My search for a summer internship started in a very different direction. Originally, I had set my sights on working this summer in Washington, D.C. trying to experience communications for a political or advocacy group. But when a placement fell through, I came to realize, as summer began, I officially had no plans for the first time in a long time. That’s when Benecomms walked into my life.
I found out about Benecomms thanks to an internship opportunities email circulated at the Journalism school at UNC, where I attend (and where I’m heading back to this fall to finish up my undergrad). Interested, I sent my application in and figured I might get lucky. I don’t know what Helen saw, but she decided to take a chance on me and hired me after our video interview. It was that chance I’ve been grateful for all summer.
I came to Benecomms with a background in journalistic writing, never having done any marketing. That changed on day one. I was brought on with their new full-time hire, Julianne, and we both immediately began work on a brand new client. From day one I was voicing my ideas and working on strategic projects that most interns would never have the opportunity to touch at larger companies. From handling client pitches to creating yearlong content calendars I was in the thick of things.
It was a lot to handle all at once, but as the days went along, I gained a strong handle on the work I was tasked with and took off running. At one point we had to execute a pivot in strategy for a client; they loved the new ideas and direction, and when they signed off on our content calendar, the work of content creation began.
By the end of this summer, I had ideated and produced over a dozen articles for clients. During this time I not only learned about the content marketing process, but I also enjoyed learning about the subject matter I was researching (everything from esports to office temperature wars). I also contributed the bones of a large project for Benecomms that will continue to be developed long after I’m back in class.
Finally, I enjoyed and appreciated the volunteering and team-building opportunities; Benecomms has a mandate to give back to their community and most every Friday we were volunteering at food shelters, Habitat for Humanity, soup kitchens and more.
I’ve learned a lot and gained invaluable experience from my time at Benecomms over the past eight weeks, especially on the topic of effective B2B marketing. I’ve also worked to better my production and project management skills every day. Being at a start-up firm and having the opportunities for learning and growth has been fantastic. I’ll be forever grateful for the experience I’ve gained from working with the Benecomms team and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the future!