Other agencies might call it an internship program, but we offer and expect more.
Specialist Program
Our Specialist program was crafted to be the leading program for college students and recent grads to build a future career in marketing or design. We see it as the last internship you’ll ever do.
Our Specialists work 20 – 35 hours per week collaborating with our full-time employees, working for both our clients and Online Optimism itself. In return, we make sure they receive valuable, real-world experience, hourly pay, and the opportunity to team up with the best and brightest in the city.
COVID-19 & Our Future Specialist Programs
Much like you, we do not know what to expect in the future, due to COVID-19. Here’s what we do know:
- Our 2020 Summer and Fall Specialist classes were our first remote Specialist classes. While it’s not the ideal situation, we feel (and our Specialist surveys confirm) that it has gone well.
- We will 100% be continuing our Specialist Program throughout COVID-19.
- Future Specialist programs may be entirely remote, entirely in-office, or a mixture of the two.
- We will likely not be to able confirm which it is 2 weeks before the program actually begins, long after we’ve made decisions on selected applicants.
Therefore, before applying, please be aware that you may work in-office, or entirely remotely, or a mix of the two, and we’re confident that it’ll be a great program whichever way to proceeds.
What Are Some Features of Our Specialist Program?
Real Work, Real Experience
This opportunity isn’t about getting your boss coffee – we already have cold brew on tap for that.
You’ll spend your time here working on real assignments and projects, being involved in actual client work, and teaming up with full-time Optimists as well as handling tasks independently. As one of our Specialists, you’ll leave us with a complete portfolio of work as well as a killer answer when you’re asked to talk about a time you proved yourself in your next interview.
Cold, Hard Cash
We provide hourly pay to all of our Specialists. For those still in school, we’re also happy to do everything we can to get you college credit.
In addition, when your department director attends networking events and educational lunches, we’ll be sending you as well, ticket included.
Launch Your Career with our
New Orleans Internship
A majority of our full-time team started at Online Optimism as Specialists, and many of our Specialists go on to work at some of the top digital marketing agencies around.
An Optimistic Culture
Our company aims to keep everyone in our offices happy and facilitate their work any way we can, which is why we provide you:
- Top-of-the-line office equipment,
- Keep our cabinets fully stocked with your favorite snacks,
- Provide free catered Friday lunches from local restaurants, and
- have a casual dress code.
We’re also a dog-friendly office, if you have a four-legged friend you’d like to bring along to work.
We have multiple Specializations that applications may select from – you do need experience in the department to be accepted.
Available Specializations vary by application period. They’re typically from the below options.
Digital Design
You should apply if:
- You have significant experience (and the portfolio to back it up) with a variety of artistic styles.
- You’re highly skilled with the Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects.
- You take criticism well, and stay motivated to perfect designs.
- You want hands on experience designing for organizations in New Orleans and around the county.
If Accepted, Your Day to Day Work May Consist of:
- Craft Graphics for a variety of businesses online.
- Follow Varied Brand Guidelines
- Work with new digital media like GIFs, cinemagraphs, and animations.
- Utilize Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Aftereffects.
Social Media
You should apply if:
- You have real-world experience managing social media platforms for organizations or companies.
- You want hands-on experience with the business side of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
- You love building engagement across multiple social media platforms.
- You’re interested in a career managing social media for professional organizations.
If Accepted, Your Day to Day Work May Consist of:
- Creating Weekly Social Media Content for Clients
- Grow Instagram Engagement
- Analyze Paid Social Advertising
- Crafting Varied Posts Across Industries & Networks
Content Marketing
You should apply if:
- You have experience writing for a professional organization with the portfolio/writing samples to prove it.
- You love writing all day, every day.
- You’re interested in creating content for a variety of industries.
- You’ve been told you have an eye for detail, and impeccable grammar.
If Accepted, Your Day to Day Work May Consist of:
- Assist in creative research for long-form content pieces.
- Craft blog posts drafts for approval.
- Perform keyword research to determine high-value content opportunities.
- A nearly infinite amount of writing.
Business Development
You should apply if:
- You’ve previously helped establish or grow a small/medium sized business in some fashion.
- You want hands-on experience seeing how digital marketing campaigns are advertised and sold.
- You love both talking to people, and working with data.
- You’re interested in a career in sales or business development.
If Accepted, Your Day to Day Work May Consist of:
- Working under our team’s leadership to help grow our agency.
- Utilizing a CRM and Google Analytics to help track leads for Online Optimism.
- Creating and implementing new business development strategies.
- Sitting in on actual client discoveries and pitches with New Orleans businesses.
Web Development
You should apply if:
- You have previous experience with WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, and/or Wix.
- You’re familiar with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, and PHP (or at least 2 out of 3).
- You love learning new programming languages.
- You’re interested in building a stronger WordPress portfolio.
If Accepted, Your Day to Day Work May Consist of:
- Assisting in the buildout of websites and maintenance/debugging of existing websites
- Working with our Design team on crafting the best user experience for new WordPress sites.
- Join client meetings to discuss their new websites.
- Assisting in the development of training manuals for WordPress websites.
Digital Ads / Google Ads / SEM
You should apply if:
- You have real-world experience working for a business or organization with Google Ads, Google Analytics, or another digital advertising platform.
- You want hands on experience with Google Ads, YouTube Advertising, Amazon Ads, and Geofencing campaigns.
- You love working in both creative and data-driven advertising departments.
- You’re interested in a career working in the $27 billion Google advertising space.
If Accepted, Your Day to Day Work May Consist of:
- Craft new advertising copy for campaigns
- Review reporting for clients and recommend strategy changes
- Competitive PPC Research for current clients and pitches
- Working with our Digital Ads team to test out new platforms.
SEO
You should apply if:
- You have previous experience working in SEO for another professional organization.
- You’re fascinated by search engines and their algorithms.
- You are both creative, and data-driven.
- You’re capable of analyzing a website’s code for potential search optimizations.
If Accepted, Your Day to Day Work May Consist of:
- Optimize Content for Search Engines
- Generate Link-Building Strategies
- Assist on SEO Audits
- Brainstorm testable SEO ideas for clients
It’s Not for Freshmen
We have three requirements for our specialist applicants:
- First and foremost, an individual who works hard and wants to be a part of something exceptional.
- Already graduated, or graduating within the next twelve months, preferably leading to a degree in Marketing, Communications, English, Design, or Statistics.
- A previous internship, or some other professional experience, related to the department you’re applying for.
We’re aware: it can be frustrating to see a company expecting pre-entry-level applicants who are just starting out to already have experience, but our program isn’t marketing 101. You will be hitting the ground running with real work, which means you will have to bring a lot to the table.
For this reason, and the opportunities provided by our program, previous specialists include the usual rising seniors, as well as recent graduates and the occasional MBA and MFA.
Hear it from previous specialists
Online Optimism saw that I wanted to learn skills that would translate to the working field and gave me the opportunities to do so. And because it is a smaller team, Specialists feel valued, trusted, and useful. I don't think any other internship would have empowered me like my time at Online Optimism did.
As a Summer Specialist, I wrote content for clients that was published in The Washington Post, Bustle, Elite Daily, CMSWire, Business Insider, and more. Online Optimism provided me with opportunities to learn and work closely with full-time employees, building both my skillset and portfolio. My real-world experience there was very helpful when applying for (and getting) a full-time consulting job offer during my senior year at Tulane.
Corynne Sarrett
Specialist Program, Summer, 2018
Throughout the specialist program I was tasked with assignments that helped build my portfolio and was invited to be involved in meetings that have prepared me for dealing with clients big and small. If you are looking for an internship where you will learn and be challenged everyday, this is the place for you.
“The specialist program allowed me to build my social media marketing skills in a positive, collaborative environment. Through hands-on experience and guidance from the Online Optimism team, I completed the program with a strong portfolio, prepared to confidently enter the workforce.”
Michaela Loudermilk
Specialist Program, Summer, 2018
The specialist program allowed me to build my social media marketing skills in a positive, collaborative environment. Through hands-on experience and guidance from the Online Optimism team, I completed the program with a strong portfolio, prepared to confidently enter the workforce.
“Throughout the specialist program I was tasked with assignments that helped build my portfolio and was invited to be involved in meetings that have prepared me for dealing with clients big and small. If you are looking for an internship where you will learn and be challenged everyday, this is the place for you.”
Julien Malet
Specialist Program, Spring 2018
As a Specialist, I wrote content that was published in The Washington Post, Bustle, Elite Daily, Business Insider, and more. Online Optimism gave me opportunities to work closely with other team members and to build my skillset and portfolio. My real-world experience there was helpful when applying for (and getting) a full-time job offer during my senior year.
“Online Optimism saw that I wanted to learn skills that would translate to the working field and gave me the opportunities to do so. And because it is a smaller team, Specialists feel valued, trusted, and useful. I don’t think any other internship would have empowered me like my time at Online Optimism did.”
Meara McNitt
Specialist Program, Spring 2017
Ready to Be a Specialist?
Currently accepting Winter/Spring Specialist applications, and Washington DC Business Development Specialists.
Our next specialist periods are below:
Winter/Spring Specialist Applications Open: Middle of September – Middle of October
Winter/Spring Specialist Term: January – May
Summer Specialist Applications Open: February
Summer Specialist Term: May – August
Fall Specialist Applications Open: June
Fall Specialist Term: August – December