This being my first internship experience, I had no idea what to expect with Baer Performance Marketing’s internship program. I’ve dabbled in class projects and other opportunities that have presented great learning experiences but nothing quite like I have been able experience from being an actual intern here at BPM.
What I liked the most about this experience is that it broadened my horizon in the technological field. Before this internship, I had little to no experience in the world of technology–specifically social media. Being able to conduct research and apply my research to several different retail social media accounts has helped me advance my basic knowledge immensely. In my time at BPM, I researched and analyzed the behavior of different demographics and audiences on social media and learned how incentives through contests, giveaways, and sweepstakes impact that behavior.
Through this experience, I also learned that technology is forever changing and impacting our daily lives. For example, more than 50 percent of people utilize the internet and social media as their primary news source. Additionally, not only do businesses need to be active online, but they must also stay active in querying and consuming news in order to stay relevant with their target audience.
On the personal side of things, I have also taken a lot away from this experience. College presents students with many opportunities to experience different aspects of a major through different classes, projects, and research. However, students typically find themselves applying a very limited amount of skills throughout their college career. An internship or actual professional experience teaches you that the ocean is much bigger than the pond you thought it was and that there’s much more to a profession than just one skill. College does help you gain the experience and knowledge to further your life and career but not enough. Students need to take it upon themselves to gain to the personal experiences that teach what a potential career really entails.
Also, from this experience and college itself, I’ve found that I learn and work best in group atmospheres. I do like to conduct research, and I do like to do things independently, but for me personally, I talk to think. So, by having the small meetings where we discussed and collaborated as a group was very beneficial for me. In a group atmosphere it is much easier for me to take in the different perspectives, wants, and needs from everyone else.
In conclusion, I have enjoyed the tasks that I have been presented with at BPM and have found them to be very educational and insightful, but I just don’t think I have found my niche yet in the communications world. I thrive in many areas of communications, but I believe I need to experience other areas of the communications field to confidently say, “This is what I want to do with the rest of my life!” Life is a learning experience, and that’s exactly what my experience at BPM was–a very personal, professional, beneficial, and insightful learning experience.
