Carly Guertin
By Carly Guertin on May 22, 2023

Carly Guertin - Through the Eyes of the Marketing Intern

I walked into the nail salon to get a manicure quickly before catching my flight back to school after being home for Thanksgiving break. The salon was typically busy, and I usually chatted with someone sitting next to me or my nail technician to pass the time. I chimed into a woman’s conversation that she was having with her nail technician; she was talking about her children. As a babysitter, I thought, "What a perfect opportunity for me to attempt to get another gig." The conversation flowed nicely; she was very friendly and asked me a lot about myself. While I did not secure what my original intention was, another opportunity fell into my lap. I soon found out that not only was this woman a mother but also the Vice President of New England Construction. She advised me to apply for a marketing internship at her company, and I nearly blacked out because of excitement. How did getting my nails done turn into a potential internship? 

I drove home, and before even showing my mom my newly done nails, I told her all about my conversation with this woman, Kim. I was so excited that I asked my mom if I could apply without delay and reach out to Kim. My mom told me I had a plane to catch and to follow up during the week. 

When I arrived back at school, I told all three of my roommates with immense joy, applied online, and reached out to Kim. 

Time went on, and so did my nerves. Over my winter break, I had a phone screening with Stephanie, the Human Resources Generalist. I had only completed my first semester in college and was only nineteen; I did not know if my high school job experience would be enough. I am a business marketing major at the University of South Carolina but have not taken any marketing classes yet. Stephanie was a pleasure to talk with and led the conversation, which excited me in hopes that I could get another follow-up. 

When I returned home for spring break, I had a formal in-person interview with New England Construction. The night before my big day, I picked out some of my mom’s work attire and researched the company until the moment I had to be there. I drove to the Providence office with no music, talking to myself, and rehearsing my introduction repeatedly. The nerves set in as the GPS ETA got lower in time. 

I received an email from Stephanie a couple of days after my interview saying that I got the position! I was going to be able to work closely with Kyle, the marketing specialist. As an intern, I would conduct market research, run social media on all channels, and collaborate with the business development team on RFP and RFQ response packages. I could not contain my excitement. 

I had a couple of months left of school and focused on that for a while until returning to Massachusetts. My start date was exactly a week after I flew home. I settled back into my house and purchased business casual clothes instead of borrowing my mom's. I had high enthusiasm with a side of nerves. 

My first day could not have gone any better; the company did a fantastic job of welcoming me to the team. I was greeted by Amy, the Director of Human Resources, and Kim’s dogs. The dogs made me feel right at home, along with Amy’s hospitality. I met everyone in the office, shook each person’s hands, and got all set up in my cubicle with a bundle of technology too. Instantly, Kyle took me under his wing. He knew I had little experience and created a full onboarding schedule for me to be able to learn as much as possible right off the bat. 

I felt like a sponge my first week. I met with the whole business development team, and they assured me that whatever I wanted to get out of this internship, they would make that happen. I felt incredibly lucky to be part of a company where they cared so much about me and gave me a feel for their true values. 

Language that seemed foreign to me three weeks ago is now a part of my everyday vocabulary. I feel comfortable creating an RFP, conducting social posts, working on a CRM, and going to networking events, which was an essential experience for me at nineteen years old. Scott, the Director of Business Development, even came up with the idea to have Kyle craft business cards for me to hand out at the networking event. 

I feel so grateful for my experience already at New England Construction, where I served as the marketing intern for the summer. I am gaining insight into marketing from real-world experience, a respected resume booster that will help me with my future marketing classes and future endeavors. 

I am so grateful to have learned so much in just a few weeks already and could not be more excited about more aspects of marketing and this realm to explore. Thank you so much to everyone here at NEC. I am thrilled to be with such an amazing company and to have met every one of you. A huge thank you to Kim for seeing potential in me from our very first conversation in the nail salon. Thank you, Kyle, for being a great teacher and educating me in all aspects of work and life. You are such a great mentor. I cannot wait to learn more and carry this position into the summer of 2023. 

Published by Carly Guertin May 22, 2023
Carly Guertin