My name is Jessica Salerno and I’m excited to introduce myself as the 2013 fall intern for Marketing Works! I recently graduated from Ohio University with a mostly editorial background, but I had been looking for more experience in the public relations and marketing fields. So when I came across the Marketing Works internship posting online I felt like it was right up my alley! I especially love that it’s full-time, since I’m eager to learn the ins and outs of PR and marketing and become an integrated member of the Marketing Works team.
One of the requirements of this internship is to sit down with each person in the office the first week and get to know him or her individually. Through this I’ve been able to gather some great advice from the team members, many of who were actually Marketing Works interns in the past! Here’s just a sample of some of the advice I’ve been given:
1. Be proactive: Instead of waiting to be given assignments, I should always be looking and asking for more work to do. There’s always something to be done whether it’s an administrative task or helping someone out with a project and the more I get involved the more I’ll learn.
2. Learn people’s nuances: Everyone has a different working style, and it’s important for me to learn them so I’ll be able to work that much better with everyone in the office. I’ve really enjoyed the talks I’ve had so far and I’m looking forward to getting to know the rest of the team.
3. Don’t just be an “intern”: It’s easy to fall into this trap of accepting your internship position and it can subconsciously limit you. Everyone in the office is very welcoming and I’ve been told numerous times already how I’m part of the team here. As a team member I have a responsibility to contribute and push myself everyday.
Public relations and marketing are definitely out of my comfort zone, but what I’ll learn here will prove to be invaluable later on. This brings to mind a popular quote from Thomas Edison: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
This internship is such a great opportunity for me, and I can already tell it’s going to require a whole lot of hard work. But I’m excited to contribute, because after a week at Marketing Works I can see the passion and dedication the rest of the office puts in on a daily basis.
For those starting a fall internship, what are you looking forward to? Leave your thoughts in the comments!