“We’re sorry, your internship has been cancelled due to COVID 19,” said the much-dreaded email that hit thousands of prospective interns’ inboxes in May this year. Companies across the nation — even behemoths like Yelp and the Walt Disney Company — were forced to rescind their offers and call off their programs.
But not Intouch.
As a company that invests heavily in its people and their talent, Intouch sent a much different message to its prospective interns — one that enthusiastically welcomed them to a never-done-before, 100% virtual internship.
Over the course of 10 jam-packed weeks of full-time career experience, interns saw first-hand the meaning behind Intouch’s “No Challenge Too Big to Cure” purpose statement. The company proved that not even a pandemic could stop it from helping 40+ interns across New York, Chicago, and Kansas City realize their potential. Many will go on to pursue full-time jobs at Intouch.
Here, the 2020 class of interns from disciplines across the agency shares their thoughts about this unique summer experience, in hopes that they’ll inspire a new cohort of students and recent grads to explore rewarding opportunities at Intouch.
Describe a moment during your internship that inspired or motivated you.
During the internship, I was most inspired when I was able to listen in on a user-testing for an app our team works on. Listening to the end user share what an important role the app plays in her life in order to manage her illness and take her medication made me realize how impactful our work is. All the work Intouch creates makes a difference in people’s lives. – Maddie Dunkmann, Account Services Intern
What stands out to you about Intouch?
The biggest thing that stood out with Intouch is how much the company invests in its employees. It is evident that Intouch cares about the well-being and performance of everyone. In addition, I admire Intouch’s culture. Everybody is willing to help each other and get the job done, which is incredible to watch and be a part of as an intern. – Maria Ries, Social Media Intern
How did the internship prepare you for your next career move?
This internship not only gave me experience in the account services department, but it gave me insight into all of the different roles that make agency life cohesive. Not only that, but I’ve found my passion for pharma marketing here. At the end of the day, this internship gave me the foundations to pursue my career in pharma further. – Melisa Capan, Account Services Intern
What was the best part about the internship?
One of the best parts of this year’s Intouch internship was working on and presenting our UX intern project. We built a native mobile telehealth app that helps patients and HCPs better manage chronic conditions through remote health monitoring. For our final presentation, we presented our prototype to the UX department and other disciplines, who were all cheering us on. It was such a valuable experience. – Francheska Dominguez, UX Intern
What stands out to you about Intouch?
Intouch stands out to me because of the culture – everyone here is willing to help and really wants to see interns thrive! Being able to ask questions at any point is so important, and I felt so comfortable when I did; I didn’t feel scared to reach out and learn more. Also, the work ethic of every Intoucher is unmatched – the motivation and drive within them truly pushes me to do the same. I’m so excited for my full-time role at Intouch! – Kenzie Walker, Account Services Intern
What’s your advice to future interns?
I would advise future Intouch interns to speak up! Just because you’re shadowing in a meeting doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t ask questions or give input. Everyone that I interacted with was always so welcoming of questions and comments, which helped me grow throughout the summer. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. – Hannah Wilhelm, Copywriting Intern
Being able to ask questions at any point is so important, and I felt so comfortable when I did; I didn’t feel scared to reach out and learn more.
I was not sure how a virtual internship would look, but from day one, my team made sure I was doing real work and had the opportunity to achieve all my goals.
What was the best part about the internship?
The best part of the Intouch internship was the people. I was not sure how a virtual internship would look, but from day one, my team made sure I was doing real work and had the opportunity to achieve all my goals. They were very helpful and made sure I was always learning something new. Even through a virtual setting, I was able to learn and bond with my team, which I couldn’t be more thankful for. – Aubrey Goscha, Account Services Intern
What made you choose Intouch?
I interned at Intouch last summer and loved my experience. It was a no-brainer to intern again! I feel that the teams I have been on have helped me learn and grow in my professional and personal life. This internship specifically has given me the confidence to pursue a full-time career in account services. I feel I have been given the autonomy to own certain aspects of projects, which has allowed me to grow exponentially. I hope to continue my career here at Intouch. – Katherine Mooney, Account Services Intern
How did the internship prepare you for your next career move?
Intouch has prepared me for my future career more than any other experience. They taught me so much about myself while also pushing me out of my comfort zone. I challenged myself to “be a sponge” throughout the internship — the advice my manager and mentor gave me at the beginning of the program — and it paid off. I feel more confident in my own abilities than ever before and am so ready to start my career. I truly wish I could re-do the experience, because I will never be so grateful for a 10-week program, and it was all from home! – Carly Stilwell, Strategic Planning Intern
I truly wish I could re-do the experience, because I will never be so grateful for a 10-week program, and it was all from home!
What stands out to you about Intouch?
I really value the transparency and compassion I see at Intouch, not only from just hearing the executive team talk, but seeing first-hand how my team treats each other. I can tell the executive team really cares about their employees. It can be typical to feel neglected at companies as an intern, but at Intouch, I felt like a true member of the team. I was giving responsibilities that made my role as an intern feel needed and important. – Kellie Wortsmann, Account Services Intern
How did the internship prepare you for your next career move?
Intouch has given me such a unique agency experience that I don’t think I could get anywhere else. The level of training that I went through was so extensive and helpful. I feel that I have learned so much in such little time! – Taylor Haddock, Account Services Intern
Describe a moment during your internship that inspired or motivated you?
This is my second year interning with the best company, so I already knew going into summer #2 I’d be working among some of the sharpest, most forward-thinking people. But sitting in on a live pitch and watching the team deliver a seamless, brilliant strategy + creative presentation for a life-changing brain cancer brand gave me goosebumps. The team’s passion was nearly tangible. This was the apex moment that made me fully realize Intouchers are truly amazing professionals who do exceptional work. – Melissa Kraman, Business Development Intern
What was the best part of the internship?
There were too many best parts! If I had to choose one though, it would be getting to learn an entirely new advertising language (pharma) and building connections with a team that truly loves both the company and the work that they do. I was able to pair my passion for advertising with my quest to make a difference in the lives of others. At Intouch, I could have the best of both worlds. – Emma Weatherford, Account Services Intern
Interested in working for a company that loves its interns? Check out our careers page today!
This post was prepared by Melissa Kraman, a business development intern in Chicago.