My Very First Internship

Most college students understand the struggle that comes with finding an internship, especially your very first one. As I started looking, I knew it was going to be a hard journey. I was a first-semester Sophomore student with no previous experience, and I knew this meant not many companies would be willing to take a chance with me. I got quite a few emails saying how the company did not think I was the best fit for the job. Then I had one company tell me to come in for an interview. Focus Pointe Global interviewed me and shortly after informed me that they would love to have me be their Social Media Intern.

This experience definitely taught me to never give up. There were many days where I was almost in tears because I could not find an internship or a company who wanted me. I felt let down because I had no experience, but no one was willing to hire me to get that experience. I am so thankful for the marketing team at Focus Pointe Global who decided to take that chance on me, and ultimately help change my life for the future.

Focus Pointe Global is a marketing research firm with locations all over the United States. I did not know how many positions there are for all different kinds of areas in each facility. After this internship, I really want to learn more about marketing and different career paths within marketing. I learned how important focus groups are to some companies. A lot of companies really rely on focus groups to gain insights and develop a deeper understanding of their consumers. Also, the whole process to get a focus group created is more tedious than I imagined. The amount of detail, hard work, and time that goes into each specific focus group is amazing.

All of the employees I worked within the marketing team were inspiring to me in one way or another. Charolette, the Vice President made a huge impact on me. She treated me so kindly and as if I were an actual worker for her marketing team. She included me in meetings and made me feel important. I had the opportunity to work with two social media coordinators, Jamie and Kaleah. They both taught me how to do everything I know. They were younger women who did not graduate from college very long ago. They both inspired me to keep working hard to get the job I want after graduating.

My experience there was pretty great. I got to do a lot of hands-on work, which I was hoping I would be able to do. I honestly did not really know what to expect going into everything because this was my first internship. All I was hoping for was to be able to learn new skills and be respected, which happened. I think it was a wonderful first internship for me to have. I do not have any regrets about my time working there. I did everything I was taught to do by asking questions, offering my ideas, and being a hard worker.

My best advice for others searching for their first internship is seriously to never give up. It may sound cliche, but I promise you it is true. I had really low expectations for myself for finding an internship because I was only a sophomore and I had no experience. I researched for hours and applied to many, but you just cannot give up if you get denied. If you keep applying and show your enthusiasm to work, someone will want you to work for their company.

I learned many new skills from this internship. I learned how to work with bit.ly, how to use Hootsuite, more in-depth uses for Canva, and so much more. They took me on a tour of the facility one time and this image is an example of what the focus group rooms look like. Also, I learned how to be a good worker and maintain relationships with your coworkers. Overall, Focus Pointe Global was the only company willing to take a chance on me, and I expanded my skillset thanks to this amazing company.