How My Internship Changed My Career Direction

An advertising major pursing a career in marketing? Understandably you may have some questions. Let me lay it out for you on how I went from a Criminal Justice Major to a Partner Marketing Intern at Pure Storage.

Coming into college, I was at a complete loss as for the direction I wanted to go in. The weight of such a drastic choice felt intimidating. I had always teetered on the creative side, but at the time didn’t realistically see my hobby of digital editing expanding into a career. I eventually landed on Criminal Justice as it had been an interest and passion of mine for years prior. While I found the information to be compelling, I didn’t feel challenged or fulfilled by the work I was doing. Ultimately, there was no spark.

After a big decision to transfer into Temple my sophomore year, I decided it was time for a shift in major as well and declared it as advertising with a concentration in copywriting. At first, it was a weight off my shoulders, I was finally surrounded by like-minded people in a creative space who shared my same passions. However, the creativity quickly dwindled as I found myself drained of my creative spark and yet again questioning my choice of direction. Where was the middle ground? How could I be in a creative space without overworking my brain?

Soon after beginning my internship, I found my niche in creativity, I had minimal experience in marketing outside of a few classes I had taken at Temple, and was admittedly reluctant to come into such an intimating field as a newbie. I expressed my concerns to my supervisor, Lauren Rodabaugh, who was keen on helping me develop a plan to grow both professionally and personally to pinpoint my place of interest. It was here I realized that there wasn’t just a singular creative field, and I could take my interests in a plethora of different directions.

My knowledge of advertising has given me a backbone that I am able to translate over to my work in marketing. I have made great strides in my once novice skill set, learning both how to communicate in a professional setting such as an interview, as well as learning to effectively work in a group setting which is essential in a creative space. I’ve gained a lay of the land in a field I am extremely excited about, and finally feel I have found a medium between creatives that ties logic and creativity together.

If there is one thing my journey has taught me is that there is no correct path to take as long as you land where you need to be. For me, It wasn’t Criminal Justice, it wasn’t Advertising, and it may not even be Marketing, but I know that with each day I am getting a better grasp on my interests and what makes me feel fulfilled in a career.