Final Remarks from a True Media Intern

My first interaction with True Media was meeting with former Media Director Chris Evans at a resume panel. I chose to meet with Chris because although he scared the living daylights out of me, I knew that he must know what he’s talking about if he worked at True Media. As a Mizzou J-School student, it’s well known that True Media has a great internship program, and one that I always wanted to be a part of. His tips must’ve worked, because here I am writing this blog post.
Each of my internship experiences has taught me something different, but working at True Media has been rewarding in ways I could not have imagined. Having met with many recruiters, everyone tells you how at their internship, “You won’t be getting coffee; you’ll be doing ‘real’ work.” At True Media, there’s a Keurig for coffee, so have no fear and be prepared to learn.

From building a media plan, to pulling information in SQAD, to learning the best keywords to use in a PPC campaign, this internship offered so many opportunities to look at advertising from every angle. I still have no idea what I want to do after I graduate next May, so getting experience working with buyers, planners, interactive specialists, social media specialists and traffic managers has really helped me see where my strengths lie.
More than anything, this internship has made me a well-rounded professional, providing me with a diverse skillset that will help me in so many ways. However, these skills are not just given to you when you start. You definitely have to work to learn. For any interns who may be interested in working at True Media, here are my tips for success:

1. Be obnoxiously curious: The people that you work with are here for a reason: they’re incredibly talented at their jobs. If you were to have told me on my first day that Emily Ann Brown invented Microsoft Excel, I would have believed you. Don’t be afraid to go to other departments and ask questions. You never know when you’ll need to apply those skills in the future, and it definitely helps to understand how your job affects your co-worker’s jobs as well.
2. Get your money’s worth: Whether you have a paid or unpaid internship, put your full effort into whatever you’re doing. Sure you could be an intern at Google, but if you just do the bare minimum, are you really better for it? I don’t know how many times I messaged someone or ran to their desk to find work. At an agency, there’s always work to if you’re willing to find who needs help.
3. Get Organized: Remember every August when you went back-to-school shopping, your mom always bought you a calendar book to write down your homework assignments? I always filled mine out for about three days. This internship has taught me that you have to find a way to be organized, use a calendar and make an effort to stay ahead to make your job (and everyone else’s) easier.
4. Be Yourself: I’m kind of an interesting character. I was recently told I resemble Buddy the Elf with my long arms, off-the-wall humor, and love of hugs. Although I’ve definitely cut back on hugs (for HR reasons), make sure you have fun with your job and make friends with the people you work with. It certainly makes coming in every morning a whole lot more enjoyable.
5. Don’t be afraid of doing the grunt work: Once again, I certainly don’t want to fill anybody’s coffee. However, if you don’t help out and take the job that gets left for the interns, you will never understand how important that job is in the grand scheme of things.
6. Work hard: Above all else, give people your best effort. People notice when you provide quality work and will be more likely to trust you with bigger projects in the future. I’ve worked a number of really horrible jobs, but I pride myself on doing them really well. You never know who could notice when you go above and beyond.
7. Finally, recognize when you have a fantastic bathroom set-up. One of the best ways to tell if an owner really loves his/her employees is to examine the quality of the restrooms. It’s no wonder why people at True Media love working here.

So to close, this summer has definitely been a busy one, but I have truly enjoyed every day of my internship. I would also like to send a big thank you to everybody who I’ve worked with at True Media, as it has been a pleasure getting to know all of you.
If I have really just blown you away with my incredible story, you too can intern at True Media by visiting our website and applying online. If you’d like to contact me with any questions, discuss True Media’s internship program, or offer me a high-salaried executive position, you can email me.
By Brendan Shaughnessy