How I Landed My PR Internship at SPARK Advertising
Going into my senior year as a business student at UW-Oshkosh, I have heard countless times the importance of having an internship before you graduate. I didn’t really grasp the importance until after I finished my first internship and decided to change my major to marketing. When I started looking for a summer internship, I wanted to find an opportunity that would allow me to use my Web and business skills, and learn everything I could about PR and social media.
The opportunity to intern at SPARK Advertising came about in a sort of unique way. Mark Elliot, president of SPARK, spoke to a class that one of my friends was in. Later that day, she told me about the presentation and that she thought that it would be the perfect place for me to work. Being new to the marketing industry and having only worked at corporations previously, I really didn’t understand what agencies did. As a busy college student, I didn’t really have much time to explore further.
A few months went by before I saw a posting for a PR/ social media internship opportunity at SPARK on a bulletin board outside a coffee shop I frequent on campus. I decided to investigate further. After a little research, I realized that their creative nature and small-agency-but-big-potential feel were qualities I was looking for so I decided to apply.
I was completely shocked but excited when Deb Fiebig, PR director at SPARK, emailed me asking to meet with her. I was very nervous for our meeting because I wasn’t sure how she would react to my inexperience in the field. Before our meeting, I researched the services SPARK provides and the clients they represent. I brought my writing portfolio to show Deb the type of work I have done in my college classes and at my previous internship. The meeting went very well and from the things that Deb shared with me about SPARK, I thought it would be a great fit.
This has proven to be very true; I love the work that I am doing and people I work with at SPARK. I have been involved in many projects already that have provided me with great experience. I love that my colleagues are willing to listen to my ideas. I would highly recommend that college students intern; it is a great way to gain “real-world” experience and figure out early on what you want to do with your degree. In just my short time here I have learned so much, and I can’t wait to see where my experiences take me!
Previous Blog Post | Blog/News | Next Blog Post