At Gupta Media, we've welcomed interns for nearly 20 years. Over time, they have helped us build and foster a robust internship program. Some have even joined our team as full-time employees afterward. We spoke to a few who followed this path and asked them about their experience.
See what Kiara Quigley, Media Coordinator; Noah Greif, Business Analyst; Ashley Antico, Senior Business Analyst; Billy Philhower, Account Director; and Sara Noel, Group Account Director had to say.
Why are internships important?
Kiara Quigley, Media Coordinator, Spring ‘25 Intern:
"Internships are a great way to develop a strong foundational career skill set. They help you develop everything from soft skills, like learning when to speak up in meetings and how to network, to the technical skills needed for specific roles. For me, internships were also a self-discovery tool. They allowed me to consider future career paths and better understand my own professional strengths and weaknesses."
Noah Greif, Business Analyst, Summer ‘23 Intern:
"Internships are important because they help you find your niche. You won’t know you love something until you try it out, so internships are a great way to dip your toes in a lot of different areas. At Gupta, I was able to learn about the core pieces of advertising through strategy, data, creative, audience development, and more, and knew it was something I wanted to continue."
Ashley Antico, Senior Business Analyst, Summer ‘21 Intern:
"Internships are important for gaining hands-on experience in the field that you want to go into, making connections with new mentors outside of the university bubble, and exploring your interests. I had internships where I gained clarity on other fields that I didn't want to go into, and others where I figured out aspects of marketing that I loved and could apply the things I learned in the classroom to the real world. My intern experiences also helped me gain some key mentors who helped me get where I am now, and I know will continue to be on my team throughout my career."
Billy Philhower, Account Director, Fall ‘15 & Spring ‘16 Intern:
"Internships are important because they can serve as an initial entry point or exposure to a new industry, career path or skill set. For many people, an internship can be an excellent opportunity to ascertain what they like or don't like about a particular field before considering a full-time opportunity. This can be true for students, which particularly get a lot of internship attention, but also post-grad job seekers. Internships can also serve as a networking springboard, introducing interns to industry members that (if they continue in the field) they might end up working with or for."
Sara Noel, Group Account Director, Spring ‘11 Intern:
"Internships are a great way to do a trial run with a company. Large versus small, in-house versus agency, remote versus in-person, client mix - there are so many factors that could influence which company is the best fit for your work style, values, and interests. Internships are a great way to find that best fit."
What did you take away from your Gupta Media internship that helped you start your career?
Kiara Quigley, Media Coordinator, Spring ‘25 Intern:
"On the first day of my internship at Gupta Media, I was advised to 'be a sponge' and soak in everything around me, which proved to be the most valuable advice. Even just sitting at my desk, I learned by listening to conversations about amazing clients and their campaigns, and I jumped at any opportunity to get involved. I’ve carried this mindset into my full-time position, where I’ve learned to continually look for ways to learn from others and develop myself professionally. As a result, I was able to begin my full-time position with a solid foundational understanding of the industry, company culture, and even had friendly faces to see again on my first day."
Noah Greif, Business Analyst, Summer ‘23 Intern:
"If you want something, you have to go for it. To work on that project that’s highly coveted or matches your personal interest, you need to advocate for yourself. You are the person who can create the most opportunity for yourself! I spoke up during my internship on projects that I was passionate about, and was rewarded with doing work that I felt strongly about."
Ashley Antico, Senior Business Analyst, Summer ‘21 Intern:
"Funny enough to answer this, I have a list of things I learned from Gupta Media that I wrote when I finished my internship. I think #1, #2, and #8 are the most important and have helped me the most as I'm starting off."
Billy Philhower, Account Director, Fall ‘15 & Spring ‘16 Intern:
"I learned the importance of showing up, working hard and helping create opportunities for myself. Internships at different companies may be very different from one another and since I found myself working alongside a few other interns, I wanted to prove myself out as someone that was a valuable team player across the board. I also learned the value in self-awareness and that you don't get many opportunities to make a second or third impression that sticks as much as the first. Lastly, I learned that it's best to often leave your ego at the door and commit to being a team player."
Sara Noel, Group Account Director, Spring ‘11 Intern:
"My internship gave me a huge head start in foundational knowledge to do the job, especially the ins and outs of digital targeting and media planning. I was also able to start my full-time position having already established relationships with my coworkers and our agency founder."
What advice would you give those who are thinking about doing an internship?
Kiara Quigley, Media Coordinator, Spring ‘25 Intern:
"You will never regret giving yourself the opportunity to discover what you want to pursue while also meeting great people along the way. When the internship finally arrives, make sure you take every opportunity presented to you, ask many questions, and bring a notebook!"
Noah Greif, Business Analyst, Summer ‘23 Intern:
"Take advantage of being in the room! Use your time wisely, ask questions about how things work, and be curious! The time during your internship is not only to perform tasks, but learn from the people around you."
Ashley Antico, Senior Business Analyst, Summer ‘21 Intern:
"I would say 'Do it,' one thousand times over. I've found that you don't really know if you like something until you experience it firsthand, and the value of taking your knowledge outside of the classroom is greater than any test, project, or semester's worth of homework."
Billy Philhower, Account Director, Fall ‘15 & Spring ‘16 Intern:
"Go for it! I'm a believer in that there can be just as much value in finding out what you don't want to do, as finding out what you do want to do. You might meet your future boss, client partner, professional mentor or friend that you wouldn't have if you chose to sit on the sideline. My internship at Gupta was directly responsible for 7-8 years of my life and I would have missed out on all of it if I didn't take the chance."
Sara Noel, Group Account Director, Spring ‘11 Intern:
"There is nothing like real world experience for learning job skills and identifying the work environment in which you will thrive. There are a range of opportunities available if scheduling or location are concerns - even a short "Winternship" between Fall and Spring Semester can kickstart networking opportunities and teach you so much."
Whether you are actively applying for internships, or thinking about applying for them, don’t be afraid to take the chance. You never know where it may lead you and your career.