Signs That You Chose The Right Internship

Hi everyone, my name is Joyce Chen and I’m currently working at SideBiz SMART as a social media/marketing intern. SideBiz SMART is a consulting company based in Atlanta, Georgia that helps miserable millennials build six-figure businesses, and my responsibility during this year-long internship is to help Janelle Nicole Christian, the CEO of SideBiz SMART, with the logistics of the company.

My experience at SideBiz SMART has been nothing short of amazing and has taught me how important it is to form strong connections with clients and prioritize proper work/life boundaries. During these past four months, I learned a lot about how to keep clients engaged by keeping visibility rates high and sending out social media content in a timely manner. I admire how SideBiz SMART builds a relationship with its clients and guides them through a program that brings them one step closer to entrepreneurship every day. Some of the things I worked on during my time at SideBiz SMART include writing blog posts for podcast episodes, designing graphics for campaigns, scheduling videos for Instagram and TikTok, and creating nesting dolls/micro topics for SideBiz SMART’s annual marketing plan.

Having said that, I would say that I’m now more intrigued by coaching people to not only get out of a bad job but also to get out of difficult situations. Hearing Janelle’s story about leaving corporate America and helping others who experienced what she went through really persuaded me to consider mindset coaching because the aid that Janelle offers to her clients really makes a difference in people’s lives.

Overall, I think SideBiz SMART has more positive than negative aspects mainly because everyone working there is so understanding. Most interns don’t get the time to talk to every employee and form something special, but I did just that with my small group of interns and mentors. Honestly speaking, everyone working at SideBiz SMART inspires me because I can physically see the amount of work they put into the tasks every week. I haven’t seen anyone slack with the assignments assigned to them, which shows how well everyone works together.

I would say that the experience is everything I thought it would be, when I read SideBiz SMART’s job description on LinkedIn it mentioned how the company was really client based and they weren’t kidding. Before I began the internship, I thought that the interns would be talking to clients so that was different from my original expectations. I don’t think I would’ve done anything differently for this internship. Still, it would be nice if a client could join our weekly marketing meetings just so that the interns can see how much those clients improved in their own businesses after working with SideBiz SMART.

For individuals who are looking for an internship or starting their first internship, my number one tip for you guys is to never give up and to actually like the internship you’re applying for. If you genuinely enjoy something, you’re more likely to put your best effort into the work given to you and employers can see when you’re enthusiastic about a subject and when you’re not. Don’t forget to do some research about the company you’re applying for and speak from your heart when you’re interviewing with a recruiter. Getting an internship and/or a job is a process, so don’t be upset if you don’t hear back from some because there’s at least one company out there that can see your potential.