My Internship Experience
When I first arrived at Allied Integrated Marketing I was excited to begin my first internship and gain valuable office experience. I had no idea what to expect for the first day so I kept an open mind and thought positively. I went in with my best intentions to work very hard and be as helpful as I possibly could around the office. My first day was great, I got started right away and kept very busy the entire time I was there. It was a lot, but I liked it. I got a taste of what I would be doing for the duration of the semester, which was nice.
All of my days have not been as busy as my first which is good because although that first day ensured I would be ready for anything, it was a little hectic. I must admit that making the transition from simply taking a few classes each semester to working three full days a week downtown while taking the same amount of classes has been difficult for me. But I guess it’s just “part of growing up” as they say and I am enjoying the challenge.
At Allied we mostly work for large movie studios promoting their films in the Philadelphia market. I work specifically for Warner Bros. Pictures and Focus Features. We also do promotional work for other local clients. Although I cannot say for certain, I imagine the work being done in my office on a daily basis is very similar to a typical advertising agency. Each movie is basically a new campaign just with different final deliverables than typical advertising.
After working a few months, I’ve gained some perspective of what it’s like to work in the industry. There are many positive things that make me excited to begin my career. I like the vibe around our office. Although there are still deadlines and things can be extremely hectic at times, generally things are fairly laid back. Everyone talks to one another about what they have going on and asks for opinions, feedback, or help when needed. This makes a comfortable environment, which is beneficial when doing creative work. Also, I like how things in pop culture have a huge hand in the work we do. Being relevant and up to speed with popular trends is extremely beneficial in organizing events and almost every aspect of the industry.
It’s interesting to be a part of the behind-the-scenes team on international movies that make millions of dollars. Until this internship, I never thought about all the necessary jobs people execute to make things like movies possible.
For me it has been extremely beneficial to relate all the work I do to traditional advertising. For instance, today, while helping to write a media alert, I treated the “interesting headline” as practice for writing a tagline for an ad. I wrote 10 different lines and had the employee I was helping pick her favorite. I will continue to relate my tasks back to traditional advertising any way that I can. I look forward to gaining more experience every day I’m in the office.
