How to Land Your Dream Internship

Hi everyone! My name is Ella Titus and I am a junior Advertising Major at Temple, with a double track in Account Management along with Brand Strategy and Research. My internship this past semester took place at Small Talk Media. Small Talk Media is a digital marketing agency in Philadelphia that specializes in social media marketing. Their main client base consists of many restaurants and bars throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.

Initially I was excited about this internship position because I am extremely passionate about food, and I would love to combine my knowledge in advertising with my interest in the restaurant industry. Which is why an internship that focuses on restaurant social media marketing seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Although Small Talk Media does more than just social media marketing, the majority of my work was surrounding social media management and content creation for clients. On a daily basis, I was managing the social media platforms of eight different businesses. Each business had many different social media accounts, which meant that each post must be properly formatted to fit the restrictions and requirements of the different platforms. I also worked on creating email campaigns, and collecting reviews and consumer feedback for research purposes.

What I Learned:

After interning at a small digital marketing agency, I have learned that maintaining good client relationships is one of the most important elements of successful advertising. Getting to know your clients will allow you to better understand their brand, and remind them that you care about their business. Doing research and meeting clients helped me write social media content that fit the tone of their brand. I also learned that staying organized and paying attention to details are extremely valuable, especially when it comes to social media posts. I have Grammarly installed on my computer to ensure that I was never posting content that had grammar or spelling errors. When you are managing many different social media accounts at once, it is helpful to create a folder for each client so that you are always organized, which will help you work more efficiently.

This internship has helped me learn how to be more confident in my marketing abilities, and I feel like I am ready to take on new opportunities with the knowledge and experience I have gained.

Tips for Having a Successful Internship Experience:

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. In the beginning of this internship experience, I was a bit timid and did not want to continue to ask questions all of the time, but as my experience unfolded, I realized that asking questions made me a better worker because it gave me more knowledge and substance to work from. It also prevented me from second guessing myself, which saved me a lot of time!
2. Get to know your coworkers. Becoming comfortable in a new work environment is a little bit intimidating at first, especially when you are the only one who is not yet familiar with the way everything is run.
3. Always ask for more work when you are finished with your assigned task(s). This is important because it will show your employer or the people around you that you are eager to work and learn. It is important to keep in mind that the connections that you are building during this internship could be beneficial to your professional career down the road.

How to Land Your Dream Internship:

I have only ever applied to two advertising related internships, and I am so grateful to say that I have landed both! I am looking forward to interning at Cohere Creative Agency this summer, and I wanted to share some of the things that helped me land both of these internship positions.

1. Reach out directly: Even though I found these internship opportunities through Klein Connect, I applied for these positions through the company website, and immediately reached out to the employer to tell them that I had submitted my application, and I am looking forward to hearing from them.
2. Do your research: I know you have probably heard this a million times, but it really is important to research the company you are applying for a position at BEFORE you submit your resume and cover letter. It is especially important before you go in for an interview. This will allow you to make parallels between yourself and your employer and showcase why you are the best fit for the position that you are applying for.
3. Be enthusiastic: This means that you show up to your interview 10 minutes early, bring your resume with you, and show that you care. Be sure to send them a follow up “thank you” email after you have met with them. Even better – a hand written thank you card. Keep them in your car and mention a specific conversation and mail it before you go home. A hand written thank you is not necessary, but it will help your potential employer to be able to identify you and the conversations you had.
4. Ask yourself, “What do you do with your time when nobody is telling you what to do?”: It is important to recognize what you are doing with your free time, and if you are engaging in activities or hobbies that you will be able to talk about during an interview. For example, I started my own food blog where I develop recipes, built my own website, manage multiple social media accounts, and utilize my photography skills. I thoroughly believe that my blog, Splurge with Ella, has helped me stand out and given me interesting talking points and experiences to discuss during interviews. If you love to read, make a social media account where you publish book reviews. If you love photography, make an Instagram account to showcase your skills. Even if your major does not directly relate to other passions that you obtain, it is important to be able to show that you are a well rounded and passionate individual because when everyone’s resume applications look exactly the same, these passions may help you stand out amongst other applicants.
5. Attend the Klein resume and cover letter workshop: This workshop gave me so much helpful insight on how to write an effective cover letter, and a beautifully organized resume that helped me land these internships! I highly recommend attending if you need any guidance in these areas.