsibilities at Starlite include assisting in organizing and structuring work data, finding local advertisers and brands to advertise with to help boost sales and lead generation, and conducting market research to identify emerging trends and provide insight for enhancing advertising strategies. I might have the opportunity to work on the more creative side of the business as well later in the internship. I’ve also become very familiar with tools and programs that I have not previously used before, like Hubspot and Monday.com.
Coming into this internship, I was definitely nervous and anxious about the work I would be doing. However, one thing that made my experience so far so smooth and easy-going was meeting the team. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and shown me the work and effort it takes to make it in this industry. While they show immense compassion and kindness towards me, they also push me to step outside my comfort zone in ways that help me grow, challenge my fears, and discover strengths I didn’t know I had.
Starlite is a company with a very small team, and I’ve gotten to meet everyone and know their role in the company. One thing that surprises me a bit is that because it’s a remote internship, I haven’t seen most people’s faces, yet it feels like I’ve known them for so long because of how well we get along. Despite being on various calls and meetings, I’ve yet to meet anyone face-to-face (other than my supervisor), so everyone still remains a mystery in a way. While they may not ever show their faces in meetings, they still showcase their distinctive personalities and talk to each other like they are family. And while I may never get to see them face-to-face (even virtually), I’ve still gotten to bond, connect, and build relationships with them that I hope carry on in the future.
This experience is very valuable to me because I’ve already learned so much, both about the industry and how to talk/communicate with a diverse group of people. I’m looking forward to working on more projects for the company and seeing how my talents and skill sets evolve.
One piece of advice I’d give is to take the time to genuinely understand the people around you—get to know who they are beyond the surface. You never know what connections, insights, or opportunities might come from it.
