What does your internship entail?
Day to day: I shadow Chancler Harrison (Project Coordinator) and Brooke Spratling (Senior Project Manager) and see what their day-today/meetings entail. I attend meetings for Horizon, BioTrue/Xidra, EFB, and MJN. I help research and create decks for various internal projects, such as training, Teams premium, and email accessibility. I also help do some more client facing research (although this is less frequent).
Specific projects: I helped do competitive research for Clorox and Enfamil. I also put together the deck for the Enfamil Competitive Analysis and will be presenting it to the client before the end of my internship. I researched and put together a presentation on Email Accessibility that I presented during a Coffee and Collaboration to refresh the team on the importance of digital accessibility and how AI and other technological advances can be used to further accessibility.
What has been your favorite project so far?
I enjoyed putting together the Competitive Analysis for Enfamil. I thought it was very interesting to compare how different emails performed and be able to deep dive into SendView and MailCharts to track the data over the course of Q2. I liked being able to see both ends of the process- the product (the email we created) and the results. I got a glimpse into the depth of the research and data we can collect last summer, however this summer I was able to really dive deep into that, which I found very interesting.
What do you hope to do professionally after college? How do you think this internship has helped you prepare for your post-college plans/career?
After graduation, I hope to either enter the fields of advertising or graphic design. I want to focus more on the creative side of marketing and branding, rather than the analytical side, which I have explored these past two summers. Learning about the analytical side will be extremely helpful going forward in my future career plans because I now have an understanding of how things perform and how data from creative projects is interpreted to improve future performances. I have also learned how to work within a professional setting and how to manage multiple projects, meetings, professional relationships, and what type of leadership and management works best for me. Prior to this internship, I had guesses as to how I worked and what worked for me, however now I have the experience to better understand myself in a professional environment.
What is your favorite part of the internship?
I’ve enjoyed the learning opportunities I have had throughout this internship. I have learned so much over the course of the past two summers from being able to work on the Client Experience side as well as the Org. Development side.
From the CX side last summer, I learned so much about what email marketing is and what it looks like from the lens of a very data-centric perspective. From the Org. Dev side this summer I have learned more about internal processes and how we go about interpreting the data we have received and turning it into something tangible to present to the client.
What skills have you developed during your internship?
Communication – Learning how to effectively communicate and share ideas in a team, learning how to communicate in a professional setting.
Advocation – Being more confident in speaking up for myself and my needs/questions.
Problem-solving – As challenges arise, learning how to work through them, learning how to use different platforms and how to complete.
Organization – Staying on top of all tasks and projects, keeping my desk tidy, arriving to meetings on time.
Collaboration – Working with various people across various teams on different projects, talking through ideas with members of my team.
Initiative – Asking for work when my schedule is light, seeing where I can help with a project and volunteering to do the work, building out a deck based on research I’ve done before being asked to do so.
Critical Thinking – Being able to analyze data and understand what it means and how it can be used for future growth.
Flexibility – Being ready to hop in on meetings while shadowing or helping with projects, being able to pick up tasks and meet deadlines.
Self-management – Working alone and managing myself and my own projects, listening to myself and knowing how I work best and what type of learner I am.
How have you applied what you’ve learned in school to your internship?
In my studies at school, I have further developed my creative skills, which I have been able to apply to the decks I create as well as creatively suggest solutions to problems posed in meetings. I have also developed my writing skills, which I have applied to a variety of different tasks, including something as simple as composing an email or Teams message. Finally, I have done a lot of presentations in school as well as Art critics, which have allowed me to develop my presentation skills to effectively share ideas and my ability to take feedback and find ways to turn it into growth opportunities.
What challenges have you faced during your internship and how did you overcome them?
I have faced several challenges with technology over the course of this summer. Generally, I like trying to solve things on my own before asking for help, however I quickly realized this was something I couldn’t fix, so ultimately, I had to advocate for myself and reach out to ask for help.
How do you think this internship will impact your future career?
This internship has taught me many things and has allowed me to develop many skills, which will ultimately prepare me for my future career. I now have experience in a work environment and experience interacting with both coworkers and clients. I have a deeper understanding of marketing, specifically email marketing, which, if I end up taking a role more creative facing, will give me a deeper understanding of the process and how we receive results and data.
What advice would you give to future interns at Response Media?
I would recommend that future interns take advantage of every opportunity presented to them during their time here. If you have any free time, ask to shadow people, read the articles sent to your email, take some of the training courses listed on InnerVoice. Look to continue your professional development during the time in between meetings or projects. I also think it is important to make those personal connections in the office as well. My first summer here, I was somewhat isolated and worked solely within my team, but don’t hesitate to ask people around your desk what they’re working on as well. Make connections beyond your team. I’ve really enjoyed meeting all of the new members of Response Media this past summer and I feel like taking a couple minutes to chat with the people around me has really improved my overall experience and taught me a lot about what we do as a whole and what other teams do as well. Everyone I have met has been so friendly and welcoming and generally more than happy to talk about what they do or allow me to shadow them while they work. I think it’s important to have an understanding of how each part within the team works, so simply having conversations with others has really changed how I view what we do.
About The Writer: Mariella Stine
I am a Studio Art and Spanish double major with a minor in Creative Writing, currently finishing up my last year at Wofford College. I was born and raised in Sandy Springs, and I have two younger sisters. I have studied abroad twice now and been to over 11 countries. I love to travel and experience new cultures. My hobbies include painting, reading, hiking, soccer, playing with my dog, spending time with family and friends, and watching tv/movies.
