Back in January 2011, I started an internship at the Greater Midland Community Centers, Inc. in marketing and marketing research. My plan was to spend a solid semester getting experience in the marketing field while finishing my master’s program at Northwood. When the internship was over, I was instead in a paid position, continuing to hone my skills and gain experience.
Over 12 months I transitioned from interning for GMCC’s Corporate Services Director to the Midland Community Center’s (MCC) Marketing Manager, hiring on as a paid part-time employee, functioning as the interim MCC Marketing Manager, and now working as a Marketing Specialist for MCC.
I have always believed that internships offer priceless work experience and lasting relationships. I can now say that they often provide that foot-in-the-door opportunity for working your way into a paying position.
In my time with GMCC and MCC, there have been several highlights, but here are my top 3 experiences.
1. In October I had the chance to be part of a 9 member team that traveled to other fitness facilities for market research and to observe operations. I enjoyed watching how much the team gets along and how much they are able to joke around with one another. My personal belief is laughter is the best cure.
2. Monthly, our marketing team gets together to go over all the large marketing projects and do some strategic planning. Being able to look at the entire scope of our marketing efforts and see firsthand how your small projects contribute to the overall message is a great feeling. It is proof that everyone that is a part of a team contributes.
- Least favorite Christmas carol -
- Little Drummer Boy, no matter who sings it
- Used to be a professional tree decorator
- Favorite Christmas cookie -
- sugar... with light sprinkles
- Best Christmas present as a kid -
- a bike, except I couldn't ride it until spring
- Favorite Christmas movie -
- White Christmas
- White lights vs. colored lights -
- white, definitely
- Ideal Christmas tree -
- people think I'm nuts, but I want a black Christmas tree. I saw one on HD TV and now I want one again.
Brandon's Christmas Profile
3. Standing in as interim Marketing Manager for our current MCC Marketing Manager, TJ Scheid, was another awesome experience. TJ had an amazing opportunity to travel with Rotary to Greece for one month, which gave me a chance to (try to) walk in his shoes. Being nonstop busy with a multitude of projects was both highly enjoyable and challenging. The most nerve-racking project was creating and managing over a dozen different ads for the Yellow Pages in only a few days.
Working as an intern at the Midland Community Center helped confirm that I highly enjoy working for non-profits and I someday hope to one day move to the big city and work in the communications/marketing department for nonprofits such as the Chicago Art Institute or Field Museum.
Here are some quick tips you should follow to succeed in your internship:
- Meet and greet everyone you meet.
- Set personal goals.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- Treat and respect your internship.
- Be yourself.
- Laugh and laugh often.
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What worked for Brandon?
In a day where the job market is seemingly impossible to enter, particularly for graduates with negligible real world work experience, how did Brandon Strong make the leap from unpaid intern to key employee?
His supervisors, Marketing Manager TJ Scheid and Corporate Services Director Leanne VanBeek, offer these insights for other graduates looking for a way into employment.
“In today’s job market you must really stand out,” says Scheid. “I believe Brandon’s work ethic and positive attitude separates him from the norm. As an organization we look for people who are not afraid to fail. We celebrate challenges that serve the greater good and we set our expectations high. Brandon has always risen to the occasion, even when the challenges are great.”
“Brandon made an impact right away at Greater Midland,” VanBeek adds. “He immediately demonstrated competence and initiative – you could give him almost anything and know that he’d get it done and get it done well. Beyond this, Brandon has three qualities that are surprisingly hard to find when recruiting for employees.
“First, if he doesn’t know how to do something, he does everything in his power to research it, figure it out, and then come ask questions on the rest. That saves a supervisor so much time, and shows a lot of drive. Second, he constantly takes initiative. Despite a busy workload, he continually brings new ideas and new projects to the table – and not just by verbally saying he has an idea. He does the research and comes prepared with a solid pitch for why to consider moving on it. Finally, his attitude is great. In very stressful situations, he handles himself with poise, humor and confidence. His attitude is just ‘I’ll get it done’, ‘I’ll take care of it’, and that’s a remarkable trait to see.”
