As a senior majoring in Communication Studies and English Writing at the University of Pittsburgh, I landed an internship at Cosmitto for the fall. I thought my internship was going to be the most difficult part of my semester (along with my fifteen credits and a part-time job), but no—figuring out my bus route was the biggest challenge.
The struggle started after my first day because I Ubered.
On day two, I took the bus and missed my stop.
On day three, I took the bus, got off at the right stop, but then got lost getting to the building.
By day four, I was then somewhat of an experienced bus rider.
Thankfully, my internship itself went a lot smoother.
On my first day as a Copywriting and SEO intern, I was introduced to the team and got to know them through a coffee meeting. Once I was settled into my role, my schedule for the internship shifted each week to cover a new topic, so I was constantly learning and adapting a new skill set. I shadowed different employees—each gave me an overview of their job. I then was given a task where I was able to practice what I had learned.
Here, I was able to not only grow and develop skills, but I was also able to learn about agency life, which was something I was unfamiliar with until this internship. I also learned how to construct newsletters for clients, create a posting calendar for social media, perform SEO audits and understand SEO best practices, and write a blog post. The hands-on experiences helped me understand more about marketing, content creation, and agency-style work. I struggled at first to understand SEO, and my co-workers were more than willing to have a second session to explain it in further detail. The Cosmitto team was encouraging and accommodating, even asking me what I wanted to learn more about so they could tailor the experience to be beneficial to both of us. They really cared about helping me prepare for the workforce.
At Cosmitto, I felt like I was part of the team. I sat in on a meeting with a client, was part of a brainstorming meeting for blog post topics, added into office group chat, and conducted research on different industries. Not only was I able to write blogs and construct social media posts, but the team also critiqued my work to help me understand where I needed to improve and how to write specifically for each client.
This internship has allowed me the freedom to experience agency office life and ask questions about the communication field. I was able to have an entire question and answer meeting with my boss, and I felt comfortable asking questions because the team created such an open and friendly work atmosphere. She answered questions about branding, marketing, clients, brand reputation, and other elements of marketing.
I am so thankful that I was able to intern with Cosmitto. This opportunity has given me valuable hands-on experience and knowledge about the field that only an internship could give. Going forward, I feel more prepared for my future—even if on my last day at the internship I boarded the wrong bus.
Julia Baird
