Gimme a Break, Gimme a Break

This post is long overdue, as it is now the end of January. Seriously, when did that happen?! But earlier this month over winter break, I completed a brief, two-week internship (lovingly called a "winternship") with GT Universe. Even though I was only with the agency for a couple weeks, I learned a lot about multicultural marketing and really enjoyed getting to know my colleagues. See below for a full post on my experience, as originally seen on GT Universe's blog.

When I posted a link of the blog post on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago, one of my friends jokingly commented that both she and I have an inability to take breaks. Which, regrettably is very true. But the sad part is when I accepted the internship, I didn't even consider that by doing so I would be giving up days spent lumping and watching Netflix. It was just a no-brainer that I would accept the internship and expand my skill set. Hello, my name is Christine and I'm a workaholic.

I think a lot of college students are guilty of burning the candle at both ends. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand the importance of taking time off and, you know, breathing every once and a while. But when the opportunity presents itself to grow, network and learn new things, you take it! No questions asked.

And while I could take a lesson in slowing down, working hard made me appreciate the free time that I did have. It was special to go out to dinner with my parents or spend time with friends, which made it that much more enjoyable when I did have a free moment.

The lesson here? Take advantages of opportunities when they present themselves and appreciate the breaks that you do have. But don't burn yourself out too much. Smile. Breathe. Relax. Oh, and I had a pretty awesome "winternship."

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My brief, two-week “winternship” at GT Universe soared beyond my possible expectations! Aeronautical puns aside, I had an amazing experience and was really immersed in every aspect, from helping at client events at Jewel-Osco to writing content for the re-launch of the agency website. 

When Tracy first offered me this internship, I was thrilled. But I wondered what I would be able to accomplish in two short weeks. At previous internships, after two weeks I had just learned what I would be doing at the agency. I didn’t know that I would get to contribute so much! There was never a dull moment and I loved it.

At GT Universe, I was truly a member of the team from the start. In fact, on my first day I got to sit in on a client call and visit a Jewel-Osco store to do a walk-through for an upcoming event! By the time my internship was over I had drafted pitch emails to garner vender participation in Jewel-Osco’s demo program, researched non-profit partners for upcoming events, developed an editorial calendar for GT Universe’s social media accounts and so much more!

Not only did I gain great professional experience, I also learned a lot about multicultural marketing in Chicago. There are so many different market segments in the city from Hispanic to African American to kosher. It was really interesting to learn how to target those different groups through various events or product offerings – things I had never thought of previously.

And on top of all this, I had a lot of fun (yes, you read that correctly!) at GT Universe. Everyone was so friendly and really cared about each other. Whether it was team lunches or car rides on the way to store visits or sharing cupcakes in our cubicles, I could tell that GT is a family and I felt welcomed from the very start!