From Internship to Promotion - My Experience at Ad Results Media

After graduating from college in the middle of a pandemic, all my previous expectations had gone out of the window. I was anxious and nervous to find a career, but equally confused about finding the next stage in my life. The internship at Ad Results Media gave me the ability to join an industry that I had always wanted to explore. I had no agency experience, having only worked summer jobs and minor internships previously, but I was ready and excited for the idea of a new challenge and path for myself. I decided that I would jump in headfirst and see where it could take me.?

To begin, I did not anticipate working here long-term. I just wanted to see how much experience I could gain from one summer working at an advertising agency. I spent the summer bouncing around various accounts, working with a variety of Media Planners and Account Strategists, and learning various programs and systems that are used in the field. I found myself taking more notes than I did in college while trying to learn different strategies and acronyms that were completely new to me. As the summer passed, I became anxious about it ending. I had found a company that had culturally and professionally aligned with what I had been searching for. At the end of the summer, along with our other media intern, I had to present what I had learned and how I had spent my time over the past two months. Following the presentation, I was lucky enough to be hired as a full-time member of the staff as a Media Coordinator.

Over the following year, I spent my time gaining a true education in the agency world. The position of Media Coordinator gave me the flexibility to work with any client in any capacity. I was essentially a “second pair of hands” for all media members on my team. I negotiated with network reps, booked advertisements, created full data reports for our clients, and assisted in any other way that was needed. This position gave me a full education that I don’t think any other company could offer. I was able to spend my time (at work!) learning the industry without having the full responsibilities of a Media Planner yet.?

After spending eight months as a Media Coordinator, I was promoted to Media Planner. During this past summer, with all the current conditions of our economy, there was a lot of movement for our clients, the networks we work with, and internally at our own company as well. With all the turbulence, I decided to follow my original thinking of when I joined ARM: jump in headfirst. Luckily, I get to work here at Ad Results Media. Throughout all my own movement and the constant shifting of this industry, I have always had a stable support system. I have always had multiple people at this company looking out for me and volunteering their own time and support without me needing to ask. From working across all clients in a team, I now have ownership over my own accounts. Transitioning to learning new accounts and learning how to work with new team members has been more challenging and fast-paced than I had imagined. However, I still feel just as supported and successful as before.

Since getting promoted and becoming a Media Planner, I try to take a step back and appreciate the journey I have already been on. Life is always hectic and fast-moving, and I think everybody in this industry begins every Zoom call with, “Things have been so busy.” I am always trying to gain perspective on the situation at large when it can be easy to get stuck in the current tasks and assignments. This is a tumultuous industry with many moving parts, and it can be easy to get lost and overwhelmed. Learning how to navigate my positions at Ad Results Media has forced me to learn how to navigate my own life as well. I can’t believe a year ago I just graduated college. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of being an intern, a Media Coordinator, and now a Media Planner. Through these positions, I have grown my own professional experience immensely and have been able to meet some truly incredible people. I am glad that I have been able to spend this time in my life working at Ad Results Media. It’s been a great experience, and I am excited to grow and learn even more.