As I come to the end of my Marketing Internship at Vibe Credit Union, I have begun reflecting on my experiences. Currently a junior at the University of Michigan, I went into this internship after taking marketing classes that I thought would have prepared me well. While they gave me a good foundation, I Iearned that you can only learn so much in the classroom, but you need real-world experiences to learn the rest. Throughout my internship, I learned more about credit unions, marketing, and jobs in general! So, here are my top 7 internship takeaways from my two semester-long internships I have had at Vibe!
- How Beneficial Credit Unions Are.
Before working at Vibe, I belonged to a credit union, but I had no idea what they were! I became a member when I was little, because of my parents, but could not have explained to anyone the difference between a credit union and a bank. Since working at Vibe, I have learned that banks are for profit, while credit unions are not. Any money a credit union makes goes back to its members, which allows for members of credit unions to get great benefits. For more information about the benefits you can get from credit unions, visit my last blog, Credit Union Benefits for College Students.
- How a Good Work Environment Can Make a Difference.
Prior to working at Vibe, I had some great work experience and some not so great. Going into my first day at Vibe this past fall, I was really nervous to start a new job. But at Vibe, the marketing team welcomed me with open arms. Each person on the team individually reached out and wanted to get to genuinely know me, making me feel wanted and included in a group that had been together for so long. Throughout my internship, people continuously offered me small acts of kindness. Sometimes people brought me in a morning coffee, or took me out for lunch, and it fostered such a kind work environment. My team’s kindness made me more confident with everyone at work. I was able to share my ideas without concern about how they sounded, build relationships, and ask for help whenever I needed it without thinking twice. Having such a supportive work environment allowed me to be comfortable, ultimately allowing me to do my best work.
- How Smaller Organizations Can Make Big Differences.
During my time at Vibe, I saw how much this organization valued community. Volunteering in the community was seamlessly woven into my job description. During my time here, I wrote countless Instagram and Facebook captions about our teams helping at local organizations in Southeast Michigan. I soon realized that there was always a Vibe team volunteering somewhere! In fact, I volunteered twice last semester and absolutely loved it! Vibe had their annual “Impact Day,” where we worked with Habitat for Humanity, and I also volunteered at Friendship Circle with everyone on the marketing team! Both experiences were so much fun and allowed me to see the difference that just a few people on one team could do in people’s lives.
- The Speed of Marketing
Moving onto marketing takeaways, I was shocked to learn about how quickly the turnaround time was from getting an idea for a marketing project to actually doing it! Prior to this job, I thought campaigns and posts were thought out way ahead of time. While some are, a lot are thought of on the spot and created too! It was so cool to see a space that fostered so much thinking and creation so quickly.
- Importance of Brand Image.
Another big takeaway I took from this internship, that is specifically about marketing, is the importance of maintaining a consistent brand image. This was my first real-life experience within the field of marketing, and I was so excited to begin content creation. However, I felt I had inconsistent looks to my posts at first and was told a few times to change the font or colors of my posts. This ended up being important when trying to maintain a consistent image to Vibe members. Having a consistent brand image allows members to recognize messaging from Vibe quickly, give Vibe a “personality,” and build trust between Vibe team members and general members.
- Make Many Connections at an Internship.
While this is a common piece of advice people tell students who get internships, it is true! Building both professional and personal relationships is vital to be successful at work. A connection at an internship could get a student a job fresh out of college! Making a good impression and being the best intern you can is crucial to build good relations within your field of work. Personal connections are also important. These relationships can make or break your time at a job! Going off of Takeaway #2, good people create a good work environment! Having friends and people you can have fun with at work is important in order to create an environment that encourages learning and creativity.
- The Importance of Asking Good Questions and Listening Well to the Answers.
My final takeaway from my internship is one that I can apply to any future job. A piece of advice I recently received is to not be afraid to ask questions, but to also listen to the answers. Asking questions demonstrates the eagerness to learn more, which is great. However, asking the same questions over and over shows that that the person asking questions is not listening. If someone is taking time out of their day to help someone with questions learn and grow in their field, it is essential that the person respects their time and is genuinely trying hard to learn.
Overall, my time at Vibe Credit Union flew by! I learned valuable lessons about credit unions, marketing, and jobs in general that will help prepare me for my next chapter in life. The skills I gained in content creation, planning, and writing will be useful as I navigate my future within the field of communications!
