The old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” has never been truer. As I look back and reflect on my three-and-a-half-month internship, I realize just how far I’ve come. I came into the Mustang Marketing office on day one nervous and unsure what I’d actually be able to contribute. Each task, even ones as simple as printing a shipping label, seemed daunting and something I had the potential to screw up monumentally. As the days passed I was given more responsibility and I handled the new tasks head-on and with increasing confidence.
However, I must give credit where it is due. In most cases, internships are an expense for a company. It truly is investing in the future. I like to think of my relationship with Mustang as symbiotic but truthfully, I have benefited more than them. The people of the Mustang office have been patient, insightful and kind. They have answered all my questions, even the dumb ones (whoever said there is no such thing as a dumb question, was wrong … I know because I have asked plenty of them) and guided me in the right direction when I got off course. I will return to Montana to finish school with an arsenal of knowledge and skill.
I normally dread the start of the semester, but come August 26, I will be there with bells on and I will likely be ahead of my fellow scholars. A marketing expert I am not, but I have had an experience that will propel me in my education and eventually my career. My classes will talk about the correct structure and language of a press release, but I’ve already written one. I’ll hear about how video can strengthen a campaign; I’ve written a script for one. A book like Scott Harris’s RoadMap: A Complete Guide to a Strategic Marketing Plan may have come my way eventually, but here I’ve had the chance to do more than just read it; I’ve lived it. I have seen the strategy unfold firsthand and witnessed the benefits of having a strong and defined marketing plan.
So to Scott and Randi Harris, Dianne McKay, Chris Barrett, and all my fellow employees, I say thank you. Thank you for helping me build a foundation for my future. The experience has been invaluable. I leave this office and California a little sentimental because I am not only leaving with skills and competence, but with friendships. It’s not goodbye, but until next time!