The Diary of an Intern

Halfway into my fall semester as a senior marketing major at Lehigh University, with two internships under my belt, I still felt concerned about my readiness for the ominous “real world.”

It may well have been my inherent paranoia, but with my May graduation creeping closer and closer, I knew I had to find another opportunity that would prepare me with hands-on skills and confidence to succeed after college. When Altitude Marketing Co-founder and President Andrew Stanten served as a guest lecturer in one of my classes (with someone from Altitude live-tweeting behind the scenes), I knew I had found that opportunity.

Walking into the Altitude office on my first day as a PR and social media intern was intimidating, but the entire team was so welcoming that I quickly settled in. From my diverse assignments and responsibilities, I soon learned all that I did not know in the field of PR and social media – and all that Altitude would teach me.

It was directly because of the insights I gained at Altitude that I’ve landed my first job in IBM’s consulting training program after graduation, and it is because of the experience I had working at Altitude that I am secure in my abilities and ready to move forward.

Under the leadership of my supervisor, Kelly Stratton, who serves as director, digital marketing (and who was the one live-tweeting during Andrew’s lecture), and Jaime Heintzelman, social media and PR manager, I wrote press releases, scheduled social media posts, developed copy for client memos, contributed to campaign planning and more.

But what impacted me most were not the day-to-day tasks. The most striking thing about Altitude is the overarching strategy behind every single move and marketing effort. I knew how to write a press release before my internship, but I didn’t know how much consideration is put into the tone and wording and how it fits with the overall client campaign. I knew how to write a blog post, but I didn’t realize how much effort goes into ensuring it emphasizes general business goals, fits with other brand messaging and is SEO-optimized to attract the greatest audience possible.

In addition to the client projects themselves, I had the privilege of working with a number of extremely inspiring people during my time at Altitude. Nearly every day, while gathering background information for writing assignments or other efforts, I managed to have meaningful, insightful conversations with various members of the Altitude team. From career advice to predictions of the future of the tech industry, Altitude’s entrepreneurial environment and diversely experienced professionals gave me a clear sense of what goes into running a business and managing business strategy.

Because of my experience at Altitude, I feel prepared, knowledgeable and able to contribute intelligently, even in situations that are intimidating or over my head. Thanks to Altitude’s integrated approach, I developed a broader understanding of how marketing fits into overall business strategy and planning for the future in a complex business environment.

It was directly because of the insights I gained at Altitude that I’ve landed my first job in IBM’s consulting training program after graduation, and it is because of the experience I had working at Altitude that I am secure in my abilities and ready to move forward. I am excited to leverage the best practices and tactical skills that I learned during my internship, and I feel ready and armed to do that in a way I doubt anywhere but Altitude could have made me.

My greatest thanks and appreciation goes to Kelly, Jaime, Andrew, Gwen, Jeremy, Fred, Adam, Liesel, Rebecca and Stan for welcoming me into the Altitude family – and only referring to me as “the intern” a handful of times.

The best decision I made my senior year was applying to Altitude’s internship program, and I know the incredible education I received in my four months at Altitude will continue to fuel my future endeavors for years to come.

– by Jennifer O’Leary