The Value of Marketing Internships in New Orleans
Right now, Online Optimism is seeking applicants for our Specialist Program. In this hands-on internship program, Specialists not only get paid for their hard work, but also get experience working on real marketing campaigns for real clients. The best part is you’ll gain skills you never thought you had. Plus, the only coffee you’ll be getting is your own! Find out more about our marketing internships in New Orleans and apply today.
The Value of Marketing Internships in New Orleans
Whether you study marketing or PR in college, professors fill your brain up with numerous marketing and industry terms. You sit in class wondering what all these words actually mean, questioning whether you’ll ever find a career path with all the job options that exist. The best way to find your calling and better understand marketing? Get an internship. Not just one where you grab coffee for your account executive or boss several times a day, but a paid internship where you have real responsibilities.
At Online Optimism, working as an intern (or “Specialist,” as we’ll call you) means you’ll be an important part of the company for four months. In fact, you’ll be so important that we’ll provide you with a specific job title, professional business cards, a desk, two quality computer screens, and so much more. Since Specialists are part of the company, you’ll be given many of the same perks we offer our full-time staff: unlimited coffee (or tea), snacks, and even company lunches at local restaurants on Fridays. If you’ve accomplished something notable that week, our CEO, Flynn, will recognize your work in that week’s “Weekly Wins” announcement at lunch.
To compensate you for your hard work, we’ll be paying you $10 an hour. You’ll also have the opportunity to attend seminars and networking events that further your career. The work you do will be challenging, but we’ll make sure you have the resources you need to succeed. Your assignments can range from blogging to SEO, social media syndication, digital design projects, SEM, display ads, and more. When needed, we’ll bring you into client meetings as well, where we’ll ask you for your input and ideas.
Online Optimism hires Specialists for four different departments: Search + Content, Social Media, Digital Design, and Digital Ads. Pick the one that fits your skill set and qualifications best, but feel free to let us know if you’re a strong candidate for another department as well. Prior to your time as a Specialist at OO, we expect you’ve had at least one similar (paid or unpaid) internship or job under your belt.
What Former Specialists Say
Not every marketing internship lives up to its promise. To get an idea of the value of our marketing internships in New Orleans, read about the experiences of three former Specialists, each of whom are now full-time employees at the company.
Our spunky and likeable Instagram guru, Meara McNitt, loved her Specialist days. Now she’s one of the two Social Media Strategists at our company.
“I learned a lot about the actual understanding of client needs and customer values,” Meara says. “In school you learn all these textbook terms and philosophical concepts, but none of it matters until you learn it and utilize it.”
Our thorough and smart Content Strategist, Lauren Walter, loved how she learned to turn her passion for writing into a full-time job.
“There’s only so much you can learn about copywriting in a vacuum without real feedback from coworkers, department heads, or clients,” Lauren says. “As a Specialist at Online Optimism, you get the benefit of both collaboration and independence to help you grow as a marketer.”
As a Specialist, Taylor Kincaid learned that social media is a job that requires a tremendous amount of skill. She explains that social media is about more than just writing cute Tweets: you need to have great visual skills, be a talented writer, and be detail-oriented to succeed at a social media career. Though she started as a Specialist with us just a couple years ago, Taylor was quickly promoted from Specialist to Strategist and then Social Media Director, putting her in charge of the entire social media department, a year after that.
What she can say about her Specialist days will inspire anyone trying to pursue a career in social media.
“There aren’t a lot of internships that will let you take your skills and education and put them into practice, then also follow up on that work and see how it performs,” Taylor says. “You can think of something, implement it for a client, report on the results, and build a great portfolio while doing it.”
What Current Specialists Say
Our current Specialists love participating in our daily morning meetings and getting to know the full-time team while growing their careers. They were selected out of a large, competitive pool of candidates and come from diverse walks of life.
While they’re mainly students and grads of Loyola New Orleans and Tulane University, our current SEO + Content Specialist, Sophia Borghese, flocked all the way to OO from Ohio University as a recent journalism grad. She loves working with our friendly team and is grateful to have built such an extensive content portfolio.
“I’ve gotten to work for so many meaningful clients, and learn and write about so many different products I never knew existed, like TMS treatment,” Sophia says. “I’ve even gotten my clients mentioned and linked on credible news outlets like MSN, Bustle, and Thriveworks and it’s been excellent digital PR for them.”
Tulane marketing and finance senior, Karen Chen, has also had a lot of fun and success during her time as our Digital Ads Specialist. Recently, she wrote a blog about PPC (pay per click) trends, and it now ranks on page one of Google results for “PCC Trends 2018.”
“Online Optimism has not only helped me develop tangible skills in digital ad buying, but has given me exposure to different aspects of digital marketing through our Specialist Project,” Karen says. “My experience at Online Optimism has been invaluable, and a great part of that is due to how awesome the OO Team is!”
Our Digital Design Specialist, Rosa Balaguer, has gotten to enjoy the company culture of OO and has had a lot of fun creating visual animations for our clients.
“I’ve been creating graphics from the start, that’s what I love about this internship,” Rosa says. “Not only have I strengthened my creative skills, but I’ve grown as a creative professional.”
Finally, this semester’s Specialist program has led Julien Malet to landing a full-time Social Media Strategist job with us. With his strong social media skills and knack for memes, we’re happy to have him on board.
“While there are a number of internships in New Orleans, Online Optimism leads the charge,” Julien says. “They offer the most competitive pays for interns and simultaneously provide you with the greatest opportunity to succeed.”
Apply for Valuable Marketing Internships in New Orleans
Got what it takes to be a Specialist at Online Optimism? Send us an application. We promise to let you know whether you’re selected or not at every step of the process, and we look forward to meeting and potentially working with you.
Unsure which position to apply for? Take our Specialist quiz to find your best fit.
