The Monday the 7th of November was a peculiar day. It was a downpour all day and the time had just recently changed. It may have been a little darker and a little wetter but at 7 p.m. nothing could rain on Ad Club’s panel. To top it all off we served are famished constituents wings!
As the meeting started, Candace reviewed our recent agency visit to Firehouse Agency. The group that attended came back with smiles on their faces and a tale of immortalized bobbleheads.
After that a reminder for our next agency visit, The Miller Agency, was presented. Members were encouraged to sign up for Media Con and/or an AAF seminar by David Grossman.
After the usual business had been finished, we called for our hidden panelists to come sit down at the front. It is tradition for Ad Club to hold a panel of current UNT students that have or have had an internship for the benefit of giving insights about the internship process.
The Panelists & Where they interned:
Paige Redwine – Balcom Agency
LeSheta Skinner – Group 360/We Are Alexander
Mackenzie Carder – The City of Grapevine & Groggy Dog
Anna Barden – Social Media Delivered
Danny Laake – Agency Entourage
Amanda Woodard – SocialCentiv, Research Now & Leadamigo
The questions:
How did you land your internship? Was there anything unique that you did to stand out?
P.Redwine recommended applying far and wide and utilizing key words for the resume. M.Carder applied through LinkedIn and made an accidental friend through her process. D.Laake sternly suggested that art directors have a visually attractive resume. Many panelists used connections such as friends, and colleagues to find out and get a good word in for them.
What kinds of questions were you asked during your interview( if you had an interview)? And do you have any interview tips?
As a whole, many panelists agreed that one should be knowledgeable about the place where one is interviewing. Some panelists were asked about themselves. A.Barden suggested “Think of it kind of like a first date, you don’t want to fake your personality because you’re going to have to fake it the rest of the time”. A.Woodard broke down her genius response to a tricky interview question “What is one of your weaknesses?” If you’d like to hear her foolproof strategy, contact her.
What was the time commitment like? Do you have any tips for balancing school and an internship (if applicable)?
Some panelists stressed how much work it would be. Some panelists took their work home. Regardless all panelists agreed a little extra effort would have to go in, in order to assure a successful internship experience. Prioritizing and time management were skills all panelists needed to have in order to survive.
What was one main takeaway you had from your internship?
Being there in person allowed the panelists to see and experience the flow of the business. Some panelists learned to learn on the job and keep an open mind. Some learned how to take charge.
Overall every panelists could agree that despite the immense amount of hard work an internship entails, it is all worth it in order to proceed in the industry. It would be wise to take these panelists advice and apply them to your life, and maybe in the future, you might be on our panel as well.