Why I Didn’t Apply to Every Internship (and Landed the One I Wanted)
When I grow up I want to be...
a firefighter (kindergarten)
a marine biologist (4th grade)
an engineer (middle school)
an artist... but analytical (freshman year)
a graphic designer (sophomore year)
Hi, I’m Maddi! I’m a graphic designer interning at AR Marketing, a creative agency based in Findlay, Ohio. I’m currently pursuing my Bachelor of Fine Arts at Bowling Green State University. I have a passion for branding and love using creativity and strategy to make things make a little bit more sense. There’s something so satisfying about all the little pieces of a campaign, brand identity, or design working together to tell a cohesive story.
Why I put all my eggs in one basket
Getting an internship in college can feel overwhelming, mostly because there’s no real playbook. No one tells you how formal to be, how much personality to show, how much to risk, or exactly what steps to take.
For me, I went all in on one opportunity. I know that’s not the advice most students get, the popular recommendation is to apply everywhere and see what sticks. But casting a wide net can lead to lack of motivation and stale cover letters. It’s easy to get caught up in copying and pasting the same application, over and over, and lose the part of yourself that makes you memorable. (Let’s leave the scripts to the content strategists.) I decided to put my full energy into one role I really cared about. I did my research. I asked questions. And I actually got genuinely excited about the possibility of having a position at AR.
And it paid off.
Living passion forward: what led me to graphic design at AR
I’ll never forget a conversation I had with my Poppi when I was younger, one that still affects how I think about work today. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I got older. He told me, “I love my life because I don’t have to work.” He didn’t mean he was retired, he meant he loved his job so much, it never felt like work. It was just another aspect of his life.
I think that’s what makes a position really worthwhile. When you’re passionate about what you’re doing, it flows. The ideas are better. The team dynamic is better. You grow faster. You’re more excited to show up, and other people notice.
That mindset is what led me to be a designer and to AR Marketing. I wanted a place that would challenge me creatively, surround me with excited and curious people, and help me stretch into the kind of designer I want to become. This internship continues to expand my skills and experience. I've had the chance to collaborate with passionate creatives, think and create strategy forward, and get a glimpse into the array of positions within a marketing agency.
Advice to college students
If I had one piece of advice for students looking for an internship, it’s this: Treat it like an opportunity, not a checklist. Don’t do it just because you feel like you should. Do it because you genuinely want to be there.
● Grab coffee: Talk with someone who’s been in your shoes.
● Shadow: Experience a DIML of a team you admire.
● Don’t paint a false picture: Wear something that feels like you.
● Be memorable: Say something that only you would say.
And when you stand out amongst the stack of resumes, because you will, take a second to figure out why. That’s your edge. That’s what makes you, you. And that’s what people remember.
