Many internships around BYU-Idaho are sub par. Here is how to find a good internship.
As an alumni of BYU-Idaho and with inspiration from my recent intern, John Simcik, I have created this useful guide as you seek a good digital marketing, communications or sales internship in Rexburg and even abroad.
Here is what I cover in this article:
- Warning signs to watch out for with subpar internships.
- How to prioritize your most important things you want out of your internship.
- How to compare your internship options.
- The best questions to ask when being interviewed.
Get More From Your Internship
“After my first phone call with Jason of Local Web Marketing, he stood out to me. Unlike the big or ambitious companies that boasted about themselves, he was down to earth from the beginning. Being an Alumni of BYU-I and living in the area gave him a refreshing perspective on what it means to be a marketing student. He understands how hard it can be to find a quality internship opportunity. It’s hard to find a company that genuinely expects to teach you useful skills instead of simply getting cheap labor out of you. So Jason wanted to do something about it by creating a meaningful internship!” – John’s words
To avoid a bad internship you need to do three things:
- Best internship fits come when you prioritize your goals and expectations.
- Heed the warning signs, watch out for subpar internships.
- Ask better questions in the interview.
Prioritize Your Goals and Expectations
If these are your priorities in order, then an Internship with Local Web Marketing System in Rigby might just be perfect for you.
- Mentor me with real 1-on-1 training and not just tell me to Google it.
- Provide me the opportunity to practice what I’ve learned in classes and build multiple skills, not just stick me with 1 or 2 tasks.
- Work with my schedule since I would be taking classes.
- Be local to the area (Rexburg/Rigby/Sugar City), not have to move.
- Have a part-time opportunity for work during my final semester of school and beyond.
- Track record of interns that have worked there and now have made it.
- A manager that will give you a glowing recommendation for when it’s time for full-time work.
- Pay me.
Working at Local Web Marketing System, would not be a good fit for those prioritizing:
- Work with a large team.
- Seeking Full-time employment afterwards with this local company.
- Working with eCommerce businesses.
Heed The Warnings, Watch Out For Subpar Internships
It’s more common than I would like to admit, but most internships are horrible, especially those available in Rexburg. In the words of my current intern, John, “Most people in Rexburg treat internships like cheap labor and provide no value in the form of new skills.”
Here are my 2 tips for catching the warning signs of bad internships:
- Read the companies client facing reviews and their GlassDoor, Linkedin or indeed reviews as well. Anything 4.5 or above, is likely good. You can also check out your manager’s LinkedIn.
- Ask for a reference from 2 past interns. This is best done after the interview.
Local Web Marketing Systems Ratings
As of this article here are the reviews from Google and Facebook.
- Google Maps – Link
- Facebook Reviews – Link
- GlassDoor – Link
- Website – Link
- Jason Weaver’s Personal LinkedIn – Link
The Best Questions To Ask When Being Interviewed
I recommend you make sure the interview goes both ways. It’s important that you identify what’s important to you and make sure that you and the company are on the same page.
Some questions to ask might be:
- Is this a paid position?
- What kind of scheduling should I expect with this position?
- What can I expect to be doing throughout this internship, and what skills should I leave with?
- Is there an opportunity to stay on as an employee after I’ve completed the internship?
- Can you provide some past interns I can talk to?
These questions are important because it’s quite common locally for a company not to pay you and to even bait and switch what you actually end up doing in your internship.
Local Web Marketing System answers to these questions:
Q: Is this a paid position?
Yes, it is a stipend of $599.
What kind of scheduling should I expect with this position?
Schedule is flexible with at least 6 hrs of your work must be during regular work hours and be available to work with your manager.
Q: What can I expect to be doing throughout this internship, and what skills should I leave with?
For Digital Marketing Interns
- Google Ads
- Google Analytics
- CRO using Microsoft Clarity
- Facebook & Instagram Advertising
- Search Engine Optimization
- Other
The work is so fluid I can’t guarantee how much time will be on each skill set, however I will guarantee exposure and work in all areas and you will not just get placed doing only 2 things.
For The Sales Position
- Learn Company & Industry 10%
- Training & Mentoring 20%
- Prospecting 50%
- Sales & Closing 10%,
- Other 10%
You will be learning sales A to Z for a digital marketing company. And using a CRM.
For The Communications Position
- Facebook & Instagram Advertising
- For clients
- For the marketing agency
- Search Engine Optimization
About 90% of your time will be spent here with training and work all related to social media and search engine optimization.
Q: Is there an opportunity to stay on as an employee after I’ve completed the internship?
For Digital Marketing Interns
Yes, there is an opportunity if the client workload is there to work remotely part-time at a rate of $16hr.
For Sales Interns
Yes, there is an opportunity to work remotely as a commission sales rep. That commission will likely be ⅓ of website sales and 15% of recurring revenue.
For Communications Interns
Yes, there is an opportunity if the client workload is there to work remotely part-time at a rate of $16hr.
Q: Can you provide some past interns I can talk to?
Yes, here are some of the more notable interns that have worked with Jason Weaver.
Finding An Internship
There were six ways I recommend using to find internships, and some are better than others:
- Reach out to the employers directly.
- Ask your professors.
- Working with your current employer.
- Career fair
- Other networking (online and in person)
- Applying to online listings.
When reaching out to these companies, do it even 3 or more months prior to your internship needs. Waiting will make you desperate and lessen your options. And just because there is no internship posted, does not mean there isn’t one in the near future.
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