Our Internship's Almost Over, Now What?

By: Carly Tschantz, Connections Strategy Intern

Carly Tschantz

The word “leveraging” has become apart of all Starcom intern’s vernacular this summer. Yet, it does not just apply to media strategy anymore. Leveraging the new network of co-workers, acquaintances and other interns will be a key tool of the job search that we will all be partaking in (cue groans) this upcoming year.  Even though the prospect of entering the real world is a leery one given the current economic climate, us interns have some amazing opportunities at our finger tips. It is up to us to leverage them (there the word is again!). Here are some ideas to keep in mind and procedures to undergo as you wrap up your final weeks at Starcom.

Lasting Impressions

Even though this would make a great name for a mock 90’s band featured on SNL, lasting impression is no laughing matter. At this point, all the interns have put forth a great amount of effort, learned a lot and have contributed to our team’s campaigns in some way, shape or form. Now, it is up to us to make sure all that work was not for naught in terms of our career pursuits. How? By showing your appreciation to all of those who helped you along the way. Whether it is a quick e-mail letting your brand contact know of your departure or a handwritten note to your team members, it’s the little things that set you apart and will make the biggest impact into other’s memories.

Making a List, and Checking it Twice

Now you may not be Santa, but it is equally important to keep track of what is naughty and what was nice… I’m speaking in terms of the internship experience of course. I probably do not just speak for myself when I say that remembering what I did two weeks ago is a difficult task to accomplish. Now imagine how difficult it will be in two months? Two years?  It is of the utmost important that we keep track of what we’ve done this summer by WRITING IT DOWN. The ten minutes you spend reflecting and scribing all the projects you were apart of and/or owned this summer will help you articulate your experiences in your resume, an interview, etc. 

Contacts: The Currency of your Future

I can not stress enough how important this (take my lack of humor in this section to be indicative of how serious I am about contacts). Keeping a roladex of contacts and the roll they played in your internship will serve you not only in the near future but in the years to come. For us interns, your team, media module presenters, AORs, etc should all be included. This list does not just extend to your Starcom contacts but should also include any vendors you came in contact with. Your list will act more as a roadmap when you enter the professional world and will help you navigate the arena for advice, job leads and new opportunities in the industry.

Checking In…Not just something you do at a Hotel

Just as important as making the list of contacts when you leave Starcom, it is equally as important to keep it current. How? It is always a good idea to shoot team members an e-mail, whether it be media-related or not, to see what they’re up to. Likewise, they are a great resource as you start searching and applying to your first job. Shoot them a question. Find out what their experience was like. There are plenty of topics that they can give useful insight into. 

Hopefully, these tips will act as a pseudo-checklist as the interns depart from Starcom and go back to school for our senior year where, let’s be honest, distractions do not come in the form of Lotus Notes crashing or digital briefs.