In 2022, Union hired a multitude of brilliant interns. See how their internship went and what they have to say about their time at Union.

Our Summer at Union | Reflections from Summer Interns

Reflections from an Intern: Our Summer at Union

<p dir="ltr">The start of summer means new opportunities. And for many companies, the search for interns begins. As a soon-to-be college graduate, I was on the other side of this search. I spent my days scouring the internet, clicking through countless job postings just trying to find one that seemed like the right fit. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I vividly remember coming across a listing for ‘Copywriting Intern’ back in May. I briefly looked through the website of some agency named Union, which immediately grabbed my attention. Of course, I couldn’t help but notice their free snacks, fridge full of beer and cute dogs in the office. But more importantly, I was interested in their inspiring work with multiple well-known clients. I knew I had to apply. <br /><br />It wasn’t until I interviewed with members of the team that I was really won over. Their approachability, excitement and motivation were unlike anything I had come across before. Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to join Union as their Copywriting Intern, so I packed my bags and left for Charlotte, North Carolina. </p>
<h1><strong>What It’s Been Like </strong></h1>
<p dir="ltr">Since then, it’s been a whirlwind, to say the least. My fellow interns and I have been immersed in the real world of advertising with multiple projects, time-sensitive client work and personal development opportunities. Giving young talent a chance to experience work-life at an agency is the whole reason Banks Wilson, President of Union, wanted to offer this internship. “We saw this internship as an opportunity for young people to utilize and further grow their industry skills in a supportive environment. I’m extremely proud to say that these interns have quickly become valuable team members, providing fresh perspectives for the agency.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">There were so many new things that we learned over the course of just a few months. Personally, I learned the importance of exploring different avenues of thinking during creative brainstorming. I approached ideas from one direction, then came back and looked at them from a completely new direction, then another, and another. Seeing the task through different lenses allowed me to produce a variety of options and open new doors. <br /><br />Our Project Management Intern, Kayla Ricciardelli, shared that she learned the skills needed to succeed in a Project Manager role. She said, “I've learned new project management software that I've never used before, so that has been really awesome.” </p>
<p dir="ltr">One highlight of Shreya Vinodh’s Data Science Internship was “learning how to validate data combined from different sources, and modeling that data for insights.” </p>
<p dir="ltr">Our other Data Science Intern, Viritha Vanama, was new to the marketing domain, so she learned the ins and outs of marketing and how data scientists help clients with budgeting decisions. “I learned new tools like Datorama and Funnel, along with new models like Marketing Mix Modeling,” explained Viritha. </p>
<p dir="ltr">But with real-life work also came a lot of real-life fun. We drove go-karts, played laser tag and bowled the day away at Union’s quarterly Studio Day. We made ice cream sundaes during Every Other Thursday, the agency’s happy hour. And we even played some ping-pong in the office. </p>
<h1><strong>Our Takeaways </strong></h1>
<p dir="ltr">Amidst all of the work and fun, there were three major points to share from our time here at Union.</p>
<h2><strong>(1) Get to Know the People Around You.</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">Agencies are filled with tons of cool and talented people – even a few “eccentric” personalities. Kayla shared that she has “greatly enjoyed working in an agency environment, surrounded by such cool and unique people with a multitude of skills.” Needless to say, it helps to expand your network and know the people you’re working with. Chances are they’ll be more than willing to share some of their knowledge, and also listen to what you have to say. Viritha put it this way: “The people at Union have always been extra kind to me… My team is full of energy and always open to new ideas.” While building these connections, don’t forget to talk about non-work-related things too. Take an interest in what people like to do outside of the agency, and have fun with it. <br /></p>
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<h2><strong>(2) Show up with Enthusiasm.</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">It’s not a secret: when you actually like what you do, each day is enjoyable. Viritha said, “I love what I do here, so every day I come into the office with a lot of enthusiasm and happiness.” I personally shared a similar experience, where I found myself looking forward to upcoming meetings – yes, meetings – that would kick off exciting new projects. And when you have this positive mindset, you can see its effect on what you create. The environment here at Union made it possible to come to work with excitement every day and, as a result, a lot of awesome work was done. </p>
<h2><strong>(3) Make it Matter.</strong></h2>
<p dir="ltr">Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the details of everyday work. But it’s important to remember the bigger picture. Why are we doing this? What’s the point? When I found myself asking these questions, I always came back to the main idea with a reoriented focus. Adding meaning to the work gave it a purpose for me. According to Shreya, “Cleaning and validating data needs time and patience, but it’s the most important step – worth spending the most time on.” So when you understand the importance of the little things, the work is elevated to a whole new level. </p>
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<h1><strong>What Now?</strong></h1>
<p dir="ltr">If you can see yourself or someone you know at Union, consider joining our <a href="https://union.co/about/careers">team</a>. Applications for internship positions will open again in Summer 2023. We can’t wait to hear from you! </p>
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<p>Valtech + Union is a creative &amp; performance marketing agency that creates omni-channel campaigns, unleashing creativity on a data-driven world, helping brands produce memorable, measurable and repeatable results. Obsessed with data-driven performance, we believe every marketing dollar should be viewed as an investment. Our clients expect a meaningful return and we prove the ROI of our work with quantifiable data. </p>

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