Intern Spotlight Series: Emily Burnham

This week’s Intern Spotlight Series features Emily Burnham, Public Relations Intern at J. Walter Thompson New York. Emily is a rising senior at Marist College, studying Public Relations and Advertising.

What drew you to J. Walter Thompson? — As an Advertising major, I had always been familiar with J. Walter Thompson as one of the most well-known agencies in the industry. When I saw the opportunity to work in the Public Relations department of the agency, I had to act on it. I was so excited at the thought of combining my two passions at such a respected agency.

In a brief description, what are your primary responsibilities? — Basically, I help ensure the J. Walter Thompson New York brand is being represented correctly and look for new ways to further our brand. My responsibilities include writing & producing social media content, monitoring industry news, and seeking out publicity opportunities for the agency. Each day, I need to be on my toes and have a very good understanding of agency and client news.

How would your friends describe you? — My friends would describe me as outgoing, loyal, and slightly stubborn at times.

What are 3 tips to being a successful intern?

1) Take on every task: It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers at first. Do your homework and take it upon yourself to problem solve before asking for help. Remember: Google is your friend, always.

2) Own your projects: It’s so important that you put all of your effort into assignments. Make sure whatever you hand to your manager is something you are truly proud to put your name on.

3) Network: You are lucky enough to be surrounded by incredibly intelligent individuals who have tremendous experience in their fields. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your colleagues to learn even more from them. Genuinely showing interest in getting to know someone really goes a long way.

Do you have a personal motto? If so, what is it?

“If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

What advertising lingo or buzzword do you most overuse? — “Pitch”

Favorite J. Walter Thompson ad campaign? — I would definitely say “The Shelter Pet Project” was my favorite J. Walter Thompson ad campaign. I am obsessed with all of the adorable celebrity pets on social media, so to see them all take part in such an amazing cause was so brilliant in my eyes. I was so happy to see the Project take home a Silver Lion in the Cyber category at Cannes 2016!

If you were stranded on a deserted island what 3 things would you want to have with you? — Sunscreen, iced-coffee and my cell phone.

What are you most looking forward to in your remaining weeks at J. Walter Thompson? — Wait… we have to leave? It’s crazy to think about how the first half of the internship program flew by so quickly. In the remaining weeks of the program, I’m looking forward to seeing the projects I’ve been working on come to life and just really continuing to learn everything I can about J. Walter Thompson.