A 22-week talent development fellowship combining real-world work experience, training and development, and networking opportunities within the advertising industry.
Application and Spring Training
I was introduced to the MAIP Fellowship by a professor during the semester prior to my Spring 2022 graduation date. The application process was rigorous, but it allowed me to reflect on my career goals prior to the completion of my undergraduate career. I was able to create a video and a creative campaign that showcased my abilities and my interests. In the Spring of 2022 I received an offer by HCG Engagement Group for a role in Art Direction. I was so excited to get the opportunity to work in an agency and learn the ins and out of the advertising world.
During the spring I was able to participate in weekly trainings that taught me a range of skills from social media to even how to develop my personal brand. These trainings expanded upon the lessons I learned in school and I was able to see them applied in the real world through the professionals that spoke.
Before I knew it, August rolled around and it was time to get ready to begin my internship in Art Direction with HCG Engagement Group. The company is not a client facing agency so I did not have much of a background on the type of work that was produced. I was excited to get started to not only learn more about the company but learn more about the role I would be playing. I had never interned for an agency so I was unsure about the layout and I was full of curiosity and ready to play my part.
The Internship Experience
The internship was full of so many positive surprises. From the start, my manager made it clear that the purpose of the eight weeks was for me to learn as much as possible. He made sure that I connected with as many people so that I could determine what I wanted to learn and who I needed to work with to achieve this. It felt great to be so accommodated and vouched for. I kept track of what I enjoyed and through constant communication made it known.
Every person that I met was excited to collaborate and show me new things. I learned the most from projects that I had to lead such an audit of our LinkedIn page. I learned how to work with client services and how to speak about my work and my ideas. I learned how to ask questions during briefs and what information I needed to be able to generate and idea or art direction.
I learned about the evolution of projects and the excellent communication that must exist during concept development and execution. I got to experience firsthand having my project go through feedback and changes to evolve into an even stronger concept. It has been amazing to learn all of these skills that I had never experienced prior to working at an agency. The relationships and skills I have built have exceeded any expectation that I had set and I am so thankful for this experience.
MAIP Coach
During my time in undergrad I learned about the important of mentorship. My MAIP coach and I were able to establish a great relationship of trust and communication. He made sure to start each meeting asking how I was doing and what I wanted to talk about that week. Conversation flowed and he was able to bring his experience and reassure me about the industry and my career path. He provided numerous examples of work and gave feedback on anything that I asked for. After many of our meetings I left feeling more assured about the path I was taking. It was scary at first to think about joining an agency and feeling like my work was valued. He gave me so much advice and many pep talks throughout the summer. My MAIP coach is one of the reasons why I was able to stay grounded this summer and feel excited about my future in design.
I want to say thank you to MAIP, my MAIP Coach and my manager and buddies at my internship for helping make my summer experience amazing. I have learned so much and I truly cannot wait to see what the future has in store for me.