National Intern Day always falls on the last Thursday in July. This year, 2022, it was on July 28.
What is National Intern Day?
National Intern Day is meant to appreciate an integral part of the workplace. We celebrate to acknowledge our future leaders in business. Interns are typically college students who are seeking to expand their industry knowledge.
The History Behind National Intern Day
The holiday was created by WayUp. The celebrations were first held in 2017 to acknowledge the challenges interns face from college to finally reaching their first entry-level job. The holiday lands towards the end of most summer internships and serves as an opportunity for interns and employers to reflect on the experiences through the short period of time.
Common Questions to Ask Interns
In celebration of National Intern Day, we thought we would interview one of our very own Americaneagle.com marketing interns. We connected with Edwin Brkic, marketing intern and student at Illinois State University in Bloomington, Illinois. Brkic studies marketing communications and analytics and applies what he’s learned in the classroom to his daily responsibilities. Here’s a sneak peek into what goes on in the office and the classroom.
Which trends in the marketing industry are most interesting to you right now?
Marketing trends are always evolving. If you told me five years ago that Tik Tok would be one of the biggest platforms for B2C marketing I would not believe you. I have always been interested in analytics and it is very cool to see how it has evolved for businesses and consumers. Data allows companies to get a closer idea of what their strengths and weaknesses are. It is interesting to see how companies are obtaining information about their users and how they interpret that information.
What are your professors teaching you in classes to help prepare you for real-world marketing jobs?
I think one of the most important things we are being taught by our marketing professors is group collaboration. Most of the work you do in the marketing classes is done in smaller groups and it translates well into working in the real world. You need to hold each other accountable when you assign tasks but having a few more heads can bring in some great ideas. I believe this prepares you to work with all kinds of people throughout your career.
What’s one project you’ve worked on in school recently?
There are some projects we work on that are for other businesses in the local area. Some of these companies come in with a list of areas they are trying to improve and students are tasked with researching and creating a proposal for the company to follow. This is a great real-world experience and it really pushes students to be creative and use critical thinking.
What kinds of projects are you working on as an Americaneagle.com.com marketing intern?
I previously interned here last summer and I worked closely with the email marketing team on their projects. I helped compile thousands of prospects to be put into campaigns. This summer, I am assisting different people on the marketing team, primarily our Director of Marketing Operations. I have assisted with taking notes during certain meetings, compiling competitor analytics based on platforms, and researching potential tradeshows for us to attend.
What’s one thing you’ve learned about the industry that’s really stuck with you so far?
In marketing, you are always adapting to change. One professor taught me that “the only constant in business is changing.” This lesson is especially true in marketing. We have adapted to more virtual settings to hold meetings, conduct sales calls, and even participate in tradeshows. You learn that adapting to change quickly and efficiently can help your business out substantially. Who knows what B2B and B2C are going to look like in five years?
What’s one thing you’ve learned about marketing while interning at Americaneagle.com?
As a marketing intern at Americaneagle.com, you are always working on different projects. One thing that makes my job so fun is that I never know what I am being tasked with each day. One day I may be helping schedule social media posts on different platforms and on another, I may be working on blogs to be posted on the website. In addition to working on so many different projects, I have learned to use a variety of tools that are used in the marketing world such as work management platform Asana.
What are you most excited about when it comes to your future in the marketing/business industry and where do you see yourself in five years?
To be honest, I am most excited to finally be working full-time. I am excited to work my way up the company ladder and be a positive contributor to the team regardless of where I work. I look forward to working alongside other marketing employees and I can see myself coming up with great ideas to help everyone out. In five years, I can see myself working on a marketing team for a company where I have plenty of creative freedom. I would preferably want to work closely with the analytical side of marketing since that is what I am currently studying in school.
In summary…
As an intern and student, I have come to realize that there is a lot that you learn within the classroom that translates well into the office. However, there is a lot of experience to be gained working alongside experts in the field you are studying. I have had a great two summers interning at Americaneagle.com and I have learned so much that I will carry with me into my future career. I wish all my fellow interns the best during their last few weeks before school starts again.
Americaneagle.com is a full-service, family-owned digital agency dedicated to providing best-in-class web design, development, hosting, post-launch support, and digital marketing services for over 25 years. With a global team of 700+, we’re capable of handling mid-size organizations to enterprise-level corporations in any industry. Contact us today to learn more.
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