Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone
Hi, my name is Joey! I’m currently a junior majoring in advertising with a concentration in art direction and brand strategy and research. For the Fall 2024 semester, I’ve had the privilege of interning at Harmelin Media as a Paid Search (SEM) Intern. As my time in this role comes to a close, I’d like to reflect on the incredible journey and lessons I’ve gained throughout this experience.
During my summer internship, I often heard colleagues mention Harmelin Media as a company that shaped their careers. It was a name that carried a lot of weight and respect. One day, while scrolling through LinkedIn, I came across an internship posting for a Paid Search/SEM role at Harmelin. Even though SEM wasn’t my strongest skill set, I decided to take the leap.
For those unfamiliar, SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is a digital advertising strategy that helps increase a website or product’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). It felt like a daunting area to tackle, especially since writing ad copy—crafting concise, compelling messages—is not a natural strength of mine. As a first-generation student and non-native English speaker, I’ve often struggled with wordplay and copywriting. I intentionally avoided taking copywriting classes during my coursework because of this challenge.
Despite my reservations, I applied for the internship, went through the interview process, and, to my surprise, landed the role! Funny enough, another team at Harmelin specializing in SEO (the organic counterpart to SEM) also reached out to interview me around the same time.
When I started at Harmelin in mid-September, I was nervous. The idea of crafting headlines, descriptions, and bidding strategies for live campaigns felt overwhelming. I worried about the relevance and quality of my ad copy. However, my managers, Sean and Odalys, were incredibly supportive. They patiently guided me through our work, ensuring I understood each step and felt comfortable with my assignments. Their mentorship played a huge role in my growth, and I’m deeply grateful for the time they invested in me.
I worked on several projects throughout the internship that strengthened my SEM skills. I learned to identify appropriate keywords and create effective ad copy tailored to clients’ needs. One key takeaway was understanding search query reports, which reveal organic search terms that match an account’s selected keywords and trigger ads.
Toward the end of my internship, I worked on a larger project: Restaurant Selection & Search Build. This involved researching and analyzing potential clients for Harmelin, and applying all the skills I had developed during my time with the company. It was a challenging yet rewarding experience that allowed me to put theory into practice.
Looking back, this internship pushed me outside of my comfort zone in ways I never expected. Although I still don’t feel like a master of ad copy, I’m proud of how far I’ve come and the risks I’ve taken to grow. Trying something new was worth it, and this experience has expanded both my confidence and my skill set in meaningful ways.
For anyone considering an internship in SEM or a similar field, my advice is to embrace the unknown, ask questions, and trust in your ability to learn. You never know what you’re capable of until you try.
