Internship Inspo: GVSU Student takes on Summer Internship in Chicagoland
Clare Quirin is a GVSU sophomore double majoring in film/video and advertising/public relations. She is a second-year member of PRSSA as well as Advertising Club. One day, she hopes to create film advertisements for an outdoor adventure company, because of her passion for hiking and exploring the outdoors.
To gain more experience in the field, Clare began her first paid internship over the summer working as a video and marketing intern for Senior Living Experts based out of Chicago. Her passion for her future career inspired her to pursue this opportunity, and I spoke with her to learn what it’s like applying her two majors in the workplace.
What tools do you use for your work?
“I use Canva or Adobe Photoshop for all of my graphic design tasks. I use iMovie for video editing, Zoho for scheduling social media posts, and Anchor for posting podcasts on a Spotify account. I also use Asana for making to-do lists and keeping myself organized on tasks.”
What is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting your position?
”I’ve learned a lot about how advertising appeals to people. I get to see which social media posts are most interacted with and who the target audience is. I also learn about different color schemes and how they can affect interactions with a social media post which I find very interesting.”
What is something you wish you knew before starting your internship experience?
“Honestly, an internship is something you should just dive into, so don’t worry about having a lot of prior knowledge. You learn as you go. But if I were to pick one thing, it would be diving into my passion more,” she said. “I am a film/video major and I had a camera, but I never worked with other editing tools. If I were to have taken the time to learn those skills prior to getting an internship, it would be easier for me to complete my tasks efficiently.”
What advice do you have to give to other APR students when it comes to internships?
“Don’t be scared or intimidated if you feel like you don’t know anything! I knew nothing about film/video or marketing/advertising because I had only taken two semesters of college courses in my field,” Clare said. “Your boss hired you for a reason, and they know you are learning. Their role is to teach you. Your role as a student is to gain as much knowledge as you can and have fun with the learning process. It will open your eyes to new people, opportunities, and life after college.”
I think the greatest takeaway we can learn from Clare’s experience is that it’s never too early to start gaining real-world exposure! We should always be on the lookout for opportunities that will allow us to grow and be brave enough to get out of our comfort zone and dive into new experiences.
About Sara:
Sara is a Junior at GVSU studying Health Communication with a minor in Business. This is her first semester as an account associate with GrandPR and she is excited to gain more experience with the firm. She has a passion for health and wellness PR as well as crisis communication. In her free time, you can find her hiking, biking, and exploring west Michigan!
