At Gupta Media, we've welcomed interns for roughly 17 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 Ashley Antico, Digital Media Coordinator; Billy Philhower, Account Director; Mark Adut, Data Analyst; and Sara Noel, Account Director had to say.
Ashley Antico, Digital Media Coordinator, 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."
Mark Adut, Data Analyst, Summer ‘22 Intern:
"An internship is the perfect opportunity for a person to get a sense of what a full-time role would look like at a particular company or industry. I like viewing internships as an accelerated training for that role. It not only allows one to further enhance their technical knowledge on a certain subject, but also enables them to grow their professionalism."
Sara Noel, 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."
Ashley Antico, Digital Media Coordinator, 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."
Mark Adut, Data Analyst, Summer ‘22 Intern:
"When I interned under the Strategy & Analytics team at Gupta Media, I noticed early on in my internship that, despite my technical background, there was going to be a steep learning curve. Having had various client interactions during my internship, I realized how rewarding it is to uncover valuable data-driven insights for a client. It reconfirmed for me that I tend to thrive in fast-paced, client-facing environments."
Sara Noel, 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."
Ashley Antico, Digital Media Coordinator, 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."
Mark Adut, Data Analyst, Summer ‘22 Intern:
"I would highly suggest that they pursue it since internships form the foundation on which one builds a career."
Sara Noel, 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.