My internship at Capital Analytics Associates

Name: Sabrina Bocaranda '19

Hometown: Miami

What is your major? I graduated with a bachelor's in marketing and international business this fall with a Global Learning Medallion. 

Where did you/are you interning? Capital Analytics Associates, which produces in-depth annual economic reports on major metro areas in the U.S.

What is your title? Project coordinating intern

How did you get your internship? I applied on the company's website and completed an interview in person.

What did you do there? I balanced a couple of different tasks, from helping the editorial and sales teams reach out with content requests to working the company’s social media channels.

What projects did you work on? Capital Analytics publishes yearly market reports on seven different cities. I worked on editorial, sales and marketing tasks for all of them.

How does your internship connect back to your coursework? I learned a lot about marketing and have applied what I learned to real work. I’ve gotten a better understanding of media companies and their business models. I have also had the great opportunity of helping grow their social media operations.

What is the coolest thing about your internship or that has happened during your internship? I saw the company grow so much in such a short time. When I started in May, we were only publishing five books; we've added three more to different cities in the United States.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience? Working so closely with everyone else has really been great. Even though I was just an intern, I felt like I was part of the team. I was given more and more responsibilities, and I felt heard when I shared my ideas.

What have you learned about yourself? I learned that working in media is something I can really see myself doing. I had never considered this industry before [the internship] opened my mind to it. I also learned that marketing is what I really enjoy doing and that I would like to stay on this career path.

What advice do you have for those beginning the internship process? It’s really important to be selective about the opportunities you pick. I've done a couple of internships and they are not all the same. Make sure you decide to stay at a place where you are valued as an employee, even if you are an intern, and somewhere where you are gaining something too, either education or experience.  

How has the position increased your professional confidence? I feel a lot more confident going into a job where I am part of a professional team. Being the youngest person in a team can feel a little intimidating, especially if you have less experience than your coworkers, but I have learned that that’s OK. If you always try to do the best job you can, your work ethic will be recognized, even if you don’t know all the answers.

How has the internship expanded your professional network? A huge takeaway from this internship is the network I built. I worked closely with all the other managers and directors and even the CEO. Everyone was extremely supportive and even offered to give me recommendations.