Success Requires Sacrifice

During my search for a new internship, I set some basic requirements – or so I thought. I simply wanted a paid digital analytics internship at a large Center City agency with reputable clients. I quickly found this to be a very difficult expectation to fill, so I decided it would be fine if the internship didn’t have duties that really applied to my goals. (Bad idea.)

Somehow I came across a posting for a marketing internship position available at Temple University. Skimming across the job description, many things popped out to me, like Google AdWords, social media, online analytics, etc. Basically, all things I wanted more experience in. Only one problem: it was located at the Ambler campus (meaning a two-hour commute any day I worked).

Ultimately I decided to sacrifice those two hours to get experience relevant to my future goals, and I am so glad that I did. Despite waking up at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays to get to work on time, I am always excited to get to work. I get projects that excite me and I am gaining skills every day that will look great on my resume. (Check out some of my work: Ambler Twitter, Ambler FB.)

So, my advice to all you internship-seekers out there is to decide what’s most important to you. Is it worth it to you to work unpaid for a semester if it means you’ll have a better chance of getting a job upon graduation? Would you rather do menial work at a large agency or relevant, meaningful work at a small business? College is one of the only times where you’re able to try all types of work with little commitment, so use the time wisely and get experience that truly will matter in the future.