My Practicum
For my practicum, I worked nine hours a week as a marketing intern for Talkspace, an online therapy provider. During my time there, I took part in many different projects relating to social media, public relations, and other areas within marketing. I also attended weekly marketing team meetings where we discussed Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
My favorite social media project allowed me to work with Talkspace’s Social Media Manager to create posts for Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. For this project, I found articles on the company’s blog that related to awareness days/weeks/months, such as Black History Month and Eating Disorder Awareness Week. From the articles I found, I hand-picked sentences that I found both meaningful and informational. These sentences were then posted as quotes on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook with a link to the article they were extracted from.
The biggest project I did within the Public Relations area was creating a competitive brand audit. I made a slide deck that analyzed seven of Talkspace’s direct and indirect competitors’ marketing strategies, new launches, and new partnerships. Along with the two mentioned projects, I continually searched for potential social media partners, recorded Unique Views Monthly (UVMs) for sites we had been featured on, created Pinterest posts, and did research on many mental health related topics.
Through my practicum, I learned both general and specific skills and knowledge that I will be applying to future classes and job opportunities. My overall time at Talkspace gave me experience in working in both a virtual setting and in a professional setting as well. Therefore, I honed many skills such as emailing coworkers and higher-ups, presenting research on Zoom, and scheduling out meetings and time to work on projects.The more technical skills I learned from being an intern at Talkspace include working with G Suite (Google Slides, Google Sheets, etc.) and assessing social media analytics. Overall, my experience at Talkspace gave me insight on how marketing works within a company and cemented my desire to pursue a career in the field.
To the left you will see a screenshot of a Talkspace Tweet from February. This is from the first project I did. Not only did I choose this article to be featured on our Twitter, but I also chose that specific quote, as explained previously. I am including this screenshot because it was the first time I contributed to something that was posted on a professional social media account. Since then, I have grown as both a professional and as a person.
This Tweet was not actually posted by me, but rather the Social Media Manager. Although I helped with the creative process, I was still too new to the job to post something by myself. When I submitted my work to the director to be posted, I was extremely nervous that she would not like what I had done. Now, a few months later, I am constantly posting content for Talkspace on Pinterest by myself. I gain immense confidence in my work as the weeks went by and was then awarded with being able to post on my own. I also think this screenshot represents professional growth because of how the project was assigned. After finishing my onboarding tasks, I had a short time where I was not given any work to do, until this project came along. What I have learned since then is to communicate with my boss and coworkers proactively so that I always have something to work on. By the end of my internship, I would reach out to members of the marketing team to find projects to get started on next. I also learned that it was best to ask all the questions I had about an assignment, even if they seemed dumb in the moment. Therefore, I believe that this Tweet gives an example of my work, but more importantly, represents professional growth.
Along with professional growth, my practicum allowed to grow as a person. Because Talkspace is a company that provides therapy and psychiatry, I learned even more about mental health, treatment, and how to reduce the stigma around the topic as a whole. I am excited to take what I learned both professionally and personally to my future classes, internships, and eventually career.
Q and A
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Q: How did you find/identify your practicum, and what advice you would give to future Media Scholars on identifying a practicum site?
A:I found my practicum by researching marketing internship opportunities online. I applied to about six internships and ultimately received an offer from Talkspace. My advice to the current Media Scholars freshmen is to apply to as many internships as you can, even if you do not believe you are qualified. Also, do not be scared to reach out to professionals for informational interviews as these can provide you with important insight and connections.
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Q: What are your plans for the rest of your time at UMD?
A: Looking forward, I am excited to be a Summer Student Worker for Pfizer starting this June. Specifically, I will be completing a global marketing internship for a drug called Eliquis. Next school year (2021-2022), I plan on getting more involved in my business fraternity by running for a chair or executive position. I also plan to do a short-term abroad this coming winter so that I can experience a new culture and explore new sights.
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Q: What are your post-graduation plans and your prospective career/field of interest?
A: Working for a company with a purpose is really important to me. My first internship was with My Sisters’ Place, a nonprofit organization that aims to end domestic violence and human trafficking. My second internship was this practicum, which was an internship with Talkspace. Talkspace's mission is to provide therapy for all and reduce the stigma around mental health. From these two experiences, I have learned that I will be happiest doing marketing for a company that has a mission that truly resonates with me.
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