Hi Everyone!
My name is Michelle and I am a new intern here at Marketing Strategies, Inc. I started a few weeks ago then took some time off to get married up at Ocean Isle Beach, NC. But I'm back and so excited to continue working and learning!
I am originally from Charlotte NC, but I graduated in May from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations as well as a minor in Business Administration. I moved to Myrtle Beach with my husband who just got out of the Marine Corps so he could attend school at Coastal Carolina University to become a high school history teacher.
After searching for jobs in the Public Relations and Marketing fields I quickly discovered that to most employers, simply having a degree is just not enough, the experience means so much more. So after being fed up with the online job searches and applications I decided to go about it the old fashion way. I looked up PR Firms in the Myrtle Beach area, printed out some resumes, dressed my best, and drove around town determined to find something! After being shot down a few times (some places wouldn't even open their doors to me!) I stopped here at Marketing Strategies Inc., and it was such a breath of fresh air compared to the places I had been earlier that day. Denise was kind enough to take time out of her day to talk to me and to look at my resume. She offered me an internship and I didn't hesitate to jump at the opportunity! I love it here! Everyone I have come into contact with are all very friendly and helpful. I am also already learning a lot. So far I have mastered Constant Contact list, finally finished organizing our Stockphotos, and today was able to work on a few press releases, one for The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach for their annual Paws Across the Water Duck Race.
I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me here at Marketing Strategies Inc. and to learn more about all of the work that goes into everything we do here!
I'll keep you all posted on my experiences!
Until next time,
Michelle :)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Why Intern?
The other Sarah at Marketing Strategies found this article that we thought would be interesting to address on the intern blog: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/14/sunday/main20092149.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody.
The article, titled "Internships: A foot in the door" explores the pros and cons of internships and their recent popularity. The interns they interviewed did not have a problem with working for free, and saw their internships as opportunities to gain valuable work experience, and maybe even a job.
Others, like Ross Eisenbry of the Economic Policy institute, disagree. Eisenbry fears that internships take away paying jobs from those who need them, and that most of the people who can afford to pay rent and still work for free are kids from the upper-middle class. His point was, if businesses can hire someone to work full time, and in some cases, longer than full time, why would they want to pay someone else?
Although Eisenbry has a good point, I believe most businesses aren't hiring now because they simply don't have the money. But if someone comes along and wants to work for free, they're not likely to turn them down.
I am a big proponent of internships. My high school had a great internship program; instead of going to classes on Wednesdays, we would go to internships. I interned on Capitol Hill my junior year, and graduated high school with a better resume than a lot of college students. I continued interning in college because I knew I would gain valuable work experience and would discover what I did, or definitely did not, want to pursue as a career. For instance, I caught the political bug on Capitol Hill, but learned I do not want to be a lawyer when I interned for the local Solicitor.
In today's economy, internships are many people's only options. I stumbled upon the Marketing Strategies internship while I was searching for a full time job. My problem was that I had no idea what kind of job I was working for, so I decided to give Marketing Strategies a shot. As it turns out, I now know that I want to pursue a career in public relations or communications, and I have a new direction in my job search. When it comes down to it, potential employers care more about solid work experience than a job title or salary. I have learned a lot from the internship, have gained a new skill set for my resume, and am very grateful for the opportunity!
Sarah
The article, titled "Internships: A foot in the door" explores the pros and cons of internships and their recent popularity. The interns they interviewed did not have a problem with working for free, and saw their internships as opportunities to gain valuable work experience, and maybe even a job.
Others, like Ross Eisenbry of the Economic Policy institute, disagree. Eisenbry fears that internships take away paying jobs from those who need them, and that most of the people who can afford to pay rent and still work for free are kids from the upper-middle class. His point was, if businesses can hire someone to work full time, and in some cases, longer than full time, why would they want to pay someone else?
Although Eisenbry has a good point, I believe most businesses aren't hiring now because they simply don't have the money. But if someone comes along and wants to work for free, they're not likely to turn them down.
I am a big proponent of internships. My high school had a great internship program; instead of going to classes on Wednesdays, we would go to internships. I interned on Capitol Hill my junior year, and graduated high school with a better resume than a lot of college students. I continued interning in college because I knew I would gain valuable work experience and would discover what I did, or definitely did not, want to pursue as a career. For instance, I caught the political bug on Capitol Hill, but learned I do not want to be a lawyer when I interned for the local Solicitor.
In today's economy, internships are many people's only options. I stumbled upon the Marketing Strategies internship while I was searching for a full time job. My problem was that I had no idea what kind of job I was working for, so I decided to give Marketing Strategies a shot. As it turns out, I now know that I want to pursue a career in public relations or communications, and I have a new direction in my job search. When it comes down to it, potential employers care more about solid work experience than a job title or salary. I have learned a lot from the internship, have gained a new skill set for my resume, and am very grateful for the opportunity!
Sarah
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Checking In
It's been far too long since my last post! I have been busy writing press releases, researching potential new clients, and helping compile a large mailing list (almost 500 people!) for a client's campaign. Things like mailing lists tend to be the less glamorous side of marketing and public relations, but still remain crucial elements for any campaign. If the mailing addresses aren't correct, the rest of the campaign becomes ineffective and a waste of time and money!
Karen mentioned helping with a tag-line for a campaign. The client, who is one of our pro-bono clients, loved it! We held a press conference for them to announce a new environmental friendly project, and we had a fantastic turnout. We generated more than $16,000 of FREE media coverage with just ONE press conference!
Just a quick note on how we calculate that $16,000 worth of coverage. One of my tasks that needs to be done about once a week, is something we call AdQuiv. As a free service to our clients, we monitor media coverage by measuring (in inches) any coverage that our clients get, online or in print, and multiply that by a certain rate. The rates vary based on the publication or the size of the online article. We also have a way of measuring the value of TV coverage, with a rate per minute.
That's my update for now, a little long again! I leave today for a short vacation and return on Monday to wrap up my last couple of weeks as an intern. The summer has flown by!
Sarah
Karen mentioned helping with a tag-line for a campaign. The client, who is one of our pro-bono clients, loved it! We held a press conference for them to announce a new environmental friendly project, and we had a fantastic turnout. We generated more than $16,000 of FREE media coverage with just ONE press conference!
Just a quick note on how we calculate that $16,000 worth of coverage. One of my tasks that needs to be done about once a week, is something we call AdQuiv. As a free service to our clients, we monitor media coverage by measuring (in inches) any coverage that our clients get, online or in print, and multiply that by a certain rate. The rates vary based on the publication or the size of the online article. We also have a way of measuring the value of TV coverage, with a rate per minute.
That's my update for now, a little long again! I leave today for a short vacation and return on Monday to wrap up my last couple of weeks as an intern. The summer has flown by!
Sarah
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