Job & Internship

June 2008 Internship Spotlight

Name: Aaron Sickler
Major: Advertising
Company: Mediacall, Macomb, IL

Duties: One of the greatest things about my internship was that I was always busy doing something. Every day offered a unique learning opportunity and I wouldn't say any day was really typical. I always worked on different types of projects, which was exactly what I was hoping my internship would be like. Right off the bat I felt like a member of the team. The majority of the assignments I had at Mediacall were all related to important projects at hand, so I always felt as though I was making a contribution and not just there to watch.

My first assignments involved a lot of research and fact finding. My first project was to prepare an extensive database for a proposal Mediacall was working on for various workforce development centers around the Midwest. I was also responsible for creating a database of all the state health departments in the country for another proposal focused on the Ryan White Program. Another existing client wished to shift advertising focus into another area, so I was expected to create a coverage map of all the radio stations in the areas where we might need to do marketing. I was also responsible for doing cross research on these locations regarding High School sport affiliation. Other projects included researching billboard adverting locations and pricing, phone surveys, future office equipment and software. Later, this resulted in the vice president asking me to pick out a computer based on his needs and what I knew about them.

I was also involved quite heavily in the design process of their advertising, including formatting text and laying out pages and store signs for print. When we receive information from venders whom we advertise for, it needs to be formatted for print. Many times information is incomplete or inaccurate, so it was my job to put the information into the correct spacing, font, and color and to make sure everything was grammatically correct. I also spent time searching for correct, high resolution photos of products that the vender failed to send us. If I was ever unable to find a photo of a product in our photo library or online, I was expected to go to a store location and take the photo onsite myself. I would then use Adobe Photoshop to remove the background from the photo and clean it up for print. I also depended heavily on QuarkXpress 7 to create layouts and to format text. Besides software like Photoshop and Quark, my tasks heavily depended on Microsoft Office.

When communicating a concept to a client or an audience, PowerPoint presentations can be a very effective. I worked with a number of different presentations, either creating the entire presentation myself or satisfying a smaller role, like designing the presentation’s template.

I also played an important role in the packaging process of completed materials. This included things like printing and labeling DVDs and collating and binding promotional materials. I was also expected to prepare mailing for UPS and the USPS. Many times we have huge mailings ranging in the thousands that need to be addressed, stuffed, labeled, pre-metered, and sorted before they can be taken to the post office.

Everything Mediacall creates looks top-notch because everything undergoes a thorough proofing and inspection process before being finalized. I was expected to proof everything from images to store signs to advertising layouts. All jobs are tracked as they move through each process, creating an accurate records of which individual worked on what.

Another great thing about Mediacall is that I wasn’t always stuck inside the office. Many times throughout the week I was expected to run all sorts of errands. These included: supply runs to the office supply store and Wal-Mart, taking projects to the printer, making deposits at the bank, keeping the work vehicles topped with fuel, sending off and picking up projects from the framing store, and dropping off mailings at the post office.

Meeting with clients also got me out of the office. At Mediacall we are expected to abide to business casual dress. When I would meet with clients I was expected to wear a suit and a tie. Meeting with clients is always exciting because that is where a lot of brainstorming and idea forming happens. It’s a good experience hearing what they want and then showing them what we’re capable of.

Most Memorable Experience: I have been fortunate enough to write a few radio commercials. It was a pretty big thrill driving one night and hearing one of my own radio ads on the radio for the first time.

Special Contribution: It is very evident that I have had a lot of success at my internship. There are a few accomplishments that I am particularly the most proud of. In mid January, I was put in charge of creating a presentation for The Macomb Area Economic Development Company, The Macomb Chamber of Commerce, and The Macomb Department of Commerce. It was to be used as the centerpiece for their annual awards dinner. Each year, the groups hosts a dinner, showcasing the economic development of the area of the past year. This year the event was held at a black tie event at Western Illinois University.

I spent nearly a month creating a great presentation that would highlight all the recent success of Macomb and the surrounding areas. What made the project challenging, is that I was completely new to the area so I had no idea what businesses were where, nor did I have any idea as to which parades, events, and celebrations were from one another. I spent a lot of time going to various locations to get the perfect photo for my presentation. I also met with clients on a regular basis to discuss changes and additions.

The night of the presentation was a complete success. The banquet room was decorated and darkly lit and setup adequately for 200 people. There was an appetizer station and a bar for drinks. My presentation was set up to run on a projector beside the podium in which the speaker would stand. It would be run by an Apple Power Mac computer. We also had an Apple iMac computer positioned near the bar to cover both sides of the party. The event schedule allowed my presentation to run during the happy hour. Later, it would then follow the awards ceremony and then be used as the backdrop as guests were leaving. The guest list was quite large and filled with company CEOs, presidents of companies, mayors of past and present, Rotarians, and other significant members of the community. It was a great opportunity to meet new contacts that night. Don introduced me to practically everyone he knew. After the event, I received great feedback on the presentation.

The presentation was rewarding because it allowed me to take a project from start to finish, and being completely responsible for the successful outcome. This project taught me to trust my instincts and that by using patience, objectivity, and strong communication skills, I can achieve anything. Concerning my advertising career, this project has been my first professional success.

Advice to Future Interns: I feel every student should intern, whether it is required to or not. It is a great opportunity to get an inside glimpse of your focus of study and is very useful for determining if your major is right for you. I met a lot of great contacts along the way is well, to even further my opportunities for career advancement. It is also effective in pointing out strengths and weaknesses, allowing one to focus on what needs improvement. I feel taking an internship is right for everybody. I planned ahead and decided which type of agency was right for me and I went for it, and so should other students. The best advice I can give is start looking early so you can get the exact internship opportunity for yourself.

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