Alex Northcott, Media Planning Intern at 22squared
Atlanta, GA
I think 22squared chose me for this internship because… I have found ways to gain real-world experience in this field through my various internships and made sure my resume was bold enough to have these experiences noted. I also believe being intentional about making connections and molding relationships early on is key to establishing an agency’s trust in you.
The type of work I did this summer included… researching media consumption trends and building audience profiles using research tools like Simmons, Mintel and eMarketer. I was able to attend social media platform trainings at the client’s headquarters, sit in on client meetings, and help create media plans and POVs. In addition to client work, the interns worked on teams throughout the summer to create a campaign for a current client that we presented to the entire agency in the final week of our internship. My mentor in the agency always made sure I had meaningful work to do that aligned with what I was hoping to learn during the summer.
The most challenging thing was… becoming comfortable with a new set of research programs, but through trainings with my team, I gained an entirely new skill set early in the summer that I was soon able to use easily in my daily work. There are always a few mountains to climb at the beginning of any experience, but I now feel confident in my ability to succeed in any project thrown my way.
The best thing about my internship was… the people. My team made me part of their media family this summer. I had an amazing mentor who checked in with me every week to ensure that my internship was helping me achieve my goals. I was also able to meet with members of other departments that I was interested in learning about and take part in their projects. Every person I worked with was extremely friendly, fun, and made me feel like a valued member of the team.
The biggest learning I’m taking away from my internship is… that this field is exactly where I am supposed to be. It’s a fantastic feeling to wake up excited to go to work! As someone who loves both media and strategy, it was exciting to experience how beautifully they work together to create powerful messages. I gained clearer direction, and I am excited to put the skills and knowledge I gained this summer to work!
My best advice for future interns is… to be curious. Do your very best in everything that is expected of you and then some. Ask questions and dig deeper until you feel you like a mini-expert on that project. Even if a task seems minuscule, you are a crucial building block in a bigger picture. The more questions you ask, the more you know and the greater asset you will become.
- Connect with Alex via Twitter and LinkedIn.
- See more from 22squared on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and 22squared.com.
Many, many thanks to Alex and 22squared for being part of Intern Fieldnotes, Vol. 1! For more insight and advice from summer interns at agencies all over the country, check out the full series.
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