Internships are a great way to receive real work experience in a particular industry. You can gain many benefits from internships such as building your communication skills, work ethic, and resume. Even if the internship does not seem like the most interesting or "coolest" one, the experience gained far exceeds the negative factors. When I took my internship at CBS Radio-B96 in Chicago as a promotions intern, I didn't know what to expect. I ended up loving my internship and gained valuable marketing/promotion experience. From my experience, the top three things a marketing student can benefit by having a promotions/marketing internship are:
• Using and understanding the basic marketing mix, the 4 P's, in a work related atmosphere, not just in the classroom.
• Developing better communication skills that are essential in any marketing field.
• Learning how to set up remotes/events/concerts.
The biggest thing interns can gain through an internship is that they learn and understand the basic marketing mix as they go through the everyday activities. One of the 4 p's that you learn right away is product. As a promotions intern for a radio station, you understand that the product is selling/advertising the radio station and sometimes another product/service that was paid by clients. The second of the 4 p's is place, which you learn that it could be an event held at a certain site or on-air. Next is price. During the internship, you learn that sales representatives have clients that pay a certain amount for advertisement or giveaway products/services. Even though the price was never really seen, you learned where and how it is used. Last is promotion, which you learn that it could be certain time slots for advertising, length of commercials, event times, what kind of event, etc. An example of the 4 p's together is that B96 was scheduled to work an event outside of Walgreens (place). They were promoting the radio station and giving away tickets for the summer concert hosted by the radio station (product). Since it was at Walgreens, they were the client (price). The event was only two hours long and would be broadcasted on-air about where listeners could to go win tickets (promotion).
Throughout the internship, you will also develop better communication skills. Communication skills are essential in any marketing field; having a good set of these skills will make it easier for you to develop relationships and network with co-workers, clients, and customers/listeners. As a promotions intern, you interact with listeners by helping out the promotions coordinators with events. These events can be intensive by the amount of people that come out so you always have to be on your feet and ready to build relationships with the listeners. Even if it's a simple conversation with a listener, you are the face of the radio station that they see and interact with.
One of the coolest things you can learn through being a promotions intern is learning how to set up remotes, events, and concerts. You learn the technology aspect of setting up and producing, the paperwork involved, the client involved, you may get to see how a concert is set up from start to finish, help conduct meet and greets, the hard work it takes to set up, and experience the amount of people it takes to make a concert happen.
Internships are an amazing experience to learn from and they give you a chance to put all of the things learned in marketing classes into practice. I recommend that every college student goes through the rewarding experience of an internship.
Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert
View the Original article