Regardless of your experience coming into an internship, everyone has a common goal in mind - to grow. And growth is best defined by two factors - personal and professional. You can see personal growth in the relationships you make with both clients and coworkers. Professionally, you notice growth in the skills you develop. But internships vary from industry to industry, company to company, and even department to department. In order to make the most of your time with a company or organization, you have to approach it with the right state of mind.

As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to be offered the position of Media Intern at VI Marketing and Branding this fall. Luckily, VI has provided me with a fantastic opportunity to gain real-world experience and a very holistic view of day-to-day life at a marketing and branding agency.

During my time at VI, I've been fortunate enough to learn a few tips and tricks for making the most of a marketing internship, and I'm excited to share the top three with you!

Keep an Open Mind!

Don't assume you know everything - You are looking to grow your knowledge and expertise, as well as your network and your reputation. Making assumptions does nothing but set you back in an environment that encourages you to be your best self. On top of that, you set yourself back from any opportunities that might arise from asking questions, engaging with those around you, and creating new connections with people who could positively impact your future.

Get Involved! 

As an intern, you might not be a full employee of the company you are working under, but you are still a face to represent the company. This means getting involved whenever you can and showing respect to those who took a chance on your ability.
During my internship, I was able to work with a variety of disciplines ranging from digital strategy to ad operations and even the social media team. By proactively seeking out shadow sessions and potential projects, I was able to use a lot of the skills and basic principles I learned in school in the "real world". Full stop, the two are like night and day. But this involvement in the agency allowed me to gain valuable experience and a deeper knowledge of the marketing landscape.

Stay Curious! 

Learning from those around you is a great way to add to your own skills and expertise. Seeing how someone approaches a problem or handles a situation can open up new avenues for thought that shine a light on issues you might have had. Practice active listening and if you aren't sure about something, ask!

For the fall of 2022, VI had interns work on redesigning key pages of their website. The goal was to design a website that generated better leads and kept users on the site longer. This experience seemed way out of my line of work - or interest - at first. However, as we worked as a team, I was able to see where each discipline played a key role in making a successful plan to present to VI.
 
As you complete an internship, take time to reflect on your experiences. Take note of what major skills you developed or lessons you learned. How can you apply these on your own path to success? What areas were you stronger in, and what did you question more as you got firsthand experience with it? Continue to work with what you've learned as you navigate the hiring world and use what you know for good.
 
This opportunity, along with all other aspects and feedback from the internship, has given me a bright insight into how work in this field happens on a day-to-day basis, as well as taught me just how down to Earth and human an agency can be. I would wholeheartedly recommend anyone interested give it a shot because you never know what you might discover!

Think you have what it takes to be a VI Intern? Show us what you've got! Click here to learn more and apply.