As my final week as a marketing intern/social media coordinator at College Hill comes to an end, I'd like to share some things that I've learned to help future interns get the most out of their internships. But before I do so, I'd like to share a quick trip down memory lane of the last five months that I've been at this remarkable company. 

As a rising junior at Washington State University, I am so thankful that College Hill offered me a marketing internship during my fall semester in Pullman, WA. A first internship entails many learning opportunities for any student, but I didn't expect to learn as much as I did during these last few months. 

When this internship began back in August, we decided that I would have a hybrid internship (part-time in the office and part-time from home) due to COVID-19. I remember walking into College Hill for the first time in August just like it was yesterday. I sat at my intern desk ready for my first task of the day - excited but anxious, not sure of what's to come.

Every single person I met at College Hill, whether it was in person or virtually, was extremely nice and welcomed me with open arms. Even though many of these people didn't work in the marketing department, they still played a huge role in my internship experience. I learned a little bit about sales, a little bit about running The Coug Store, and a little bit about being a part of a company that gives so much back to its community. 

During my internship, I had weekly meetings with the marketing manager where we would go over my weekly agenda, and go over short-term and long-term goals for the rest of my internship. Throughout this, I learned how to write press releases, direct mail campaigns, compile analytics for quarterly reports, write blogs, etc. 

However, one of my favorite projects that I had the opportunity to work on was a video project with Dryland Media. I helped with product/ video planning and shooting content for the product videos. Then, I had the opportunity to write blogs and schedule social media posts for each product video. I have enjoyed being apart of this project and watching it come together over time. The final videos turned out to be so fun and original, and we have loved being able to share them with our community. 

Check out some of my favorite blogs that I've had the opportunity to write this semester!

- 5 Things I Learned As A Virtual Rho Gamma 

- College Life During A Pandemic 

- Meet The Brandana

As my first marketing internship comes to an end, here are five things I learned during my internship that I would like to share with you.

1. Change happens, learn how to adapt.

I hit the ground running with this internship back in August and haven't looked back since. The experiences that I have gained from this unconventional semester have been invaluable and I couldn't be more grateful to have experienced this during a pandemic. However, understanding the value of being able to adapt to any situation is one of the most important things I have learned here. 

College Hill moved one of its office locations at the beginning of my internship. No complaints here (since I oddly do enjoy moving), but that was something that I wasn't expecting! Parts of my internship shifted to helping The Coug Store and College Hill pack up and move. I also learned how to pack and ship out orders for customers - this has now become a part of my intern tasks! 

Even though I did not plan for this to be a part of my internship experience, I learned a lot and gained experience in a variety of fields. I learned that people at this company will put anything aside to help one another get their job done on time. It's so important to learn how to be adaptable and understanding of how busy and challenging things have been over the last few months. 

It was important to me that, even though we were in a pandemic, I went out of my way to learn and gain the most experience through this. For example, sourcing content for our Instagram has been challenging this semester. We had to be extremely cautious when doing photoshoots (due to COVID-19) to keep everyone safe by social distancing and wearing masks. 

I also learned that it's important to be patient and understand that meetings get moved around, deadlines get moved up, and events get canceled. I learned that not everything that would normally happen during this marketing internship would happen, but everything that I was experiencing was extremely beneficial to my future.  

2. Some skills just can't be taught in the classroom.

The experiences that you go through are what shape you. Internships allow you to learn more about yourself and your aspirations. The exposure that I received from this internship was unlike any other traditional learning experience that I had received in the classroom. Through this, I was able to gain first-hand exposure to working in the real world...during a pandemic!

Just because we continue to acquire endless amounts of education during the first couple decades of our lives, it doesn't always mean that it'll translate to the working life or real world experiences. I have tried to take the knowledge and skills that I have learned in the classroom and apply it to things that are being done around me. 

3. Become a sponge.

OK, not literally, but you get the point! Internships can be one of the most educational and powerful experiences in college. The most important goal of any internship is to be able to learn as much as you can about the company, the department you're working in, and the skills that you need to succeed in a field. Set your expectations high and try to make the most out of it, because who knows what could happen next.

Every week I learned a new topic or skill and from each experience, came many valuable lessons. I made sure that if I had completed all of my tasks for the day or the week, that I would ask around the office to see if anyone else needed help. Even if it wasn't experience in the marketing department, I was excited to learn about anything and everything. This internship completely changed the way I look at my professional world and my career path. 

4. What marketing really is. 

I learned that marketing is more than just memorizing definitions for an exam or analyzing another company's marketing campaign for a project. I learned that it's possible to utilize different forms of marketing to help a customer make a decision depending on which stage of the buyer's journey they are in.

I learned how to write proper press releases, marketing campaigns for specific products, develop compelling blogs, etc... I also learned the importance of creating and maintaining strong relationships with your customers. I enjoyed having the opportunity to track and analyze the insights and analytics for social media accounts and websites. Most importantly, I was able to experience marketing in the everyday world - how it works, how people use it, and how it affects our business and relationships! 

5. Enjoy what you do!