Stepping into the Entertainment and Media World
I’ve always had my eye on the entertainment and media industry, whether it’s because I grew up binging Keeping Up with the Kardashians or re-watching Bridesmaids multiple times. It’s an industry that not only cures my boredom at times, but brings me to the forefront of culture. My passion for this industry has led me to now work as an Ad Sales intern for NBCUniversal, the producer behind the content that I grew up admiring.
As I started my junior year of college, I was anxious. I was scared that I would not secure the internship I wanted, all the while my friends were posting about landing their dream offers. Every week, I submitted applications and scheduled informationals that I prayed would get my foot in the door to any company. As I scrolled through Handshake’s job postings, I came across the MADE (Marketing and Advertising Education) internship by the AEF (ANA Educational Foundation). All I knew was that this organization wanted to help students passionate about marketing and advertising into reputable companies such as IBM, Ogilvy & Mather, and NBCU. I enlisted the help of my Global Marketing Management professor, Helenka Nolan, to write my recommendation letter. Then I nervously recorded a video interview and waited to hear back for the final round. Going into my final interview with Sara Parrish, the Program Manager for MADE, I knew there was nothing to worry about. Her warmth and excitement assured me that I did my best throughout the entire application process, and all I could do now is to wait in confidence.
A week later, I received the email “Congratulations!”. I was one of the 34 students accepted, out of more than 1,500 applications. It felt like a big weight off my shoulders. I can now breathe and enjoy going into the New Year as Sara sent my application to multiple recruiters. During my spring semester abroad in Barcelona, I had multiple interviews and received the amazing offer from NBCU. With the uncertainty and chaos of COVID-19, I am incredibly grateful for NBCU in moving the internship to remote. Now, I have the opportunity to work with the New York City and Chicago teams across five of our entertainment and lifestyle networks. I got assigned to the account services team within the Ad Sales department, which makes up the majority of NBCU revenue. Here, I support the team in delivering excellent client experience, as well as spearheading our intern group project on the Direct-to-Scale business unit. So far, I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the advertising space and am constantly inspired by NBCU culture of “Here You Can”.
