Into the Professional World
As soon as I landed on the e-mail, with the subject “Invitation to apply for Scripps Internships for Rising First Years,” (Emphasis on ‘Rising First Years.’ Nice e-mail marketing strategy. Yes, I notice that now.), sent straight to my inbox, I thought, ‘Wow. An internship for a rising first year undergraduate student? That’s unique.’
As the end of my senior year of high school drew closer, I discovered that one of the nation’s largest privately held real estate development companies, the Lewis Group of Companies, based in Upland, CA, was in search of an intern to join the Corporate Marketing team. The Lewis Group of Companies develops mixed-use planned communities and residential subdivisions in California and Nevada, as well as builds and owns rental communities, shopping centers, and office and industrial parks.
The Scripps-Lewis Marketing Internship for Rising First Years offers an hourly salary, blog content and analytics to be included in the Intern’s portfolio of work, personal coaching and training from the Director of Marketing Automation, and experience in a real world marketing environment.
Who is the ‘Marketing Intern’?
And What Do I Do?
Hi, my name is Clarissa Ann. I am 18 years old, a recent Class of 2016 graduate from the Webb Schools and an incoming Class of 2020 first year at Scripps College in Claremont, CA. This summer I’ve joined the Marketing Department at the Lewis Group of Companies as the Marketing Intern. My job is to research stories and to create blog content for the website — from the text to the graphics and from the meta description to the social media blasts. I focus on the company’s philanthropy, projects, careers, and events. My goals are to raise awareness about and to garner attention to the myriad of projects that the Lewis Group of Companies is involved in, optimizing search engine marketing and generating traffic and revenue.
Life is good here. I have my very own cubicle. My supervisors give me direction but also space to come up with my own ideas. They make me feel like a productive member of our team. Each day, I feel listened to, valued, and supported. People here are genuinely interested in my success.
Some projects I’ve completed:
The Lewis Group of Companies recognizes Terra Vista Educators. Read more here.
San Antonio Regional Hospital and Lewis Group of Companies create healthier communities through partnership. Read more here.
An employee spotlight on Kevin Johnson, the cycling guru at the Lewis Group of Companies. Read more here.
Lewis Group of Companies responds to the favorable economy in Reno, Nevada with a new luxury apartment community, Harvest at Damonte Ranch. Read more here.
Find out the details about the construction and concept of the new apartment community Harvest at Damonte Ranch in Reno, Nevada. Read more here.
I create blogs from scratch. I gather the information by contacting sources through e-mail or phone interviews. I design the title, the content, the graphics, and everything a reader sees, trying to improve the SEO. It doesn’t get any less exciting each time I hit “Publish;” with pride, I think yes.
3 Reasons Why This Internship Was a Dream
All of the Right Takeaways
On my first day, I wasn’t aware that I knew only 10% of what I would take away, in terms of blog writing for the Internet. Ten weeks of a summer internship would bring new skills, lessons, experiences, and connections.
As the Marketing Intern, my close team and my mentors have been Alex Polamero, Director of Marketing Automation, and Rosemary Boone, Marketing Coordinator. They’ve given me training in WordPress, Google Analytics, SEO, graphic design, social marketing, and they have made the internship what it has been. Both have been very personable and supportive of me at work and in life, and I know that they will be resources for my time at college and beyond.
New Realizations
Life really is all about timing. As a rising first year undergraduate student, my career path is malleable and far from cemented. And as an 18-year-old developing myself and my plans, I know this is the time that I can learn and do anything; my interests are ever-changing and nothing is off-limits. Although when I applied I knew that marketing did not fit with my career plans, any regret I could’ve had about taking an internship in an unexplored field is nil.
Each day of my internship has been valuable exposure to a field that, honestly, I had previously not known much about. Before I began the internship, I was planning to major in biology at Scripps College on a pre-med track. I still plan to major in biology and attend medical school, but now I intend to incorporate business into my college learning experience too. I plan on studying economics as my minor or as part of a dual major at Scripps College, and I credit that plan to my marketing internship. Exploring different career fields now rather than later has been the best decision I could have made this summer.
Hello, Future
Right out of high school, I had the opportunity to work in a real world marketing office. This experience has provided me with a robust launching pad to future opportunities. In the competitive market students and graduates enter when applying for internships and jobs, knowing or experiencing something different through an early internship could be what sets me apart from the rest.
I saw immediate impact as I kept track of increases in organic traffic during the months of June, July, and August. I completed numerous blog posts. I learned effective work habits, applied skills in new ways, and forged connections; I know I can utilize each of these wherever I find myself in the future, including classes at Scripps College and beyond.
Whatever a potential applicant’s interests, interning at the Lewis Group of Companies as a rising first year undergraduate student is an unconventional opportunity that I recommend that anyone eligible seize.
Grab the Opportunity and See for Yourself
I am beyond thankful to have been the Marketing Intern this summer at the Lewis Group of Companies, and I will carry this experience with me indefinitely.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.
I’ve put this blog out there on the Internet not only to share about me, but because the Lewis Group of Companies wants to work with an interested and talented intern, and that may be you.
Apply Today
To apply for the Marketing Internship, click here.
Read More
Find information about Lewis Group of Companies’ career opportunities, training, college recruiting, and more here.