A Tribute to my First Internship: More Than a Resume Builder

Hi there! My name is Celeste Rosato and I started at ChatterBlast Media in Summer 2018 as an Account Management Intern and continued through Fall 2018 as a Research and Strategy Intern. I’m a junior at Temple studying advertising with a dual concentration in account management and media planning. As a new intern at ChatterBlast, I knew I was going to gain valuable experience and learn a lot, but what I didn’t know was how much I was going to learn and the different kinds of skills I was going to gain. It was more than learning about social media marketing. It was more than learning how to be an account manager, and it was more than research and strategy. It was something for which I am extremely thankful and from which I hope to continue to grow. Below, I am going to share with you some of the skills and experiences I gained that you can’t always put on a resume, but might need to acquire. 

Professional Communication: There is a difference between talking to your friends and colleagues, and talking to your clients. Creating work for a client can become challenging as well. Sometimes there’s lingo that they don’t quite understand and having to explain things to clients, who have no idea what you’re talking about can be challenging. Client communication is something I’m actually still developing, and having ChatterBlast and my mentor help foster these skills so early on in me is truly appreciated.

Professional Work Environments: I’ve visited agencies and business before, but not for more than a couple hours. Being in an office space surrounded by focused, professional, and talented people can get intimidating. Even just knowing when to G-chat vs. in-person vs. email to ask a question can cause unnecessary stress. But like everything, it takes practice and experience.

Agency Life: Now, I know I don’t have anything to compare it to, but agency life, especially at ChatterBlast, is pretty neat. Open offices, collaboration, chain of command, never getting bored, different kinds of clients… the list goes on. It can, however, get frantic but that’s part of the thrill. I’m so happy I’ve gotten the chance to experience it.

Talking on the phone: This might sound silly at first, but I learned the difference from talking to your friends, family, or even customer service on the phone, compared to talking to a client. I knew there had to be a difference, but I wasn’t so sure what it really was. I got to observe and participate in talking with clients on the phone, and picked up on the little nuances on how to change subjects, share new ideas, get back on track, and so on.

Hosting a Client: Over the summer I had my own, new client with whom I was in direct contact. I hosted weekly calls and even got to meet her at the end. Having that sense of professionalism and hosting is something I never thought I’d get to do until after college at a full-time job. In ways it’s like hosting a guest, but in others it’s not at all. Take their jacket, ask if they want water or coffee, and then, direct them to the conference room…just a tad different than a friend.

Client Meetings: I got to be a “fly on the wall” for a few meetings and that was amazing to observe. Picking up on how true professionals handle these presentations and interact with each other instead of a classroom and group projects was phenomenal. Once again, taking note of little nuances was super beneficial for the future. 

Philly: I got a better handle on the ins and outs of Philly and what it’s like to live in a booming city! I commuted via subway two days out of the week, and train one day. I walked everywhere for lunch, and got to see Philly as busy as ever.

Some of these experiences may seem small and insignificant, but I know they will continue to be extremely valuable for me. These are all things I assumed I would deal with much later in the game. Yes, they’re soft skills that maybe can’t go on a resume, but they’re skills I can bring to the next place and prove I already have.

I’m extremely thankful for this opportunity. You only have one first internship.