Hi everyone! I’m Alejandra, CEA Staffing’s summer intern. I’ll be a senior at Lewis University this fall, and I’m majoring in Public Relations and Advertising with a minor in Psychology. I started my internship with CEA at the beginning of April, and as my time working with them comes to an end, I wanted to take the time to share my experience and the lessons I’ve learned.

 

Honestly, I was a little worried going into this internship. The world was turned upside down, almost everything was at a standstill, and I would be interning remotely. I wasn’t too sure how this internship was going to work. I was scared it wouldn’t provide me all of the experience I was hoping for.

 

However, my worries were all in vain. Adrienne, our CEO and Founder, made sure the circumstances we were dealing with had minimal effect on my internship. From day one, she continued to find different ways I could get all of the hands on experience possible. Adrienne was there for me every step of the way. She was quick to teach me how to use sites, apps, and tools I was unfamiliar with, and she was patient and understanding when I made mistakes. I found it inspiring to see her take on the challenges being thrown at her and continue to push her business forward in these uncertain times.

 

As the intern, I had various responsibilities. These included managing social media, creating blogs, responding to emails, and connecting with brands, among others. One of my favorite responsibilities is the blog. We post twice a week. The first blog goes along with the CEA Brand Ambassador Spotlight of the week and the second is on an industry topic. Adrienne gave me the creative freedom to pick the topics I wanted to write about. I was able to pitch her ideas and get her feedback. Accordingly, whenever I was stuck, she happily helped me find ideas and inspiration for the blog. Another task I enjoyed was the creation of the CEA Brand Ambassador Spotlight videos and our “What Have You Been Up To?” video. It was great to have the opportunity to work with different video editing apps and practice my editing skills. The third responsibility I want to make sure I mention is the coupon code partnership. CEA connected with multiple brands to create a unique coupon code to share with their family of brand ambassadors. I researched brands, reached out on Instagram and Linkedin, and then followed up with those who asked for more information. I was able to reach out to over 250 different brands. I really can’t believe it was that many!

 

I want to thank Adrienne for giving me this opportunity. Adrienne taught me that staying engaged with the people that follow your company or brand is crucial, especially during difficult times. I now feel a lot more comfortable and confident in my understanding of this industry. I’m leaving my internship with skills that I’m sure will be essential to many of the career opportunities I’m presented with in the future. It was an honor to work with Adrienne and CEA Staffing, and I will always be grateful for this experience. I’m excited for our last few days together, and I wish CEA the very best with all future plans!