How did you prepare for your internship search? What were some of the steps, i.e. fine tuning your resume, interview prep, etc.

When I was looking for my internship I really took full advantage of Wildcat Careers and the Career Center in Hood House. I would search Wildcat Careers almost every day for new internship postings. I found many interesting internships on there, and it was there that I found BGG Advertising. I also spent a lot of time in Hood House. I went to two or three resume review days, and I also contacted Jason Whitney, UACC Internship Coordinator, a few times for some practice interviews. I don't think you could ever be over prepared for the interview. The Career Center offers awesome resources so go ahead and use them!

What three things would you tell your peers they need to do so they find and secure a great internship?

1. Have a strong resume! Make sure you go to the Career Center to have it reviewed! It is the resume that is going to get you the interview!

2. Apply to many internships - your first choice might not work out, so make sure you have backups.

3. Go into your interview with a great attitude! Make sure you're very energetic and excited about the job. Ask questions and involve yourself in the interview as much as possible. Remember it is an interview for the both of you.

Talk about the benefits of networking, timely follow-ups, and being proactive in your search.

There are many benefits of networking. Nowadays I feel like it is networking and knowing someone that will help you the most when you're searching for a job. Engage in conversations with everyone. You never know who knows who so you should always be on your A-game. It is also very important to have timely follow ups. Whenever I went in for an interview the first thing I would do when I got home was send a thank you letter. I believe that that is very important and many people fail to do it. It shows your respect and responsibility. I also can't stress enough the importance of being proactive! Get going on your search as early as possible! Other people won't be as proactive so it shows your drive and initiative.

What did you learn from your internship search that you will apply in future job searches?

Get on the ball early!! I think that what really helped me secure my internship here at BGG was that I was very proactive in my internship search. I started building my resume and searching for summer internships in December, and was applying for them by February. By doing so you are beating the rush of applicants companies get later on.

What is the most valuable part of your internship experience so far? What skills are you learning that you can apply to other internships and jobs?

The most valuable part of my internship experience has been seeing what it is like to work in an advertising company. I have always been interested in the field, but never knew what it was like exactly. Now I know first hand what it is like and this will help me to decide whether or not this is the field I want to be in after I graduate. I have learned many skills that I can apply to other internships and jobs, but I think the most important skill is to be a team player. As an intern you help everyone out, so you have to be able to work well alongside everyone. This is an important skill to have because it will apply to all of my future jobs and internships.