SubscribeA Word with the Marketing Nerd @stef_funny (Making the most out of my internship)
<Editor’s Note> I’m very excited to congratulate Stephanie Trinh aka @stef_funny who’s on my team here at Marketing Melodie. She recently graduated from SDSU. What a huge accomplishment. She’s an official college graduate! Stephanie is moving on to begin her career in the “real world” but before she leaves, she has some final words of inspiration and insight to share with you on her experience here at Marketing Melodie and why interning is so important. I’ll let Stephanie take it from here. HIT IT STEPHANIE! </Editor’s Note>
It seemed like just yesterday when I asked Melodie about her internship program. It has definitely been such a pleasure working with her. I’ve learned plenty from Melodie, whether it was about social media for businesses or advice on what to say during my interviews . Although people cringe at the thought of having to be an intern, I’ll tell you why interning is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
- I’ve met so many great people during the time that I’ve worked with Melodie. We all know that the marketing industry is all about who you know. Melodie has hosted many events, which I have attended and it has helped me expand my networks. I love talking to marketing professionals and hearing their stories about how they have gotten to where they are today.
- I’ve gotten exposure. The blog posts that I compose and post here are also posted through Melodie’s social networks. Although I do have my own blog, I get new exposure and more traffic by blogging on another site. Plus, writing these posts help me to deepen my own understanding on why businesses should use certain social networks as a part of their overall marketing plan.
- I had fun and expressed my creativity. Melodie encouraged me to spark my creativity by having me help her create things to post for clients and her own social networks. Some of the ideas included Motivational Monday posts, Melodie Tips, etc.
- The real hands on experience. My internship program gave me a chance to learn through actually doing. The one on one mentoring experience Melodie provided has been really helpful and has allowed me to focus more on what I want to learn. Make it clear to your employer what you want to learn before you start your internship.
- Learning more than just internship stuff. Melodie has helped me better understand where I want to go in my career life. She’s helped me with interviews and given me networking tips – things that I really am going to use in the “real world.” The best part about working with Melodie is that she isn’t just someone you intern for, she’s your mentor who truly does want to see you succeed in the industry. I recommending finding an internship where you can directly interactive with your Manager and ask questions along the way.
I still can’t believe I’m considered to be an alumni now. Yay to graduating and to the class of 2012!
You can connect with Stephanie on Twitter, Google+ and check out her blog, Marketing Nerd!
Continuing My Education in Photoshop Class (The first day of school!)
Who remembers getting the ”night before the first day of school jitters”? During K-12, I remember spending the night before the first day of school choosing my “first day of school outfit” and making sure I had all my new school supplies in order. Being a nerd and someone who loves to learn, I was definitely always excited for the first day of school, which brings me to share why I’m so excited today!
Today is my first day attending a Photoshop class through San Diego Continuing Education. I’ll be taking a series of courses on the next 3 Monday evenings to learn Photoshop. I’ve played around with Photoshop before and have watched a few tutorials online but always resort to editing photos on Powerpoint or Paint. I want to leave the class with more advanced photo editing skills. This will help with my ability to be more creative in both my own and my clients’ branding strategy.
I’ll be able to do magic like this!
Continuing Education is open to everyone. Their mission is to provide ongoing learning opportunities, preparing diverse individuals for career advancement, a college education, or enriched lives through good health and personal fulfillment. I’m amazed at the abundance of free classes they offer on so many topics! As someone who runs a marketing business where so much of what I do has an emphasis on educating others, I definitely seize any opportunity where I can continue to grow my own knowledge. I know it will only help me when I teach others.
I’ll keep you guys posted on my Photoshop progress. I also have a list of other things I want to learn which includes video editing and html. I leave you with a quote that I find so appropriate for this occasion.
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. ~John Dewey
Educating My Way To Success 2: WeekendU
Tonight I administer the final exam for my marketing class at Platt College. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to have attracted this opportunity into my life. Teaching this course has provided me with such a strong foundation for being an educator and enhanced my professional knowledge and skills in many areas as described in my previous post about Social Media Education. This is the first final exam I’ve ever administered, but the word “final” definitely doesn’t describe my continued ventures in education. Last April 2009, I had the privilege of attending WeekendU’s Internet Power course.
Weekend University is an innovative educational institution focused on practical in-person and online digital skills education. Their courses deliver practical knowledge from experienced practitioners, providing students with real world skills they can use the next day in their professional and personal lives. Read more
If Content is King Your Library is a Royal Palace
This post is inspired by a place filled with infinite knowledge, new technology and an abundance of content . This place is called the Library. Although not all libraries are created equal we can all agree that all libraries provide a place that supports education and knowledge. Read more
