During the summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Assured Consulting Solutions, as a Jr. Communications and Marketing Consultant. My priorities consisted of branding, marketing, and content creation. ACS is a company that delivers advanced technology solutions and strategic support services to the federal and government industry.
My internship gave me lots of insight into what I should look for in an employer after graduation. As a team member, I genuinely felt heard and seen at ACS. The company focused heavily on preparing the intern cohort for life post-grad. Weekly intern roundtables, educational sessions with my supervisor, and peer support meetings with other interns allowed me to learn about corporate life along with to the variety of the topics discussed at Lunch and Learns and got assigned a former intern to help have a smooth transition into the role.
Throughout this time, I was assigned tasks that nurtured my professional growth. My key responsibilities included tracking ACS’s social media presence, competitors, and partners. Based on my analysis, I discovered that LinkedIn is the most effective platform for ACS, given its business-to-government (B2G) focus. I also suggested strategies for ACS to stand out on social media by creating high-quality content, having aesthetics, and maintaining consistency. In order to improve brand consistency, I built a catalog of social media content for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
While my focus was on social media, my work included more than just content creation — a common misconception in digital marketing. Working in this domain entails more than just media production, it involves actions such as analyzing metrics and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to ensure that content is consistent with set objectives and goals. It also includes managing sponsored content, monitoring website traffic, and using SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to increase traffic.
My summer project was to create a monthly metrics reporting template. Using raw data and analytics from ACS’ channels, I created an Excel sheet that transformed the data into tables, pivot tables, and graphs, and included slicers for filtering the month, day of the week, or specific dates. I also created a presentation template for these analytics, which is now being utilized at ACS’ monthly Marketing, Branding, and Communications meetings.
This internship was an incredibly beneficial experience. ACS has a wonderful work culture that made me feel like a valuable team member, rather than simply an intern. Coming from the entertainment industry, one of the biggest challenges I faced was adjusting to the federal and government sectors, which were significantly different from what I was used to. However, thanks to the supportive environment at ACS, I quickly got to understand the field.
ACS taught me a lot about corporate life. While my marketing classes at Stevenson created a foundation, hands-on experience gave a whole other level of expertise, and I recognized that I had more knowledge than I initially believed. My original objective was to obtain practical experience, but I ended up gaining much more in the process, including more initiative, better communication skills, and increased my confidence public speaking.
At the end of my internship, I was happy to be offered a part-time position, allowing me to stay a member of the ACS family. I encourage you to take advantage of the resources that Stevenson University offers, seek out opportunities for professional growth, embrace new experiences, network, and build your personal brand. These are crucial steps in forming your future.