Advertising senior, Alexis Dammar, took all the right steps during her junior year to acquire an internship position at New York City-based media buying agency Optimedia this past summer. Dammar said she couldn’t have secured her spot as a national media investment intern without the help of the ComArtSci Connect Career Fair and the advertising 402, spring trip to New York.
Her persistence started with a visit to the Optimedia booth at the career fair in February to tell them how much she was looking forward to visiting their company on the upcoming trip.
“I knew I wanted to intern in New York this past summer and I knew who we would be visiting on the trip,” Dammar said. “I just used those pieces to connect with Optimedia and create a good flow of conversation.”
After the initial conversation, Dammar was invited to do a phone interview, and soon after, an in-person interview during her class trip to New York. Dammar was prepared for her interview and headed home with the internship.
During her internship, Dammar got to talk to some big networks, such as A&E. She would keep in touch with the network representatives and track their advertisements. She would also create a weekly highlight schedule for the commercials of some of their clients.
Dammar said she got to know her peers on a personal level and made friends with her intern team. But she advises students to know when to be social and know when it’s time to work during your internship.
“I demonstrated that I was willing to do anything and had a positive attitude throughout my entire internship,” Dammar said. “I felt like I created a good balance for myself when it came to work and then fun events.”
Some of the events Dammar got to attend were hosted by popular names, such as Nick At Nite. She felt grateful to be invited to networking events and took full advantage of the opportunity to introduce herself to others.
“Always be willing to talk to others and learn new things,” Dammar said. “They can always help you. Connections are everywhere; never count yourself out.”
Dammar was thrilled with the alumni network that the students met in New York. After she graduates in December, Dammar hopes to become one of those New York Spartans with a fresh start in the city.
“Go to the career fairs and take full advantage of the opportunities in ComArtSci,” Dammar said. “The connections you make with companies and Spartan alumni really do make a difference.”
By Meg Dedyne
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