Who are you interning under, what is your role, and what is something that you are most excited to be working on?
I am working under Marc Healy as a Marketing Intern. In terms of upcoming projects, I am looking foward to improving my skills and comfort level in Hubspot, as well as tack the content library. I want to practice seeing through the client’s eyes to deliver the right product. In terms of the content library, I will be working on SEO, organizing, and keeping things up to date.
Have you interned with us before, if not, have you interned elsewhere?
I have not interned with Element before, but I have interned at my college’s contact center. I did two years interning as a caller and, upon returning this past year, I was placed in a supervisor position.
Where do you go to school? What year are you, and what do you study?
I go to Franciscan University of Steubenville, and I am a rising senior studying Marketing and Philosophy.
What drew you to your field?
Philosophy for me was all about understanding and discovering what is valuable and then using Marketing to distribute that value. Marketing is different from advertising. Sure, there is an element of simply pushing content, but without strategy there is no organization, and tends to lack purpose. I just read a book on marketing called Strategic Marketing Management: The Framework by Alexander Chernev, which emphasized marketing as the means to revealing the inherent value of the marketed product. If your content is not geared towards the value that you are trying to deliver, it’s not going to resonate with those that you are trying to reach. There needs to be a deeper value that serves as the core to the marketing; it’s the strategy part that pairs well with philosophy’s linear logic and ethics. Believe it or not, I get this question a lot!
How did you hear about Element?
I actually sold Mr. Foley a pair of ski boots as I work at Bob Skinner’s Ski and Sport in the winter. I worked with him for a couple days just trying on the boots, selling them, and ensuring that the fit was good. During conversation, he mentioned The Element Group and gave me a business card. I did some research and it looked like something I was interested in. The thing that piqued my interest the most was the people and the personal touch that the company utilizes. For instance, I had not even met Nate, but he friended and messaged me on LinkedIn. This was great as I was able to communicate with the company even before really expressing interest. Also, the value aspect was strong as well and it was great to have the opportunity to experience an in-person internship, which for me, demonstrated the importance of face-to-face interaction that the company professes, and fit in with the experience that I hoped to get through an internship.
How did your first day/week go?
First week was awesome. I was wondering if this week would be more on the boring side and focused on orientation stuff, but I was caught by surprise [referencing the recent HSFCU visit]. I was able to learn on the job. It was fast-paced, but in a way that was exciting and educational.
Ok now some fun questions!
Any pets?
No pets, but at some point, I would like an Australian Shepherd.
Coffee, Tea, Other?
Coffee in the morning, espresso in the afternoon, and tea in the evening.
Give me one additional fun fact about you!
In the Fall semester of 2019, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Gaming, Austria. While there, I was able to travel across Europe as well as to places such as Split, Croatia.
Interview conducted and Photographed by Bryn Baldasaro for The Element Group.
Special thanks to Alex Kalpakgian.
