Is marketing the right major for you?
Behind each aesthetically pleasing ad or catchy tagline, there's a team that analyzes a brand's audience and strategizes accordingly. If you’re interested in executing successful marketing campaigns, or have a knack for researching trends, then marketing might be for you.
And even if you don't major in marketing, there are many internships in the industry which might catch your eye. Learn all about them ahead!
What skills might I need for a marketing internship?
In marketing, communication is key! Clearly relaying ideas, projects, and pitches is important in marketing roles, especially when marketing campaigns are often the first point of contact with an audience. Other skills to consider are collaboration, good people skills, consumer awareness, and strong writing skills.
So, what are good internships for marketing majors?
Check out some examples of hot internships for marketing majors:
1. Social Media Internship
If you're unsure where you'd like to concentrate your skills, consider interning for a company's social media marketing team. The majority of college students are avid users of social networking apps, which can make for a smooth transition into your role. Not only will the apps be familiar, but you'll also be able to gain insight on the analytic side of social media.
2. Product Marketing Internship
An internship in product marketing can offer great foundational skills, giving a great general overview of how the marketing world works. It's likely that you'll be working under one manager, but collaborating with a whole team of industry professionals who can help you explore your interests. You'll learn about the art of promoting products to customers, help execute marketing efforts, and contribute ideas yourself.
3. PR Internship
PR managers are in charge of making sure their company looks great in the news, acting as liaison between a company and the press. Interning under one of these experts would definitely boost your knowledge of public relations industry standards, best practices for relationship-building, and how to show something in its best light. You're sure to grow your communication skills, learn how to write press releases, and network with some great professionals.
4. Advertising Internship
Perhaps what interests you about this industry is the creative campaigns that look gorgeous and fit a perfectly sellable aesthetic. An advertising internship can benefit those intrigued by the more creative side of marketing. You might build skills like Photoshop, conduct user research, or even pitch your ideas to a team of stakeholders.
5. Copywriting Internship
Behind every good marketing team are copywriters who churn out amazing content about the company or product at hand. They're the ones writing your favorite blog content, whipping up words for a website homepage, or sometimes even crafting tweets and Instagram captions. If writing calls to you and you don't really know how to put your skills to use in the marketing world, then consider an internship under a copywriter. You'll help source content, and might even get a few awesome blog posts out in the world that you can add to your portfolio.
6. Marketing Analytics Internship
If you're a data-driven thinker, maybe it's the research and science behind marketing that really gets you excited. In this type of role, you'll explore why the market ebbs and flows, or why one marketing tactic works better than another. Under the supervision of a marketing analytics team, you'd be studying trends and learning about predicting positive outcomes.
7. Brand Design Internship
Design might not come naturally to all marketing majors, but this type of role offers advantages to the artistically inclined. Combining your academic background in research, communication, analytics and then pairing it with smart designs could propel your career in brand design and the creative sides of marketing.
8. Sales Internship
Have a knack for highlighting the best parts of any situation? Great with words? Do you keep a cool head in any situation? Then an internship in sales might be for you! Along with the administrative tasks of many internships, you'll also gain great experience by observing your manager and sales teammates. You might sit in on calls, meet with potential clients, and prepare reports for your company.