WVU :: Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism

Student Spotlight

Bryce Post
Major Sequence: Advertising
Status: Junior

“I’m always willing to learn and help myself grow to do the best I can.”

Where did you intern?
I interned at a small advertising agency called Asher Companies in the summer. It was actually quite convenient because it was only 10 minutes or so away from my house.

How did you hear about the internship?
I heard about the internship through my younger brother after he went to a job fair in high school. He saw this ad agency and remembered that I was going into advertising, managed to get a business card and sent me the contact information. I think they were interviewing or going to be interviewing for interns. I didn’t know if they’d want me because they were looking around in high school, but I figured I would give it a shot.

What was the process for applying for the internship?
Once the process got started, it wasn’t that hard. I had e-mailed the contact I had and was asked to come in for an interview. Interviews are a lot easier for me than most other people, so I was excited. I was asked many of the standard interview questions and answered to the best of my abilities. I was also given a tour of the building, which was cool, as well. They told me that I could come in whenever I wanted to start, so I got the internship.

Was the internship a paid position or learning experience?
The internship was unpaid, but I think that was best for me. This was my first internship, so I could learn more without the hassle of money getting in the way or clouding my judgment.

What was the most important lesson you learned during the internship?
I learned a lot there, though it wasn’t all advertising related. I’d say the most important thing I learned through this experience was to always ask questions if you don’t understand and keep asking until you do.

Being in advertising, you meet many interesting characters who know what they want you to do but may have a hard time explaining it. Or they may think you already know what they’re talking about. If you don’t ask questions until you understand, then the work you do will probably turn out wrong.

What other aspects of the internship do you think will serve you well in the job market?
I think the advertising atmosphere of the agency in general will help me. Once you know how an advertising agency runs and operates, it gives you an advantage when you’re looking for another internship or job.

What was a typical day was like during your internship?
The only day that was fairly typical in any respect was Monday. There was always a meeting at 10 or 10:30. At the meeting, the president would give everyone a rundown of what we were supposed to be doing each week, and then everyone else would give an update on the various jobs they were working on for clients.

I would have to take note of what everyone said, type it up and give it to my boss. After the meeting, we would all break off and work for about an hour or so, then, it would be lunch time.

In the afternoons, I would do a combination of answering phones and conducting research for a specific client or the Asher Companies themselves. If someone else needed me to do something, such as copy edit a newsletter or make copies of something, I would do that, too.

What advice would you give an SOJ student interested in pursuing an internship?
Expect anything. You may have a preconceived notion of what you might be doing, and then you end up doing something totally different. Don’t be bummed out by that; you will learn lots of things either way, no matter what you end up doing.

How did the School of Journalism prepare you to succeed in your internship?Because I worked at the School of Journalism, I knew how to do some of the more office-oriented tasks assigned to me. I knew how to do a lot of the advertising tasks I was assigned thanks to the concepts I learned in my advertising classes.

What experiences from the internship will you be able to apply to your work at the School of Journalism?
I’m going to be asking more questions if I don’t understand something. I will not be afraid to throw out any ideas that come to my head because the most someone could say is, “No.”

If given the opportunity, would you do another internship? Why or why not?
I would definitely do another internship. It’s a great experience, and I can never get enough of that. I’m always willing to learn and help myself grow to do the best I can, so I can someday benefit others with my always growing skills.

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	Student Spotlight Bryce Post Major Sequence: Advertising Status: Junior “I’m always willing to learn and help myself grow to do the best I can.” Where did you intern? I interned at a small advertising agency called Asher Companies in the summer. It was actually quite convenient because it was only 10 minutes or so away from my house. How did you hear about the internship? I heard about the internship through my younger brother after he went to a job fair in high school. He saw this ad agency and remembered that I was going into advertising, managed to get a business card and sent me the contact information. I think they were interviewing or going to be interviewing for interns. I didn’t know if they’d want me because they were looking around in high school, but I figured I would give it a shot. What was the process for applying for the internship? Once the process got started, it wasn’t that hard. I had e-mailed the contact I had and was asked to come in for an interview. Interviews are a lot easier for me than most other people, so I was excited. I was asked many of the standard interview questions and answered to the best of my abilities. I was also given a tour of the building, which was cool, as well. They told me that I could come in whenever I wanted to start, so I got the internship. Was the internship a paid position or learning experience? The internship was unpaid, but I think that was best for me. This was my first internship, so I could learn more without the hassle of money getting in the way or clouding my judgment. What was the most important lesson you learned during the internship? I learned a lot there, though it wasn’t all advertising related. I’d say the most important thing I learned through this experience was to always ask questions if you don’t understand and keep asking until you do. Being in advertising, you meet many interesting characters who know what they want you to do but may have a hard time explaining it. Or they may think you already know what they’re talking about. If you don’t ask questions until you understand, then the work you do will probably turn out wrong. What other aspects of the internship do you think will serve you well in the job market? I think the advertising atmosphere of the agency in general will help me. Once you know how an advertising agency runs and operates, it gives you an advantage when you’re looking for another internship or job. What was a typical day was like during your internship? The only day that was fairly typical in any respect was Monday. There was always a meeting at 10 or 10:30. At the meeting, the president would give everyone a rundown of what we were supposed to be doing each week, and then everyone else would give an update on the various jobs they were working on for clients. I would have to take note of what everyone said, type it up and give it to my boss. After the meeting, we would all break off and work for about an hour or so, then, it would be lunch time. In the afternoons, I would do a combination of answering phones and conducting research for a specific client or the Asher Companies themselves. If someone else needed me to do something, such as copy edit a newsletter or make copies of something, I would do that, too. What advice would you give an SOJ student interested in pursuing an internship? Expect anything. You may have a preconceived notion of what you might be doing, and then you end up doing something totally different. Don’t be bummed out by that; you will learn lots of things either way, no matter what you end up doing. How did the School of Journalism prepare you to succeed in your internship?Because I worked at the School of Journalism, I knew how to do some of the more office-oriented tasks assigned to me. I knew how to do a lot of the advertising tasks I was assigned thanks to the concepts I learned in my advertising classes. What experiences from the internship will you be able to apply to your work at the School of Journalism? I’m going to be asking more questions if I don’t understand something. I will not be afraid to throw out any ideas that come to my head because the most someone could say is, “No.” If given the opportunity, would you do another internship? Why or why not? I would definitely do another internship. It’s a great experience, and I can never get enough of that. I’m always willing to learn and help myself grow to do the best I can, so I can someday benefit others with my always growing skills.