Evoke Heath Internship Reflection

Today marks my last day interning at Evoke Health. I can’t believe an entire semester has come and gone. It is crazy to think that just four short months ago, I had absolutely no idea as to what pharmaceutical advertising was all about. Although I am still trying to figure out, I can honestly say I learned a great deal from this internship experience. To any undergraduate students who are looking for an internship, Evoke is definitely a great place to apply. Even if you are not interested in pursuing a career in pharmaceuticals or healthcare marketing, an Evoke internship is still extremely valuable. Here are several things I loved about working here:

It’s a big agency with a small agency feel – On my first day, the account team held a welcome meeting to get to know each other and discuss my job responsibilities. During the meeting, one of the team members said “we have a strict ‘no a**hole’ policy here. Regardless of whether you’re a director or intern, everyone says hello, knows each other and talks to each other.” Immediately, that settled my first day jitters. This “policy” really is true. Whenever a new face is in the office, everyone introduces themselves and welcomes the newcomer. There are about 140 people in this office, but it feels like a small agency. People want to learn each other’s names and get to know each other.

Great mix of experience- During the first half of my internship, I worked in the account management department. I observed client meetings and internal meetings, which helped me understand how account executives work to maintain relationships and serve as the “go-between” for the agency and client. I also assisted in creating timelines, status reports and competitive reports. After I finished my account management rotation, I transitioned into the strategy department. Although my track is not research, I enjoyed working with the strategists. It was very interesting to study the behavior of various target audiences and use that research to decide whether a certain medication was worth marketing to them. In turn, I became familiar with different databases that I was not comfortable using in the past. Additionally, I feel as though my research skills are stronger and I have a better overall understanding of strategy. Not to mention, I now have a greater appreciation for research.

It’s not just about work- It’s about building relationships with coworkers. Several times throughout the semester, employees have asked me to tag along for lunch or grab a cup of coffee with them. The office has also hosted several parties for holidays like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Spring Break (that counts as a holiday, right?). Not to mention, this agency loves to eat! It seems as though there is always an abundance of food in the kitchen, whether it is donuts from Reading Terminal Market, sandwiches and salads from Cosi, Tacos from Chipotle or pizza from down the street. Sitting down to share some of this food together has sparked conversations and has enabled me to build relationships with Evoke employees.

I would recommend an internship at Evoke to anyone who is looking for great experience and a little bit of fun. What were your favorite parts about your internship?