An Intern's Perspective

Hey Everyone!

I don’t know about you, but this fall semester just flew by! It’s hard to believe it’s almost 2011! As I get ready to move on after college and pursue my career after my graduation this May, there have been several things that I have done to help prepare myself for the “real world.”  One thing that has been extremely beneficial is working as an intern this past summer, fall, and this upcoming spring. 

Promoting "Tails on the Trails" for the Houston Arboretum.



As a marketing major with an advertising concentration, I was very interested in exploring the different fields of marketing before entering the workforce.  I thought it may be helpful in order to get a better idea of what I want to do professionally.  My summer internship was at Lydia Baehr Public Relations in Houston.  LBPR works with several performing art companies and venues, Houston area museums, and non-profit organizations.  As a former ballet dancer, working with the fine arts was definitely a plus! It was such a blast and I learned a ton! A large part of what I did there included promoting our clients and events through various social media avenues, working press releases, and even appearing on the morning news (on my first day, to be exact!).  We even made a fun rap music video to showcase our clients and highlight a few of the things we did at LBPR. If you’re interested in checking it out, here’s the link! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP1oO6b1pqQ  It’s definitely entertaining!  Overall, my experience there was fantastic.  It was a great way to establish connections in the Houston area, as well as learn about the culture of a small, private company.

This fall, I started an internship with Moroch, an advertising agency in Dallas. Moroch is one of the most prestigious agencies in the city, with clients such as McDonalds, Midas, the Travel Channel,  20^th Century Fox, Tia Rosa, Mrs. Bairds, Make-A-Wish, and AMC Theaters – just to name a few. Below is the link to their website, where you can view award winning ads, commercials, and even get some career advice and job searching resources: http://www.moroch.com/.

At Moroch, I am an intern in the Account Service department for the Oasis Brands Account.  This sector is more on the managerial side of advertising, rather than being strictly creative.  We focus on making sure everything goes according to plan and, most importantly, that the clients are happy.  Specifically, my duties include competitive tracking, trend research, and administrative work.  Blogging has been a huge part of my job and since Oasis Brands is getting ready to launch a new product line (keep your eye out for the brand PASEO!) I’ve had the opportunity to see the full cycle of production for print ads, radio, and television commercials.  It’s pretty exciting stuff! J  I will be returning to the same account for a spring internship and I cannot wait! It has been a wonderful opportunity to experience such an energetic, friendly, and exciting company culture in a larger setting.

Testing out Fusion Taco with LBPR for a client's event -Yum!

I would strongly encourage each and every one of you to do your best to work or intern for a company in a field you are interested in pursuing. Not only will you gain valuable work experience, but it can be a great transition into the working world, help you figure out exactly what kind of work and company culture you’re interested in, open the door for networking opportunities to connect with professional men and women, and apply what you’ve learned in the classroom. And if you’re lucky enough, you’ll get paired up with other eager fellow interns and work with a great team of adults who can take you under their wings and show you the ropes.  

If you’re interested in interning in the future, start searching and making connections NOW!! Mention to anyone and everyone that you’re looking for work and people will be more than happy to help if they can.  We also have Dr. Silva in Career Services who is always extremely helpful and provides excellent advice and assistance.

It’s my hope that this post has encouraged you to pursue an internship experience.  It’s hard work, but it is definitely worth it and can be very enjoyable.

Wishing you all a happy holiday season!

~Natasha

(Guest Blogger)