Week 8, Update #2

I've now officially reached my maximum internship hour cap working with IndustryStar. It's been a fantastic experience but I can't help but feel there's so much more to be done. The potential for growth and improvement for both myself and the company is tremendous and my time working with IndustryStar has really shed a lot of light on that potential. I look forward to seeing how this all plays out - only time will tell.

Week 8, Update #1

I've been working hard trying to finish several major projects before I run out of internship hours. I'm happy to say that progress has been great and I am happy with the way things are going. At this rate I'll be able to tie up any loose ends before my internship is over.

Week 7, Update #2

I'm nearing the end of my internship here with Spark and IndustryStar Solutions.It was a lot of fun and I'm not quite sure where I want to go from here. There's a million directions to go in and there's only one direction I know for sure I don't want to go - Backward.

I've learned more than I ever expected during these past few months and I know that no matter what I end up doing I'm going to be a much more capable marketing professional as a result.

Week 7, Update #1

It's nice to be able to make a direct impact with my graphic design work at IndustryStar. I know projects on a grander scale generally have a bigger impact but there's something satisfying about tweaking an aspect of the website until it's just right.

Week 6, Update #2

Almost all of my work with IndustryStar is focused on the Graphic Design portion of marketing right now. I've made great progress and have even started working on a top-secret project. I like the direction things are going in and I look forward to seeing how things progress from here.

Week 6, Update #1

I've started putting a greater emphasis on the analytics side of my blog and LinkedIn accounts to more accurately measure my online presence. I'm surprised at the amount of attention my accounts are getting so I plan to keep a closer eye on those and making efforts to increase the flow of viewers.

Week 5, Update #2

I've completed both the Google AdWords Fundamentals Exam and the Google AdWords Advanced Search Exam and I'm now Google AdWords Certified.

Week 5, Update #1

This week has held a lot of changes in my workload. I've shifted a lot of my efforts onto the Graphic Design side of things  to take advantage of my graphic design-heavy work experience. I'm currently working on creating several different mockups to assist the web designers in making much-needed website improvements.

Week 4, Update #2

Working remotely has been a great experience that I wish I could say I got to enjoy more often. I realize that it doesn't mesh with all corporate cultures and environments but when it works, it works well.

Either way, I've been hard at work and have even started to make use of my graphic design background to help improve the way potential clients see the company. A lot of implementation and tweaking awaits me but I'm off to a good start.

Additionally, I've started working on my Google AdWords Certification and after a lot of reading I've passed the first "Fundamentals" exam and only have one more specialized exam to go before I'm Google AdWords certified. Hopefully that will be completed within a few days.

Week 4, Update #1

After a bit of studying and practice I've passed the Google Analytics Certification Exam. I've learned a lot about the Google Analytics program and I strongly believe it will be a valuable asset in my career moving forward. I plan to implement a lot of the new things I've learned into the system I have set up both at IndustryStar and my other job at the Global Automotive Management Council office.

Next I plan on studying for the Google AdWords Certification Exam(s).

Week 3, Update #2

A lot of changes have been made behind the scenes at IndustryStar and through the efforts of everybody at IndustryStar, Brian, and Myself we're getting closer and closer to making real major changes to their marketing strategies and social media presence.

I've also continued to improve my own LinkedIn profile by adding brief "updates" and adding specific courses I've completed at Eastern Michigan.

Week 3, Update #1

After Chad Wiebesick, Head of social media for State of Michigan's tourism and economic development office, spoke at one of the weekly Spark Internship Meetings I decided to follow his advice and flesh out my online presence - Specifically on LinkedIn. I've made an effort to connect to my new colleagues at IndustryStar Solutions as well as the awesome people I've met through the Spark Internship program. Connecting with all of these people and setting up my LinkedIn profile to be more effective has given me some ideas on how to more effectively manage the IndustryStar LinkedIn page as well.

Week 2, Update #2

Most of the smaller changes have been implemented and I'm feeling a lot more confident about the state of the website. Although their is still a lot to be done the smaller things like ensuring the address appears correctly and creating a custom 404 page have gone smoothly. Hopefully moving forward we can start working on splitting the website into multiple pages in order to more effectively manage and track traffic throughout the site.

Week 2, Update #1

There's been a lot of progress towards making Industrystar a more effective marketing platform. During the weekly Spark meetings it was decided that we should focus our efforts on improving the website. I've started to identify and correct some of the simpler things but there some things are going to take a lot longer and require cooperation from others.

The First Few Days - IndustryStar Solutions LLC

The first few days have definitely been a learning experience. I've started by doing intense research into just what IndustryStar Solutions does and becoming acquainted with the people who make the magic happen. The most challenging part so far has been simply figuring out how everything runs in order to see where improvements can be made but I feel that I'm making great progress. After identifying key issues and receiving fantastic feedback I genuinely look forward to making a real difference moving forward.

Background

I started working at the Global Automotive Management Council office in November of 2009 during my Sophomore year of high school and I've worked there for about 5 years now. I started working as a Graphic Designer making advertisements, website images, and publication covers. My employer quickly realized that I was capable of accepting more responsibility and am now the Art Director and Staff Manager as well as the Graphic Designer. I'm passionate about what I do and being able to work in a related field so early was a major milestone for me. I want to continue working in the advertising and event planning field because, in addition to having years of experience, I also greatly enjoy what I do and hope to be able to find a place in a great firm that will allow me to use my experience and drive to improve myself and the organization that I work with.

In the meantime I am currently attending Eastern Michigan University as a Marketing major and I am expecting to graduate in June of 2015.