Name:Zack DeThomasis

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Greenfield Partners, Inc.

Position Title:Social Media Operations Coordinator

Major(s)/Minor(s):Media and Communications Studies

Work Term:Summer 2018

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I worked for a small, private IT staffing and recruiting company called Greenfield Partners, Inc located in Irvine, California.. My responsibilities included establishing the social media pages, connecting the content through all of the platforms to ensure that there was transparency across all pages. Additionally, I was able to learn the day-to-day operations of a small business and what it takes to establish and maintain it. I was able to sit in on phone calls and interviews between employers and potential candidates.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

My mentor was a personal connection and because he works within the staffing industry, he has many connections to various companies. Over the Winter break into the Spring semester of this past year is when I started looking and applying to different internship positions for this Summer.  It wasn't until midway through the Spring semester that everything was then set. I had asked him if he had any knowledge of any companies looking to hire interns in any marketing positions. Upon this, he then countered and asked me if I would like to work with him to get his company's social media pages started and functioning.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?

It allowed me to be creative and rely on my own knowledge of social media. Additionally, I did a lot of research to see how other companies started and use their social media pages so that I could create something similar for Greenfield Partners, Inc.  it was also very challenging because Greenfield isn't a company that produces material goods, but rather it is a service that companies can use to come into contact with potential job candidates. The group at Greenfield really acts as more of the "in-between" for companies to candidates. Being a former athlete at UMBC, I have really only been familiar to things that were sports related. This internship was the first thing that I had done that wasn't sports related so I enjoyed that it was something new to me and maybe out of my comfort zone.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I was able to help out a personal connection with getting his business established on social media fronts.  Social Media is a prominent platform for companies in our current time, so to help someone out meant a lot.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

There is always a market for hiring interns.  Unfortunately, that's what makes getting an internship position so competitive. Before I got my internship at Greenfield Partners, I had applied to 4 different companies for their internship positions and had gotten denied to all 4 of them.  It really did force me to look back at my network and connections and then take it upon myself to reach out. Additionally, teamwork is KEY. Being able to communicate with your coworkers on ideas is a necessity. Like I said, there is always a market for interns and make sure to check base with any of your personal connections.

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