By Lauren Runnels, Media Intern
If I were to describe this summer’s internship in one word, it would be “experience.” As a college graduate, I am extremely thankful for the education I received from Auburn University, but there was nothing quite like having the real-world experience from Intermark Group. On the first day, I honestly had no idea what to expect from the internship, but I quickly came to find out we had a fantastic summer ahead of us. Now that I look back on it, I learned more in those two and a half months than I could have ever imagined.
The staff opened their arms to us and truly taught us what working in an advertising agency is like. On a day-to-day schedule, sure, we had basic intern assignments and worked diligently on our Porsche project, but most importantly we received hands-on learning from those within our departments. I was so fortunate to be surrounded by such a fun, outgoing and charismatic group of influences within my department who worked with me each and every day, teaching me the ropes and being extremely patient with me as I learned what the assistant media planner job entailed.
I will never forget the priceless looks on our faces on the first day when we were told that our intern client project was Porsche USA. Talk about an experience…right?! Seriously, not only was the summer itself amazing, but having the opportunity to work with such a prestigious automobile company was indescribable. I gained so much more than I expected to in those short months — anywhere from strengthening my public speaking and presentation skills, to understanding research more in depth, and even learning media knowledge that I contributed as my part of the presentation. In addition, I learned from this that it is possible to start something from scratch, and with hard work and diligence, see our project all the way through to the finished product…and oh boy was it worth it! I can sincerely say that I have never been so proud of myself, and the intern team, for the final Porsche presentation.
I walk away from this summer with so much gratitude for having worked for such an honorable agency, with such admirable people, on a client project that I will never forget. To Ale, our internship coordinator, thank you for being such a guiding hand throughout this entire process. Without you and your knowledge, none of this would have been possible! To my Intern Manager, Natalie, I cannot thank you enough for the advice you gave me each and every day, and I cannot wait to continue learning from the very best! Finally, to Intermark Group, this summer exceeded my expectations in every way possible. Thank you for the best experience ever this summer!
