Here’s a blog post from Lara Eucalano, one of the driven and determined interns at Baer Performance Marketing. Lara currently studies English at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI. She will graduate this May.
I’m going to tell you something I don’t tell a lot of people.
In May 2011, I will graduate with a degree in English.
There it is, out in the open. An English degree. People ask me, “What do you do with a BA in English?” I’ve been told I’ll live in a box, I’ll be permanently unemployed, or I’ll end up working at Burger King until I’m 75. Yet, here I am, with an internship at an amazing marketing company.
Wondering how I went from reading Shakespeare to managing social media?
- When Lara isn’t updating the Baer Performance Marketing Facebook page, she likes to visit the Vatican and stare into space.
I love writing, but quickly discovered that the commercial interest in hiring someone to pen analytical essays is limited. I decided to start taking marketing classes–and I loved them. It didn’t take me long to realize that every marketing campaign tells a story, and telling stories happens to be what I do best.
Stories have the power to inspire, to make people laugh, and to change the way people think. Oh, and I have to tell my stories in less than 140 characters on Twitter or in roughly 500 words on WordPress. Since social media is pretty fast-paced, I don’t get to hold anyone’s attention for too long. I needed to learn to communicate with people through concise yet compelling posts.
As an intern for Baer Performance Marketing, I’ve had the opportunity to develop my writing and social media skills for the marketing industry. The “real” [non-intern] people at Baer give me both direction and creative freedom and my fellow interns provide much-needed feedback on my writing.
So, why study English?
Because I can channel my writing abilities into social media to help facilitate conversations about brands, inform current and potential consumers, and develop fresh ideas for marketing campaigns.
You know what? I’m happy with my degree. I wouldn’t trade my internship experience at Baer for anything. And I think I have the potential to continue bringing good ideas to the marketing field.
