Long gone were the summer days of sleeping in all day, beach trips, and binge watching Netflix. My alarm for the real world went off this past semester and as much as I wanted to hit the snooze button, I knew this was the summer I needed to apply for internships. Employers look to hire employees with real world experience upon graduation and I was a girl with very limited experience. For many sophomores, such as myself, I was competing with juniors and seniors for a limited number of positions. The more and more I listened to friends getting internships in other states, I became scared that my reality this summer would not be how I pictured. If I was lucky enough to intern I assumed my experience would consist of coffee runs, lunch orders, and copy making. I had no expectations. All I wanted was to work for a respected company that would allow me to grow, make mistakes, and leave with knowledge a classroom could never provide.
Hitting the Pavement
Last December, I scoured internship websites, worked with career services and talked to everyone I could who had any wisdom in regards to acquiring a fulfilling internship. After interviewing with other companies, and to my surprise turning down an offer, I had not yet met a company that made me excited to work for them. I know I sound picky and choosy, but the company I’d intern for would be molding me and my experiences, so it had to be the right fit. I wanted to learn from professionals who would ignite in me a passion to learn. Upon a family friend’s suggestion I discovered Response Marketing. I first went to the website’s “Who We Are” page. Responses’ site exuded personality, describing each member of the team with questions, props, and images used to personify their personality. What other firm thinks to give you the chance to see what kind of meat they’d be under “meat the team?” This firm screamed humor and authenticity, and I was sold. I knew this company was where I needed to learn. After being called in for an interview, I, of course, was nervous. When I knew I would be interviewing with three people, Jenna, Stephanie, and Cosmo, I didn’t know what to expect. The hour long interview went by quickly and it felt like a laid back conversation where they went beyond my schooling and writing, wanting to know about me as a person. What solidified it for me was their candidness. They spoke with authority, but as my peers who wanted to support my growth. Everything each of them said made me feel comforted about working there. One last thing hit it out of the park for me: I would be expected to produce actual work! Donut runs would not be part of my job description. My initial internship fears were dismissed right then and there, confirming how much I wanted to work for Response Marketing. Of course I called mom and dad as soon as I walked out, talking the whole way home about how happy I was after the interview!
Getting the Golden Ticket
My interview yielded an offer for the position of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) intern. Before working at Response, I had heard the term SEO used in my research analytics classes, but never learned the particulars of the topic or how to make it a possible career path. After just 8 weeks at Response, I am in awe of how much I have grown and learned. Stephanie, the SEO Specialist at Response, has been a patient and wonderful teacher as I learned the ins and outs of Google Analytics, Optimizely, and writing content with a focus on Meta data and keywords. One of our largest SEO clients was conveniently my college, Marist College. It was nice to be fully invested in a client to which I was previously exposed. I was able to learn about SEO with a company that I was comfortable writing for and benefited learning more about the various graduate programs Marist offers.
My Response Reality
One thing that continues to be extremely appealing about Response is their diverse client pool. Unlike other internships, focused on one area or market, Response allowed me a glimpse into a full agency that has many large national clients but, also local establishments. This exposure allowed me to see the working styles of different clients, as well as the challenge of meeting the unique demands of each. The team at Response is made up of dedicated, creative workers who know how to work hard, but who love to have fun. No one bats an eye when you hear singing from the creative department, or have our favorite furry office dog Calvin sniffing at your feet. Food is abundant here at Response! My whole day improves when I know it’s someone’s birthday or a special event is happening. I will hear Jenna calling in a pizza or cookie order and that means by lunchtime or 4 o’clock, the whole office will migrate to the kitchen and take up spots around the island talking, joking, celebrating, and even interrogating each other about our lives (cough, cough Ashley). This lively office allows for a creative and fun atmosphere that makes coming to work each day enjoyable and refreshing.
A Summer Well Spent
When I leave college, my goal is to have a diverse number of internships complementing the education I take away from Marist College. I thank everyone at Response for welcoming and accepting me this summer. Your mentorship gave me a valuable opportunity to learn and grow through this position.