The Internship That Shaped My Future

Over the duration of my internship at Andesa Services, I have grown exponentially.  The knowledge I had of myself, the marketing industry, and life as a whole has expanded beyond my own expectations. Prior to this experience, I was unsure about what I wanted to do with my Social Media Theory and Strategy major post-graduation. Going into this opportunity, I set three objectives that I wanted to achieve during my time at Andesa:

• Focus on learning more about the career I would like to pursue
• Network in the industry, and,
• Applying classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios.

Learning: From the very first interview I had with Marketing Manager, Kerianne Geist, I knew she was someone from whom I would learn much. Her welcoming and supportive character helped me believe in myself and explore my own potential.

Part of my weekly schedule was meeting with our third-party marketing partners at Sagefrog Marketing Group. The interactions I had with their team allowed me to observe the partnership Andesa has with their digital team. As time went on and I was more familiar and comfortable in these interactions, and I realized that agency work was something I was passionate and excited about. Being able to work with companies like Andesa and help them achieve their marketing goals with strategies and creatives is what I envision myself doing.

Networking: Not only was I able to learn from the team at Sagefrog, but I now have created a connection with multiple people there. I have several mentors that I respect and admire to go to with questions about my future career. Kerianne also connected me to other people in the industry which gave me the opportunity to ask questions about their work and passions.

In addition to solely a marketing perspective, I had the honor of meeting with many employee-owners at Andesa who provided me with advice that I will take with me into my future. Each employee-owner has treated me with so much kindness and made my experience at Andesa so positive. Having the opportunity to meet with Andesa’s CEO Ron Scheese and CFO Mark Wilkin is something that most interns do not experience in other companies. I am so grateful that many members of the management team took the time to speak and share their knowledge with me.

Application: Over the course of my internship, I was assigned tasks that helped me apply classroom material to real-world situations. This process was one of the most beneficial aspects of my experience. I have told many employee-owners that my short, “hands-on” time at Andesa has been more impactful for my educational journey than three years of higher education. I have observed that real-world experiences outside of the classroom are essential to learning more about the marketing industry.

Prior to my internship, I had little experience with marketing tools and strategies. I now know how to use systems such as Hootsuite, Campaign Monitor, and WordPress as a result of how Andesa challenged me to grow during this internship. One of my key learnings over this past summer has been that you can only grow when you step out of your comfort zone and learn as you encounter new challenges.

It has been challenging for me to put my gratitude into words and I fear I wasn’t able to truly show my appreciation in this blog. I am so grateful that my search for an internship led to me Andesa. Not only was I given the space to observe and interact with the Andesa Team, but this opportunity has also enabled me to explore the career options I have for my future, network in the industry, and apply my classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios.

I will remember my time at Andesa and take what I have learned into my future career decisions. I want to say thank you to Kerianne who has believed in me and pushed me to grow as a person throughout the entirety of my time at Andesa. I am thankful to say this internship has shaped my future and has given me the confidence to continue to grow in all aspects of my life.