Team TRIO Welcomes Interns

Charleston Regional Business Journal recently reported that the city of Charleston and its Chamber of Commerce has challenged Lowcountry businesses to employ 1,000 students this summer in accordance to the Mayor’s Youth Employment Challenge. “What better opportunity do we have to train students and to build our workforce than through real, hands-on experience, summer job opportunities and employment?” Mayor John Tecklenburg told Charleston Regional Business Journal. “And to provide some mentorship,” Tecklenburg said. “Not just to put them to work with a road job, but to give them some guidance and mentorship and help them learn a new skill and get ready to be in the workplace.”

We couldn’t agree more! That’s why we currently have three internship opportunities available: graphic design, web production and social media. Our current graphic design intern, Meagan Trotta, is a junior at the College of Charleston, majoring in marketing. She found our internship program while browsing online. “There are a lot of opportunities for graphic design internships,” she said, “but not a lot of those are in other agencies. This fits in more with what I’m studying.” Meagan has found that the internship market is quite competitive in Charleston. “It’s really important to graduate with an internship,” she said. “Especially when you’re a junior, everyone starts freaking out about it… What do you put on your resume if you don’t have an internship?”

“I’ve learned a lot about how agencies run, in terms of project management tools, and about positive communication techniques,” said Meagan. “I just took a management organizational course and so many of the things I learned apply to how things are run here.”

A huge benefit to the program? Having an internship coordinator. “It’s been so helpful to me to have a good communication channel with a specific internship coordinator,” said Meagan.

Molly Leff, our coordinator, sees the mutual benefit of having an internship program: “Along with having access to fresh eyes and talent to contribute to our work, we value being able to help facilitate the growth and development of the next generation of marketing professionals.”

“I also think it is really important to provide the chance for students to learn about what they’re studying in a real world application,” said Leff. “They may think working in an agency is their dream, but may realize they have another calling, want to be in-house somewhere or work in a much larger agency.”

“I want this internship to be something that’s on their resume with pride,” said Leff. “I hope that at the conclusion of their semester that they look back at their time at TRIO as positive with a variety of learning opportunities from our team.”

While we have hired for the summer semester, we invite you to view our available internships for the fall semester and apply today!