An INTERN(al) Conversation: Two Employees' Road from Graduation to Employment
This month, I sat down with our two Spring 2021 interns turned full-time employees, Nicole Waddington and Caleb Blodgett. We talk about the expectations of an intern going into an interview, making the internship valuable for both parties, creating a full time job opportunity from a temporary internship, and more.
This episode is full of advice for anyone thinking of hiring an intern and college students looking for an internship!
Life Before Internships
Caleb and Nicole both had very diverse studies in college. Nicole originally began college at University of Buffalo with the goal of going into politics, but turned to business administration and marketing as a second major to focus on a more stable path than the political route might give her. Caleb’s studies focused more on video and audio production, along with philosophy, but he was open to the idea of testing out his skills in a variety of industries.
Choosing An Internship
Choosing a place to interview for an internship can be a daunting task, especially during a pandemic. There are so many factors to consider: is it in the field that I eventually want to have a full-time career in? What is the company culture like? What kind of work will I be doing as an intern? Is it paid or unpaid? All of these and more will make or break the experience of an internship, and perhaps an intern’s view of their chosen studies and eventual career path.
Caleb and Nicole both had a lot to say about their choice to interview at Cypress North. Caleb said that our job listing stood out to him based on what work an intern would be doing at our agency. Cypress North prides itself on the fact that everyone within the company is equally able to contribute, whether you are an intern, manager, or a partner in the company! We all value each other and the strengths that we bring to the table.
We try to give our interns experience in all the various areas of digital marketing, from podcast production (which Caleb is still rocking, even as a full-time employee!), to PPC, SEO, and more. It’s important for them to leave with a well rounded skill set.
Nicole also commented on paid vs. unpaid internships. She explains that if a company has a paid internship opportunity, it is more likely that the work being done by the intern will be more valued by the company.
The Interview Process
The interview process is as much for the future intern as it is for the company hiring them. It is a great way to see what values the company has, what kind of people work there, and how a prospective intern would fit into the equation. Nicole said that this was an extremely important factor in her decision to join us here at Cypress North for her internship.
The Internship
Nicole and Caleb spent the entire semester helping our team with a plethora of assignments for our clients, from participating in meetings, optimizing spend for budgets, to writing ad copy. Their contributions have been so vital to our team, and it was a valuable experience to work on real projects with actual clients.
From Intern To Full-Time
After their internships, Caleb and Nicole were both offered full-time positions as Digital Marketing Coordinators, and we were so incredibly excited that they both said yes!
At the beginning of their internships, both were unsure of whether this would lead to a career, or whether digital marketing was the right path for them. As their work was already so important to our team, they continued their absolutely incredible work that they had been doing during their internship, but now with the same responsibilities of someone who had just been hired as coordinators.
Listen to our latest podcast episode to learn more about Caleb and Nicole’s time as interns, and their transition to full-time employment.
Listen to the full episode here, follow @TheAgencyScoop on Twitter or find me on LinkedIn on The Agency Scoop Page.
About The Agency Scoop
Each episode, we tackle a specific topic with another friend from Cypress North or pull in leaders from other companies. We’ll chat about what’s helping our agency grow, how we work with clients, things that bring us joy, and even the challenges we face. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast player to follow along!
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