I have now been an intern at IMP Canada for approximately 22 days and loving every minute of it. But truthfully, starting out I was a little hesitant about the whole internship experience and a feeling unsure of my own capabilities. I mean, you apply for a number of internship positions, face tons of interviews, and then wait to hear back. And even though surviving interviews is great practice, I think that interviewers secretly love torturing their interviewees and throwing in AT LEAST one absurd question every now and then just to watch them struggle.
Tangent. Anyway – that’s an entirely different blog post that can be written and this one is about what happens after you get the internship!
I won’t lie; my first day at IMP was nerve-racking. An aspect I really like about the company now (the small, close-knit team), was at first a little intimidating. Also, I didn’t know what to expect from the employees and the work I would be given as an intern. Like most people starting out, I’ve heard horror stories about intern positions inspired by The Devil Wears Prada.
Let me reassure you, dear reader, my experience has been the complete opposite so far! IMP has become the ideal place to intern. The people who work here are willing to help you out with whatever you need and if you have a question, or send an email, you can expect a response right away! Little things like including us in a brainstorming session is one of the things that made me feel right at home here at IMP.
Another plus is that the physical working environment allows for you to be social but also allows for work to get done. It helps tremendously having your own workstation and being able to share an office with Sam, one of IMPs talented graphic designers, is a huge plus!
But back to the work. If you’re like me and had no clue what type of work you’d be asked to do within an internship, here are a few of the assignments Sam and I’ve been working on these past three weeks!
Content Curating
Monitoring news for third-party content has become a major part of my day. IMP has a variety of clients, and the industry itself is very fast-paced. Keeping up to date on trends and news is crucial. Therefore, daily monitoring is a must. Our jobs are to gain experience in a work environment while at the same time trying to make the lives of the people who work here a little bit easier. Content curating does just that.
Blogging
As you can see, blogging has been a reoccurring task of ours. Blogging is great practice in casual writing and also allows the opportunity to gain knowledge on a number of topics. The company blog is a great place to find fun and informative pieces on industry trends written by the people who work for IMP! Since blogging is pretty much open to any style – and any interpretation – I’m starting to really enjoy it. And that’s something I never thought I would be able to say about blogging.
SEO Support
When I first heard the term SEO, I had no idea what it meant let alone how to write for it. It’s one thing to write assignments, get a grade, and never look at them again. But when working for a real client, revisions are key, and IMP allows us to write and get feedback extremely fast. And seeing the product of your work, as clients’ sites rank higher is a plus too.
Project Intern
Project Intern, as I like to call it, is a specific project we have been given as IMP’s first interns. Our mission is to apply the skills we have been learning in an academic setting to assist IMP as a company director. The combination of accessing IMP’s current strategy and creating our own goals and tactics for the company is a great experience and a huge step forward in accumulating a portfolio.
Having about 40 tasks assigned to you at one time can be overwhelming first but once we get comfortable with the work we need to accomplish, a lot can be done in an 8-hour span. Interning is all about learning and expanding your skills and I have realized over these short weeks that I have a lot to learn when it comes to different writing styles and the professional world in general. I’m looking forward to 2013, reaping all the benefits IMP Digital and the highly talented people who work here have to offer!
AG
