From TV's 'Bachelor' to NY Magazines, UT Interns Jumpstart Careers

From event planning to market research and even assisting with the production of the 2016 auditions for The Bachelor, some of UT’s marketing, advertising and public relations students are jumping head first into internships that play more like professional jobs.

“I certainly do not have a ‘typical’ day, but that is what intrigues me most about the position,” said Eliza Majka ’15, a marketing major from Binghamton, NY, who is working as a marketing assistant with Hollywood Venue in Tampa. “However, my standard duties include managing our social media, meeting with clients and maintaining those relationships and researching industry trends.”

Majka landed her internship through networking: first at the Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference held on campus where she cultivated an introduction into a mentor and then by networking through her mentor.

“Although I am the marketing assistant, I am the only employee in the marketing department. Though this was daunting at first, it has encouraged me to learn on my own and to truly apply what I have learned in the classroom,” Majka said. “I know that when I move on from this position I will have more experience under my belt.

Majka said her internship has fostered her own creativity and personal growth, encouraging her to continue her education beyond the degree.

“Whether it be to take a yoga class, or pursue learning a second language, this position has taught me the importance of continuously adding to your knowledge,” Majka said.

Kyle Benus ’16, a marketing major with minors in film and media arts and entrepreneurship, is working as an ABC national television sales intern in New York. He interned last summer for WABC and was asked to return this year.

Benus has spent the summer going behind the scenes of some of the biggest television stations in the country via a rotation within several departments, including exposure to sales, sales promotion, research and marketing research.

“I have also assisted with the production of the 2016 auditions for The Bachelor, met with the voice-over artist for Shark Tank, was on scene for a national breaking news live newscast and met the president and some executives of ABC National Television Sales,” Benus said.

The opportunity has helped him develop different skills, like how to pull television ratings, develop RFP’s (request for proposals), produce commercials and New York City Time Square billboards, and how to operate and set up promotional events for various companies or television shows.

“The experiences I have seen, the people I have met and the opportunity in itself will never compare to anything I could learn from a textbook or in a classroom,” said Benus, of Chatham, NJ. “Professionally, I have learned a lot about business etiquette. I now know how to behave when you’re on the clock, in a meeting or at lunch. You have to learn to keep your composure no matter what the circumstances may be. I have also met some of the most inspirational and successful people who have truly impacted my life.”

Benus, who is president of UT’s Sigma Chi fraternity, looks to join an advertising agency or television station after graduation, eventually pursuing a career in product placement for motion pictures.

Ranjana Naik ’16, an advertising and public relations major with a minor in English, is a summer intern with BELLA magazine in New York City. She researches companies that would be a good fit to advertise in the magazine and contacts their public relations department. She looks for sponsors for the magazine’s annual Hamptons White Party in August and writes a weekly blog post for the magazine’s website. Read one of Naik’s weekly blog posts.

When she’s not in the office, her duty is to be a promoter, roaming the streets of New York City and snapping pictures of street style for the next issue.

“This internship has actually impacted my confidence! I’ve learned that it’s important to be confident if you want to be taken seriously professionally,” said Naik. “Part of my internship includes calling people or approaching trendy people and introducing them to the magazine. If you don’t know your information and make yourself heard, you won’t be taken seriously … especially if you’re working in sales.”

Naik is refining her skills to be proficient in an array of things, like fashion photography, journalism, public relations and styling.

“I’ve learned that your personality and reputation follows you. That being said, this internship has made me want to become a kind, hardworking and creative intern,” said Naik of Scarsdale, NY. “What people think of you is important if you want a recommendation. You never know who knows who!”

For other students searching for that perfect position, Majka, the marketing assistant in Tampa, offered advice.

“I can’t express it enough to fellow students — don’t say no,” said Majka, who is a resident assistant on campus. “Don’t be picky.”

Majka’s willingness to try new things has led to an internship with Careers Services as well as three major league sports organizations: Tampa Bay Buccaneers doing game day promotion, New York Yankees during spring training in Tampa and this semester, when they came close to clinching the Stanley Cup, she interned with the Tampa Bay Lightning (“(Owner Jeff) Vinik is my inspiration, through and through.”).

“It was one of those positions where I forgot it was a job because it was so much fun,” Majka said. “To me, passion means more than a paycheck.”

Her “shoot-for-the-stars dream” is to be the first female to own a professional hockey team.

“My dreams are big — some say too big — but they are what fuel me. I wake up every day with my end goal in mind,” she said. “However, I am realistic. I know this won’t happen overnight, nor do I want it to. I want to enjoy the journey.”

Have a story idea? Contact Jamie Pilarczyk, Web Writer
Sign up for UT Web Alerts