3 Valuable Takeaways from Interning at REQ
As I wrap up my second semester interning with REQ, I am reflecting on my incredible experience. I was lucky enough to be able to intern full-time over the summer, and then again part-time during the school year. It is difficult to capture all that I’ve learned in these last several months into a few key points, but a few themes have emerged.
A willingness to learn digital marketing goes a long way
When I first interviewed with REQ, I was in my sophomore year at Georgetown University, and my only marketing experience was from one introductory “Principles of Marketing” course. However, I emphasized how eager I was to dive in and learn, and REQ took a chance on me.
From my very first day, I was struck by how willing the entire team was to help me succeed, whether it was learning how to work within Drupal on a client’s website or drafting a brand personality. Anytime I expressed interest in a task, I was warmly welcomed to sit in on a meeting or jump in on the project. Everyone I worked with made sure I knew I was a valued member of the team.
Eventually, I was able to take the lead on running the Washington D.C. International Film Festival’s digital marketing efforts as an intern project. Now I am leaving with firsthand experience working directly with a client and executing both a Google Ads campaign and a Facebook advertising campaign.
Each day is different
Throughout my internship, I was always taking on new and vastly different tasks for a wide variety of REQ’s clients. This allowed me to learn from each of REQ’s in-house teams and receive an in-depth view of the inner-workings of a digital agency. It is fast-paced and always changing, but it was exciting to be able to work on a healthcare client one day then a fast casual restaurant the next.
My internship experience at REQ has not only provided me with skills that I can apply to future jobs, but has also helped me identify what I am interested in, giving me a much better sense of what I want to do with my career as my senior year of college quickly approaches.
Work culture is as important as work
As much as I enjoyed the work, it was the REQ team that made my decision to return so easy. Everyone here is incredibly talented and hardworking, but they also make sure to have a good time. Ping pong in the lunchroom, a March Madness watch party, and a company-wide bowling event—these are just a few examples of the events, camaraderie, and culture that is unique to REQ.
My internship experience has taught me so much about branding, digital advertising, online reputation management, business development, and more, and I am excited to take this knowledge with me into whatever comes next. If I could give one piece of advice to future interns, it would be to always ask questions. Ask why a specific task is done that way, or ask a more senior person about their career path. I have found that people are always willing to give you advice—you just have to ask.
If this sounds like somewhere that you would succeed, check out REQ’s Careers page.