Natalie Shinault, Account Coordinator Intern at New Honor Society
St. Louis, MO
I think New Honor Society chose me for this internship because the MAIP video I made showed who I truly was without any gimmicks, but still showed my creative side with the editing and the script I made for it. My mentor mentioned you could really see my passion for public relations, while being willing to give the advertising industry a try. She was a PR graduate, then later switched to advertising, so she saw a little bit of herself in me, and hoped she could show me how awesome advertising can be and how the skills are transferable. I think you can tell from my resume that I am a go getter because I have worked internships while taking a full class load for the fall, spring, and summer sessions. Lastly, I have worked in a variety of industry areas, and would be a valuable person on the team having knowledge from so many industries.
The type of work I did this summer included working on a tobacco brand’s positioning of a new product, social media, experimental, status updates, reporting Google analytics, writing creative briefs, and managing the intern project.
The most challenging thing was learning the day to day routine of an advertising agency, because I got my degree in PR and was not use to this industry. In PR we do not have roles such as copywriter and strategist, because in PR you do it all. Also, being the only person of color, because there are some things culturally other people will not be able to relate to.
The best thing about my internship was being involved and playing an active role on projects in the office and getting a chance to pitch ideas. Also, being involved with the culture committee—I was given the opportunity to present about a holiday in my culture called Juneteenth.
The biggest learning I’m taking away from my internship is…Everybody on the team plays an important role in the creative process, even if they are not in a particular department. I had to get comfortable with leading because for me there is a fine line between being bossy or overstepping, and making sure the team works well and accomplishes the job. Agency life is always changing, which can be scary, but worth all the challenges that come along with it. Lastly, the advertising and public relations community in St. Louis is small, and everyone knows everyone here, which could be good or bad.
My best advice for future interns is be comfortable with being uncomfortable, don’t be set on one path to get to your goal, and be confident in yourself.
🎧 Hear more about Natalie’s experience at New Honor Society in her We Are Next Podcast Minisode.
- Connect with Natalie via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
- See more from New Honor Society on Twitter, Instagram, and newhonorsociety.com.
Huge thank you to Natalie and New Honor Society 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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