Expect the Unexpected | Sierra John’s Marketing Internship
When the hope of summer first begins to be felt around the campus of听海角原创, students are excited for the new possibilities that听summer听brings. Some听possibilities听are expected,听and some are not. For听one MBU senior, her summer was unexpected.听听
Sierra John is a Communication听Arts听major with a minor in Marketing听Management, and over the summer,听she wanted to intern somewhere that would grow her knowledge and expand her future. When she first applied to be an intern at听, she had no idea听she would be accepted three interviews later, but the unexpected changed her world and God gave her this wonderful opportunity.听
Keating and Associates is a听听that aids in financial planning, managing investments, and helping with insurance services.听Sierra鈥檚 internship involved working with the business, but she also worked on marketing materials to promote individual services.听Her classes at MBU prepared her with principles she was able to apply to her new internship. Marketing is not just looking at the big picture听and Sierra听found that听it 鈥渂reaks down to daily tasks鈥. Her internship opened her eyes to听understand what needs independent businesses听might听have听even听down to听the kind of paper that is used.听
Common in new situations, Sierra felt overwhelmed by the unknown; however, her internship provided her with an excellent opportunity to听acquire听real-world experience.听Walking into this听new adventure, it took her a while to warm up听and听show all she听could听do; but the classes听at MBU prepared her to听accurately听apply her knowledge to daily tasks in the workforce.听Sierra expressed听that听the听concepts听talked about in听class can often听be vague, but having an internship provided her with the perfect outlet to use the skills the听professors have听worked to refine. When asked how her internship will complement her听education听at MBU, Sierra explains听that听the听real-world experience听she gained听in the realm of听marketing cultivated听skills to听market听nonprofit听organizations and听think of specific classes that she听desires听to take during her final semesters at MBU.听
Internships are a perfect avenue to learn new things, and Sierra was able to not only learn new听skills听but also push herself out of her comfort zone. She expresses that she used to be timid when giving feedback, but the atmosphere of being an intern at Keating and Associates pushed her to听provide听vital听feedback from a fresh perspective. She learned听not to听be afraid听to get in there and get to know the people听so that she could听give valuable and honest feedback.听听
Sierra听states,听鈥淜eating and Associates, though not exactly what I was expecting, taught me the practical day-to-day tasks of marketing and gave me a clearer direction for my future career.鈥澨齌hrough her internship, Sierra听was able to sharpen her career vision听and is now more prepared to tailor her degree听to meet听her听academic desires.听
To learn more about internships and how they can听complement听your degree, click听here.听听