Perspective: Interning at a Marketing Firm

In today’s economy, there’s only one way for young job seekers to gain experience, establish relationships with mentors, network and develop a “real world” perspective of a particular industry. We’re talking about that coveted prize of college students and graduates, that proverbial foot in the door, that infamous resume booster: the internship.

You’ve seen the interns in movies and TV shows—nervous and awkward, they run paperwork, deliver coffee and shuffle their feet when a red-faced superior lambasts them for the coffee’s quality (or lack thereof). Outsiders inside the office, the interns engage in a difficult balancing act: eager for experience, but afraid of more coffee calls, they wobble like the needle of a compass between looking for new experience and keeping a low profile.

But are these depictions of interns accurate?

The answer is no—at least not for interns here at Propel Marketing Group. And I can say that because I am one of the interns. (Confession: I’ve also, miraculously, never had to grab coffee for anyone.)

I started working at Propel after my sophomore year of college. I spent that following summer editing web copy, tradeshow emails and blog posts and helping out with market research. I loved it.

After the summer ended, the team asked me to stick around—so I did. I spent a few hours each week after class drafting copy and editing. I got more writing opportunities, began working on longer projects and learned how to work on short notice with quick turnarounds.

I continued with Propel this summer (and, as always, I’ve loved being here.) More and more projects have come my way, from writing blog posts and articles to conducting interviews for case studies to organizing brainstorms for concept directions. There’s never a lull in the action at Propel.

But what I’ve enjoyed most (aside from not having to hand out coffee, of course) is getting to know the team. From the moment I started, I felt welcome. They invited me to random lunch excursions and to a Christmas party. They included me in-group chats and picked on me for missing the 80s movie references.

So here I am, nearing the end of my summer, preparing to start classes. And what will I do if the team asks me to return?

Reader, I’ll accept.

Editor’s Note: Of course we asked Aaron to stick around through the Fall – he’s an invaluable member of the team. However, we require he and all future interns to have a working knowledge of  The Goonies.