My Experience as a Frenik Intern
Frenik Internship Reflection: My Experience
A year ago this summer, I was an aspiring PR major at the University of Georgia, thoroughly convinced I would spend my adult career working at one of America’s top Public Relations firms such as Edelmen or Jackson Spalding. Maybe I’d represent a celebrity. Maybe I’d do damage control for the next catastrophic oil spill. Thus, when I embarked on my internship at Frenik Marketing Group, I was slightly concerned as I had little experience with the marketing industry, let alone marketing as a whole. I never imagined that in 3 months I’d learn more than in any of my classes, or that I’d completely reshape the idea of my dream career and what field I’d work in. One year and a full-time job offer from Frenik later, here’s my biggest takeaway from my time spent as an intern.
The best way to understand what services a company provides and how it works is to go through any client files, past projects and internal documents that are available for review.
Don’t be psyched out if your internship doesn’t match your major
My undergraduate degree is in Public Relations. The summer I went into this internship, I lived and breathed PR. I was concerned about being new to marketing. However, the best part about starting my Frenik internship was kicking off on a blank slate. I was taught the foundations and building blocks of marketing from scratch, everything from branding to pay-per-click. I was given completed client files to get an understanding of what we do as an agency. I provided research and summaries of projects so our team could evaluate at what rate I was familiarizing myself with our services. At the end of the day, even if your internship isn’t in the same field as your major, learn as much as possible from the time you start. It could ultimately impact career opinions and provide you with new interests to shape your career path.
Research anything and everything
The best way to understand what services a company provides and how it works is to go through any client files, past projects and internal documents that are available for review. My team gave me pages and pages worth of summaries, presentations, pitch decks and case studies so I could truly understand what Frenik Marketing Group does and what our competitive edge is. After reviewing and taking notes, I felt like I truly understood what we do as a company, what traits we offer as opposed to our competitors and what makes us different than any other agency in our industry. By researching what’s already been done and what still hasn’t been explored yet in a company, you can be prepared for any new changes or new ideas that may be presented in the future.
Ask questions
Never be afraid to ask questions! I still ask tons of questions on a daily basis here at Frenik, even though I’m not an intern anymore. Your team is there to help you and should be more than happy to answer all your inquiries about whatever topic is causing confusion. Personally, I’d rather ask questions to ensure my work is correct rather than risking turning in something incorrect or unnecessary. My team isn’t just my boss and my superiors. They are group of people who are constantly learning, brainstorming and excited to help each other out. After all, we’re all on the same team, why wouldn’t we work together to deliver a competitive service and make our company the best it can be?
“YOUR TEAM IS THERE TO HELP YOU AND SHOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ALL YOUR INQUIRIES ABOUT WHATEVER TOPIC IS CAUSING CONFUSION. “
I was extremely fortunate in that my 3-month internship turned into a full-time career! I never imagined that going into a field that was so different from my focus of study would be my dream job. While I learned so much during my internship at Frenik, the greatest lesson I took home from my experience is to consider every situation or challenge from your internship as an educational opportunity. You never know when it might define your career path and lead you towards an amazing job with an even greater team!
