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Erin's Success Story

Erin McManus
Research Strategist
Marketing Strategies, Inc.

For as long as I can remember, I have envisioned a career in Communications Media. My second grade teacher, Mrs. Benton, assigned me “special” assignments, where I would write my own story each week about anything I wanted, and it was within these stories that my teacher noticed my love for writing and creativity.

I attended Fitchburg State College, one of the top state schools in Massachusetts for Communications. My college advisor encouraged me to apply for several internships, both locally and out-of-state. During my junior year of college I began looking for internships around the Boston area in various news studios and radio stations.

I applied to be an intern at Boston’s number one radio station, KISS 108FM, and landed the internship for the spring semester of my senior year. There I was, 20 years old, living in Boston and working for KISS 108FM. My work hours were from 5am to 10am, Wednesday through Friday. I worked in the newsroom with the top radio DJ’s in the Northeast gathering the latest news and entertainment stories, writing scripts and editing sound clips. It was a fast paced environment, where stories had to be interesting, efficient and most importantly you only had one chance to do it right…that’s right we were live! I interned with KISS108 for two months and learned a whole years worth of radio knowledge.

It was during my second month at KISS108 when I received a phone call from The Conan O’Brien Show offering me an interview for the fall internship program. One phone interview and trip to New York City and I was on my way to be Conan’s new music intern. I moved into my cousin’s apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and quickly learned the city’s routes.

I took the subway 8 blocks and walked 6 blocks to Rockefeller Plaza every day. The first day I stepped foot in NBC Studios, I met the internship coordinator, got myself an NBC pass and began my journey. I trained for 5 days with the previous intern and then I was on my own. I worked directly with the music department as the music coordinators intern, assisting with “The Max Weinberg Band” and all guest bands. My main job was to meet the band, show them their dressing room and then bring them on stage for their sound checks. Each morning I delivered the show schedule and green room guest lists to seven different people, including Conan’s music department and security. The band usually arrived after lunch, where I met their limousine driver outside and escorted them to their dressing room and then on stage for their sound checks.

After nine months of interning at Conan, I moved back to Boston, graduated college and began to make plans for my future. I moved down south almost a year after my life in New York City. Marketing Strategies, Inc. hired me as a paid-intern for six months were I learned the basics of working for a full-service advertising firm. It’s now been a little over a year and not only has our agency grown as a team, but I have grown into an active public relations strategist.

Although each internship was completely different from one another, they have all proven to be successful and fortunate times of my life. The tools you learn during an internship are tools that can’t be taught in a classroom. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to work with a business along the lines of the field you are studying and get to see everything you learned in a book come to life right before your eyes.

Internships can prove to be one of the most rewarding experiences of a students life, in the way that you learn hands on training and get a taste of how the business functions as a whole. I was a music intern for Conan, however I had the chance to sit in with their writers as they brainstormed ideas for the show, watch and edit sound clips at KISS108 and even act as an extra for certain bits in both radio and television. Now as a Public Relations Strategist for Marketing Strategies, Inc., I am working to improve my writing and research skills. I’ve settled into my new position and get to drive along the sunny roads of Myrtle Beach to my newfound career in Public Relations.




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Erin's Success Story Erin McManus Research Strategist Marketing Strategies, Inc. For as long as I can remember, I have envisioned a career in Communications Media. My second grade teacher, Mrs. Benton, assigned me “special” assignments, where I would write my own story each week about anything I wanted, and it was within these stories that my teacher noticed my love for writing and creativity. I attended Fitchburg State College, one of the top state schools in Massachusetts for Communications. My college advisor encouraged me to apply for several internships, both locally and out-of-state. During my junior year of college I began looking for internships around the Boston area in various news studios and radio stations. I applied to be an intern at Boston’s number one radio station, KISS 108FM, and landed the internship for the spring semester of my senior year. There I was, 20 years old, living in Boston and working for KISS 108FM. My work hours were from 5am to 10am, Wednesday through Friday. I worked in the newsroom with the top radio DJ’s in the Northeast gathering the latest news and entertainment stories, writing scripts and editing sound clips. It was a fast paced environment, where stories had to be interesting, efficient and most importantly you only had one chance to do it right…that’s right we were live! I interned with KISS108 for two months and learned a whole years worth of radio knowledge. It was during my second month at KISS108 when I received a phone call from The Conan O’Brien Show offering me an interview for the fall internship program. One phone interview and trip to New York City and I was on my way to be Conan’s new music intern. I moved into my cousin’s apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and quickly learned the city’s routes. I took the subway 8 blocks and walked 6 blocks to Rockefeller Plaza every day. The first day I stepped foot in NBC Studios, I met the internship coordinator, got myself an NBC pass and began my journey. I trained for 5 days with the previous intern and then I was on my own. I worked directly with the music department as the music coordinators intern, assisting with “The Max Weinberg Band” and all guest bands. My main job was to meet the band, show them their dressing room and then bring them on stage for their sound checks. Each morning I delivered the show schedule and green room guest lists to seven different people, including Conan’s music department and security. The band usually arrived after lunch, where I met their limousine driver outside and escorted them to their dressing room and then on stage for their sound checks. After nine months of interning at Conan, I moved back to Boston, graduated college and began to make plans for my future. I moved down south almost a year after my life in New York City. Marketing Strategies, Inc. hired me as a paid-intern for six months were I learned the basics of working for a full-service advertising firm. It’s now been a little over a year and not only has our agency grown as a team, but I have grown into an active public relations strategist. Although each internship was completely different from one another, they have all proven to be successful and fortunate times of my life. The tools you learn during an internship are tools that can’t be taught in a classroom. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to work with a business along the lines of the field you are studying and get to see everything you learned in a book come to life right before your eyes. Internships can prove to be one of the most rewarding experiences of a students life, in the way that you learn hands on training and get a taste of how the business functions as a whole. I was a music intern for Conan, however I had the chance to sit in with their writers as they brainstormed ideas for the show, watch and edit sound clips at KISS108 and even act as an extra for certain bits in both radio and television. Now as a Public Relations Strategist for Marketing Strategies, Inc., I am working to improve my writing and research skills. I’ve settled into my new position and get to drive along the sunny roads of Myrtle Beach to my newfound career in Public Relations.

© 2006 Marketing Strategies, Inc.