My First Internship: 10 Takeaways For My Future

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Michael Magnus
By Lucy Long

Internships- the golden ticket for almost any college student who hopes to get some real-world experience. These coveted opportunities are hard to find but even harder to earn. With every student fighting over the same position, the competition increases, making finding an internship as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. So, once you earn that internship opportunity, you want to make sure every concept, piece of advice, and material learned becomes a valuable addition to your toolbox.
This summer, I learned the real meaning of “intern” when working for Magnus Opus. An internship is not about doing work to add experience to your resume and material to your portfolio but is instead about learning new concepts that can contribute to your future endeavors. These opportunities are built for students to learn new ideas and find what they want to do with their lives, not so you can get a job easier.
This summer was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that allowed me to focus on my writing and learn different concepts. After reflecting on these irreplaceable 12 weeks, I decided to compress my internship into my top 10 takeaways that will help me succeed in the future.

1. The Mystery of Google

I had no idea how monumental Google was in the world of business. Their algorithm determines which businesses gain traction and which businesses fall into the abyss of “what could have been.” 

Google ranks websites based on credibility and many other metrics i.e., link building and click-thru rates. Not only do they rank, but they have their own rule book. For example, if a business uses black hat tactics to gain links to their site, google can punish them and take away any chance of reaching the first few ranks.

Google is the teacher you have to kiss up to in order to get a good grade. By following the rules and working hard, Google will see your potential.

2. How To Write An Email

Okay, we have ALL written emails before, but writing emails for outreach is much different. When outreaching to other blog sites, you must be formal and informative.
I learned how to market myself in an email and show my interest in the business I am emailing. I used to think emails should be short and quick, but emails need to share valuable information. One email can be your make or break in any situation; may that be a new job or an article placement, email writing is a skill.
Make your emails detailed, informative, and they must explain how your work benefits them.

3. You Can’t Just Make A Website

I used to believe that making a website requires you just to make a website title in some random generator, and then you have a website. Honestly, not a big thought-out plan.
But no, in order to make your own website, you need to buy web hosting. Also, there is not just one type of server; you have to choose from different ones. We learned a lot about web hosting.
Next, you need to use a site like WordPress to create the website and its pages. This part is harder than you think! But, during my internship, I learned how to create a website. This practice is a skill that will always come in handy and will add potential to my resume and portfolio.

4. How To Network

One of the most important skills I learned this summer was how to network. Magnus Opus allowed me to meet some influential people in the communications field who gave me incredible insights.
I had the opportunity to zoom with Alexis Kransinski and ask her questions about her journey to her position at HostGator. I also had the chance to network with the career counselor at TCU, Aaron Harris, and helped him start up his new non-profit, Keeping My Promise. In return, Aaron gave me a recommendation on Linkedin. Although it only took him a minute or two to write, my potential for future opportunities grew immensely.
By meeting these influential figures, I was able to connect with them on LinkedIn and potentially, in the future, use them as a resource when seeking professional endeavors.

5. Learn How To Work A Spreadsheet

Throughout the summer, I worked with many excel spreadsheets. I’ve had to find specific keywords, reorder words by a particular metric, and much more. After time, I was able to find a shortcut, but if I had been Excel certified, I would have saved a lot of time.
But, this was a life lesson. Sometimes you have to take the hard way before it gets easy. Just like in finding an internship, It can be tough to find one, but once you’re in and have a job and a new contact. Your path will be slightly easier with your unique experience.
On the other hand, I recommend getting Excel certified because learning how to work excel is a talent many employers hope to see.

6. Check Your Work Again…Again….And A Couple More Times

I wrote multiple personal articles and others on behalf of clients; for example, Elktracks Studios and Amazon SEO Experts. After spending time writing, you kind of just give up on checking your work and looking for mistakes. Or, if you do check, you glance over the words without putting too much thought into it.
BUT YOU CAN’T.
You want to make sure the piece has NOTHING wrong with it; even one misspelled word could diminish your credibility. To combat this, I learned the old fashion red pen technique, simply printing out the paper and going through it with a red pen will help you so much. You will find way more mistakes than expected, and your future self will thank you.
Checking work is vital for any internship. One mistake could be the make or break how a professional thinks of you. So, I repeat, make sure you become a personal spell and grammar check. Yes, there are multiple resources to help look for mistakes, but I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to work that will be published and viewed by others.

7. How SEO Works

Well, this is a big one. Magnus Opus primarily works with Search Engine Optimization; this was the basis of the work I did throughout the summer. At first, I was unable to explain what SEO was when my family asked what I was doing for my internship. Usually, I would say something along the lines of “helping websites rank better with Google.” Yes, this definition is correct, but now I can answer any questions they may have about SEO and give a more intricate answer, such as, “help websites optimize their content through link building and keyword placement which, in return, causes Google to rank them higher in the search engine.”
Simple SEO tactics that I now understand and used to help my friend with her business website are not limited to how to optimize a website. I also learned how to implement keywords on a website and find these specific keywords by using the AMAZING resource known as Moz.
Over the summer, I learned how to use Moz when doing SEO work for websites. Moz allows you to track keywords and check out your site and look for any problems. You can see the traffic for the website and their ranking for any keyword. Honestly, Moz is fun to mess around with when working with websites.

8. Leatherwork Is Interesting

You’re probably thinking: Why is there a key takeaway about leatherwork? But, if you intern for Magnus Opus, you will understand. Over the summer, I wrote articles for Elktrack Studios and had to learn about all the leather-crafting tools.
Before, I had no idea what leather work was and never even thought about it. But, I had to teach myself about this hobby and learn how to write about it. To this day, if you have a question about leather and the tools you need to get started, I am confident I can answer it.
This talent of understanding new concepts quickly is essential in life. In future jobs, you will have to learn things quickly.
As Michael Scott said, “You gotta do something, man. You can’t just sit there.”
I had to understand how these tools work to write an article about them. I had to teach myself something new and fast. By gaining this talent of quickly understanding a subject, I can get work done quicker. Rather than sitting there and being confused, I can now learn something quickly and write about it.

9. A Mentor

I not only gained new experiences and skills over the summer, but I also gained a Mentor. Magnus worked closely with my coworker and I. His goal was not to have us do work but to gain experience for our future.
He connected us with contacts and introduced us to random people i.e., a private investigator who was also on a singing reality show. We were also given life lessons such as rejection is inevitable when outreaching,
And don’t have a zoom call while on a ladder…. That’s a story for another time, though.
Magnus will forever be a resource when looking for new job opportunities and advice. His goal is to help others succeed, and I know if I ever need a recommendation or help, Magnus will be the first person I contact.

10. A New Friend

Not to be sentimental, but this internship included a girl named Caroline Hughes and I. Magnus paired us up because he knew our work ethic and thought we would work well together.
He was right.
Caroline and I became close friends from all the collaboration we would do together over our three-hour facetime calls. We not only become good friends, but we also become resources for one another. We can check each other’s work and give honest feedback because we know each other’s writing styles. We also know how to work with one another and ask the tough questions–which can make or break the dynamic of most team projects.
Internships will allow you to meet new and different people, and if you’re lucky, you can find your own Caroline.

Wrap-up

My internship with Magnus Opus gave me opportunities and lessons that will take me far in life. I can impress employers with my new SEO skills and link-building tactics. I can synthesize information and understand tough topics. Though these are only a few of the skills I learned over these couple of weeks, the payoff of having them is lifelong.
This summer, I gained new knowledge, a mentor, and a best friend. This trifecta will take me far in the future. I have the tools and resources many employers are looking for. I have a mentor who can help me find new opportunities, and I have a friend who understands my career goals and can push me in the future because she knows what my best work is.
I would never change the experience I had this summer because the effects are lifelong. I can confidently say I am paving a path to success for my future all because of my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to intern for Magnus Opus.

 

You can see a snapshot of the work I have done during these 12 weeks by checking out some of my publications:

http://blog.purplepass.com/increase-your-events-traffic-and-sales-online-with-backlinks
https://searchenginecage.com/how-pr-and-seo-benefit-each-other-in-the-equation-for-success/
https://digitalagencynetwork.com/pr-and-seo-two-terms-growing-together/
https://www.socialmediadelivered.com/insights/seo-for-smb
https://www.thecampussocialite.com/key-tips-to-creating-a-successful-blog/
https://chasethewritedream.com/making-write-for-us-work-for-you/
https://www.fincyte.com/keyword-fundamentals-of-seo/
https://sheownsit.com/freelancing-for-the-longrun/

My internship not only gave me an impressive resume and portfolio but paved a path of success for my future.

Author Byline
Lucy Long is a Strategic Communications major with a Data Analytics minor at Texas Christian University. Lucy is a content creator at Magnus Opus.

5 Lessons That Helped Me Grow as a Professional and a Person

Posted on September 26, 2020 by Michael Magnus
By Caroline Hughes

After returning from a cut-off freshmen year to my hometown suburb outside of Chicago, you can imagine my despair. I was forced to depart Texas Christian University, where I found my sense of belonging in a royal shade of purple, personable professors offering too much to learn, and a few terrific friends. The universal enemy herself, COVID-19, shipped me back to a colder climate and a far less enthralling scene.
Like the rest of my friends, I had practically given up on the idea of having a fruitful summer—whether that fruit comes in the form of a productive job or a memorable nightlife. The few agencies at which I had interviewed in downtown Chicago were event-based, so they pulled their programs due to the crisis. I accepted my fate of a season full of binge-watching, dog-walking, and summer course-taking.
Amidst this lull of a repetitive rhythm, I received a notification from my advertising professor that he was looking to hire two remote interns at his digital marketing and SEO firm this summer. I practically jumped out of my skin upon receiving the email; not only was I extremely flattered to have the chance to apply, but I was also hopeful of a dynamic experience filling these days of disease.
My enthusiasm only grew when I received the position as an intern and throughout the summer of work itself. Each week, receiving a list of new tasks felt like Christmas morning. (Well, maybe that’s excessive, but a little dramatization never killed anyone.) I felt empowered to take on the summer, growing in the professional realm and into a (sort-of) adult.
Plus, it always feels good to be typing away as an intern while all of your friends are pulling their hair out at whatever nanny gig they could find.
I could list all of the skills I acquired during this 12-week incubation period, but no one is here to take a crash course in the digital marketing world. Rather, I’ll share with you five life lessons that have further prepared me for the working world, as well for that thing called adulting.

1. You Can’t Run from the Digital World: SEO Matters.

I am not your stereotypical Gen-Z-er, but rather constantly complaining about our digital progress. At any social gathering, you’re likely to hear me ranting about how everyone needs to get off their TikToks, ring doorbells again instead of texting “here,” and use landlines. Growing up, my dream job was always to write for a classic NYC-based magazine—Cosmo, Vogue, Time. You name it; I wanted a desk and a typewriter.
Although these dreams are technically still feasible, the removal of print issues dulled the spark. That goes for every industry; watching technology trump print is a gloomy reminder that people like Steve Jobs really did change the world forever.
So, given this stance, you’re probably wondering why I am working for an SEO agency, or why I’m practically majoring in a program that requires digital proficiency. Despite my innate desire to live in the past, I am just as addicted to scrolling through Instagram as the next person. And, I understand the importance of adaptation.
But, wow, did I underestimate the significance of SEO. When I first learned about search engine optimization in my Intro to Advertising class, I figured I’d probably avoid it in my career given its analytical basis. (As I said, I aim to live more in the creative writing aspect of the industry.)
Little did I know that SEO is just about as crucial a skill as the quality of your writing itself. If you can’t get your content to the eyes of your desired demographic, all of your work may as well have been a waste of time. We are in an era defined by highly saturated internet spaces, as thousands of people product content daily. I learned how to optimize content on websites, both from scratch and with website builders. Standing out among the competitors with SEO practices can make or break getting out of the red.
No matter what PR, journalism, or advertising career I venture into during my 20s, I have the privilege of understanding the fundamentals of SEO. Keywords, backlinks, local listings, and content creation don’t begin to describe the knowledge I’ve acquired in these short 12 weeks. Having an SEO background not only allows my personal brand to be far more marketable, but it also causes my potential careers to be far more lucrative.

2. Putting Yourself in the Shoes of Clients: Projects.

Throughout this internship, I had the opportunity to work with a variety of clients. From international brands who are leading their industry to local brick-and-mortar businesses and even start-up nonprofits, you could say my portfolio is now quite diverse after this Summer.
One of my favorite aspects of the position was that Magnus provided my coworker and I Zoom calls with very successful individuals to learn from and be mentored by. I was able to casually interview the head of SEO for HostGator, Alexis Krasinski, a young, ambitious woman who is confident in her abilities to produce profits.
We held a call with Kate O’Donnell, a Senior Copywriter for Beauty Bio. Her story of moving to a big city to become a writer directly after college mirrored my own wide-eyed ambitions. Kate’s story was a cocktail of grit and passion, as she honestly and openly explained the challenging route to earning success in her position today.
These professionals would even edit some of my articles, providing constructive criticism of my work. While kneading through my weaknesses, they simultaneously highlighted my strengths, bringing me confidence, and installing authentic growth. Receiving recommendations outside of the classroom explicitly curated for my writing style is an invaluable and unique experience.
Finally, Magnus allowed us to work directly with Aaron Harris on his mission-driven nonprofit, Keeping My Promise. KMP seeks to provide underserved communities with educational access and career readiness assistance. I had the opportunity to contribute to this company by building the website and producing keyword-rich copy for numerous pages. In this process, I co-created a presentation that provided competitor research and keyword analysis to back my team’s decisions.
Directly working with clients allowed me to take a (brief) walk in various industries’ shoes and gain some insights on diversity. Due to the small size of the intern program, I was fortunate enough to receive customized feedback and have my ideas heard.

3. Collaboration is Crucial: Coworkers.

I have always pegged myself as a collaborative person; I thrive in taking the leadership role in a group project, bouncing ideas back and forth until everyone’s skills are utilized. More importantly, until everyone feels listened to. Even my Gallup Strengths test reports that almost all of my skills land in the “relational” umbrella category. So, yes, I categorize myself as a people-oriented individual.
However, that is not to say I can find my footing in a group setting off the bat. At the start of the 12 weeks, I was hesitant to ask for help from Magnus, or perhaps more problematically, admit if I was lost in that week’s material. However, his biweekly Zoom meetings always started with, “Tell me about last week’s challenges and achievements,” opening up the floor for transparency.
The internship’s structure allowed me to take the trial-by-fire approach on most tasks, while undoubtedly having a safety net below me (a constant reminder that nothing is fatal). This approach intentionally forced me to dive into the unknown blindly, which made me grow immensely as an individual.
You’re probably wondering why I dragged on about my apparent “people skills,” if this lesson was all about individuality. In reality, it’s a mix of both.
As the summer churned on and the other intern and I developed into compatible coworkers and authentic friends, I was able to lean on her for support and confirmation of my ideas. While editing our articles, we were honest with each other, providing constructive criticism for each piece of content written. Our writing styles contrasted immensely; hence we learned from one another’s strengths.
However, this is not to say my trial-by-fire approach flew out the window. Working with others to optimize results while establishing your personal capabilities is a tough balance. This summer taught me how to manage independence and interdependence, and that you really can have it all.

4. Rejection is Okay; Acceptance is Rewarding: Outreach.

A significant component of my experience interning at Magnus Opus was the outreach process. Coming into this program fresh out of Freshman year, I had zero idea what the publication process entailed. I knew articles showed up on websites, but I was in the dark about how almost anyone can have their work featured to fit the proper credentials.
Throughout the internship, I wrote about 10-12 articles centering around all different SEO-related topics. Once they were written, injected with seamlessly integrated links, and edited to near perfection, the outreach process began. My co-intern and I hesitantly stepped up to the plate that is our laptop keyboards and began pitching our ideas.
Magnus explained that rejection was a natural piece of outreach; sometimes, an implausible website that you were sure you were qualified for denies your work while a credible company you thought was a shot in the dark accepts your article. I’d describe the outreach process as a wheel of fortune; you never know what you’re going to get.
Besides teaching me that rejection isn’t personal and does not (usually) reflect your authorship capabilities, the outreach process further demonstrated the value of personalization. Some days, I cranked out more than 10 pitches to various websites, some way out of my league, some on behalf of Magnus, and some that I poured my heart into. Although it may have been far faster to send out of a concrete template with a few minor tweaks, I’ve always been one for the scenic route.
Personalizing each email and getting to know the potential publisher of your article indeed does pay off. It is extremely obvious when a writer takes the template approach; even if it lacks technical mistakes, the email itself may as well be as appetizing as stale bread. This lesson extends far beyond the outreach process and bleeds into any decision made in business.
If you can show you are an authentic human being who has a passion for your work, you’ll be hitting home runs in the first inning of your career.

5. You are Never Too Young: Publishing.

As I’ve mentioned a few too many times, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Though I never had a solid idea of my topic of choice, I figured the opportunities would present themselves, and I would adapt.
This internship was no exception.
When I first began writing SEO articles, I anxiously awaited edits stating that my information was wrong, that I didn’t quite understand this concept, or that I communicated it in an ill manner. And although perhaps Magnus was just being a little too nice (considering I did have no idea what I was doing in my first article), I received none of those comments. Instead, I got suggestions about following my target audiences, finding a new synonym, breaking up sentences, etc.
My grip on SEO strengthened throughout the summer, as I was no longer that naive intern scared to submit her work. However, getting from point A to point B was unmistakably a learning moment that taught me that we know more than we think we do.
My typical route for writing an article in unfamiliar territory began by watching expert videos and reading informative articles while taking diligent notes. I then synthesized this information, continuously researching to fill in gaps, and adding in my own voice. Although I did not claim I was an expert, I commonly used my position as a relatable human with a personable writing voice to appeal to readers.
Additionally, I was able to leverage my position as a college student. Particularly in the world of marketing, but really in any industry, with which demographics you identify always bring value. Serving as a college student offers a voice a lot of accomplished workers have lost sight of. I wrote various articles from this angle, providing insights for other college students or offering a younger perspective for an older generation.
Regardless of which angle I championed, I proved my previous perception to be a misconception: I am not too young to have my work published. This summer alone, I have more than nine published articles. Talk about a proud portfolio moment—I am only going into my sophomore year.

 

These five lessons don’t even begin to express my gratitude for this summer’s internship; these short 12 weeks have paved the way for an incredible array of potential opportunities in my future. My knowledge of SEO, the digital world, and copywriting expanded immensely as I am growing into my professional blazer of the future.
Finally, I feel like I can call myself a writer, and I owe that all to my experience interning at Magnus Opus.

Check out some of my published articles below:

She Owns It: 5 Ways to Market to College Students From a College Student Herself
Social Media Delivered: Tackling the Ambiguous Web Hosting Decision Using the Three S’s
Syllabusy – 3 Ways to Gain Real-World Writing Experience in College
Rent, Buy, N Sell – 5 Local SEO Tips For Your Real Estate Business
Small Business Bonfire – Three Steps to Creating a Guest Post That Actually Gets Published
Content Career: 9 Tips For Uni Students: Take Your Blog From Amateur To Expert
College Cures: Strengthen Your College Portfolio with These 5 SEO Tips
Search Engine Cage: A Guide To Backlinks For Consumers And Marketers

Caroline Hughes is an honors student at Texas Christian University obtaining a Strategic Communication degree with a minor in Business. Caroline is a Content Creator with Magnus Opus, as well as publishing thought pieces on her personal lifestyle blog.