Interns at Work: Charlotte Sisk ’15 Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, N.Y.

“We got to learn about all the different departments from people who have been very successful in the industry.”

How did you learn about this internship?

I did a lot of research to find advertising internships and learned about this job in my online searching. I ended up getting the application from a young alum who sent it to my AdClass professor.

What gave you the edge in landing this internship?

Going to a liberal arts school and having social skills. Because I have taken classes in so many different departments and am involved in non-academic organizations, I could easily expand on situations that showed skills relevant to advertising. Being able to talk about different experiences made for easy conversations with interviewers. I think being able to hold a normal and relaxed conversation might be the most important part of being able to land a job.

Describe your daily duties.

Every day for me was different, which made it really fun and interesting. However, my typical project management duties included making timelines for new projects, creating contact sheets with all the information of the people working on a specific project, general organization of the server and documents and attending meetings.

What was your favorite part or perk of the internship?

Since it was a structured internship program, we got to learn about all the different departments from people who have been very successful in the industry. They gave us great advice to take with us going forward and it gave us an opportunity to meet the CEO, Chief Creative Officer, Chief Production Officer, etc. Also the endless supply of General Mills cereal was a huge perk!

How did you like living in the city where the internship was located?

I loved being in New York! There’s always something new to do or see which made it a rich experience outside of the job. It was especially fun in the summer because there is a huge crew of interns from all over. I thought being there for a couple months was a perfect practice run to see if I want to be in such a huge city after I graduate.

What key takeaways/skills will you bring back to W&L?

The most important life skill I learned this summer was to be assertive. I learned that it is so important to continually ask people if you can help them with anything. From asserting myself, I ended up going to exciting meetings and working of fun projects that I wouldn’t have been put on otherwise. This also applies to W&L with always asking questions, going to office hours and networking with alums.

What advice would you give to students interested in a position like this?

Start early with applications and apply to as many places as possible. Advertising applications are different in that they tend to ask creative questions, so put time and thought into them. Be up-to-date on everything that’s going on in the advertising world. It is constantly changing, so it is important stay in the loop. Also, take advantage of our resources at W&L by getting involved in AdLib, AdClass, talking to alums, and taking classes that could give you an edge.

Will you pursue a career in this field after graduation?

Yes, definitely! The people I met in the advertising industry are the most fun, creative, funky people I have ever met. I absolutely want to go into a field with such an array of colleagues! Also, the great thing about project management is that it is a department that many other industries have. I absolutely loved doing advertising this summer, but I know that if I ever wanted to do something else, I could take these skills elsewhere.

Describe your experience in a single word.

Well-rounded.

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