In the communications industry, the importance of completing internships is crucial. Employers are looking to see that you have some form of experience, even for entry-level positions. I was fortunate enough to intern my junior year at Clapp Communications during the spring of 2017.

When I tell people at my school that I am interning at Clapp Communications, they always ask how I came across such a dynamic company. To be honest, it all happened so fast. In September, I knew that I wanted to complete an internship in the spring and I knew that I wanted to intern at a communications firm in the Baltimore area. So I did my research and came across Clapp Communications. I don’t really know what struck me; maybe it was the penthouse view, the client list, or maybe it was the simple fact that the logo is purple (my favorite color). Whatever it was, I was immediately attracted to this company. I quickly updated my resume, wrote a cover letter, and on a Monday morning I sent my materials. I was anxious, yet determined.

A few weeks went by and I received an email asking me to come in for an interview. I was so delighted. After I had the interview, I felt pretty confident in myself. On Friday, November 18, I was offered the communications internship for spring 2017 at Clapp Communications.

My first day was January 25, 2017, and my site supervisor, Sarah did not waste time letting me get as much hands on experience as possible. I started working on an advertising and marketing campaign for Baltimore County Department of Health by designing a geofilter for Snapchat (which has been my favorite project), then I got the chance to watch an interview with ABC 2 News for one of our clients for their 100^th anniversary. My first day was definitely busy, but that is exactly what I wanted. I like the hustle and bustle, getting my feet wet, busy work life. I went home that day and told my roommates about my awesome day and they were wowed.

From there, I have always been doing something. Of course, there were some slow days, but notice I said some and not all. Lisa gave me opportunities to expand my writing skills by letting me write press releases, media advisories and blogs for clients. Additionally, Sarah gave me control of creating social media copies for Clapp’s platforms. At first, I wasn’t thrilled about social media, but I learned to strategize and develop creative content. When my teacher made her site visit, she was thrilled to know that I had amazing mentors who took an interest in my learning and development.

Throughout my internship I have learned numerous things; I have learned that I am well-qualified, organized, and determined. Most importantly, I have learned what I want in a career, and this is a valuable lesson. A few months ago, I was unsure of what exactly I wanted to with my life, and it was not a great feeling. However, completing this internship has definitely cleared up some uncertainties regarding my future career.

I am grateful and satisfied to have interned with a company with people who are bright, funny, and dedicated. From getting as much experience as possible to everyone saying “good morning” to me, it was definitely a great environment to work in. As I expand my professional career, I will be sure to keep the women of Clapp Communications in mind for connections and relationships. I think I have learned more by interning this semester than learning in the actual classroom, and that is the primary purpose of completing an internship. My advice to college students is to establish relationships with people in your industry; they are the best mentors you could ever have.

(My site supervisor, Sarah and me during my teacher’s site visit, Photo credit: Chip Rouse).