This summer, I had the opportunity to become part of the ANDERSON team as an Agency Intern. I am a rising senior at The University of Alabama studying marketing and art. My official title is “Account Services Intern,” but during my time here, I have worked with every team, including accounts, media, and creative. This internship has allowed me to learn about the inner workings of an agency and gain hands-on client and internal experience. Each day at ANDERSON looks a little different for me, so I’ve been able to learn all the agency offers. Today, I will take you along on a day in my life at ANDERSON!
Good Morning!
Our mornings at ANDERSON start at 8:30 a.m., and the first thing I do is check my email and our project management platform, Basecamp. On Basecamp, our team can see and keep track of all of our projects, both internally and externally, for our clients. I then write down all my tasks and check them off as I complete them throughout the day.
Weekly Status
On Mondays each week, the entire team has a status meeting to review our ongoing and upcoming projects and touch base with everybody. It’s generally the only time during the week that everyone is together at the same time. Status is essential for ensuring everyone is on the same page and knows the priorities for the upcoming week. It’s also an opportunity for our leadership team to get reacquainted with all the projects we have going on simultaneously.
Website Updates
One of my recurring tasks here is updating some of our client’s websites using WordPress. WordPress is a web content management system that allows users to freely customize and update their websites. I update our client’s events calendar each week, adding new events and removing old ones. When I create a new event, I input the event’s date, time, location, description, and image. We use templates in Canva to create event images that are in keeping with each client’s branding.
Lunch
Today, I took an early lunch break and picked up Chick-fil-A (yum)! We have an hour each day for lunch, and since I ate in the office, I had a little downtime before it was time to get back to work.
Strategy Meeting
Recently, ANDERSON picked up a new client that requires social media services. Today’s meeting was an internal strategy session to discuss how we plan to achieve their social media goals. A strategy session is one of the first steps in a new client’s journey at ANDERSON. As an intern, this meeting was very interesting as I got to see and be a part of the process that goes into social media planning. I also got to be a part of their strategy planning and understand the reasoning behind it.
Podcast Run-through
The agency hosts a podcast called “ANDERSON Ad Break.” An upcoming episode focuses on entry-level professionals here at ANDERSON. I was excited to be featured on this episode with our media coordinator, Lindsey, and campaign coordinator, Sailer. For the last few weeks, we have been brainstorming and planning this episode and discussing what we want to highlight for our viewers. Before we film, we do a run-through with our outlines to practice what we want to discuss and work out any kinks. We also ran through some equipment setups to get used to talking in front of a camera.
Sponsorship Opportunities
One of the things we do for our clients is gather information about available sponsorship opportunities. In this specific instance, I received a packet of available opportunities from another company and broke it down into a document to present to the client. Our account executive, Chelsea, will take this to the client and handle the next steps.
Out-of-Office Meeting
My next meeting was to review the out-of-office document of our account coordinator, Maddy, which detailed her workload while she was out of town. Whenever someone takes time off at ANDERSON, we create a document with our ongoing tasks and projects so the team can support us while we are gone. This document shares the current projects that Maddy is working on, as well as what’s upcoming, and lists who will be supporting each area.
ANDERSON Content Creation
Before the end of the day, I worked with Lindsey on filming a reel for ANDERSON’s social media accounts. We interviewed everyone on the team, and then Lindsey compiled and edited them. Then, we sent the final video off for internal review before posting it to our channels.
Logging Off
At the end of the day, I ensure everything on my to-do list is completed. If something isn’t finished, I move it to the top of my list for the next day. I then log out and head out for the day!
Spin Class
Most days, I try to do something active or to improve myself. Whether it’s a workout class, a walk, or journaling, I make this a goal for myself each day. Today, I took a spin class at a new studio near the office. Spin is such a fun way to be active and listen to music.
Goodnight!
Then, it’s finally time to head home for the day and spend some time with my family before I head back to school.
Reflecting on my summer at ANDERSON, I am grateful for all the experiences and the team that supported my growth. This internship has deepened my understanding of agency life and broadened my marketing and client services skills. Each day has been an opportunity to learn something new and to make meaningful contributions to the company. As I get ready to return to school, I take with me the knowledge, skills, and newfound confidence I have gained at ANDERSON.
I look forward to incorporating these skills into my studies and future career, and I am confident that the practical experience and professional relationships I’ve developed will be invaluable. I strongly encourage other students or recent graduates to consider an internship. ANDERSON is a great place to start. You can apply for the fall semester by sending your resume to jobs@anderson-adv.com.
