Jack Blog
September 9th, 2016
The end of summer means back to school. But you know who’s not going back to school? Our recently graduated, recently hired summer interns!
We spoke to two of our summer interns who stayed on at Jack’s New York office to find out what they did this past summer, what they discovered about brand experience and #agencylife, and how Jack inspires them to do something extraordinary every day.
Tell us about yourself. Where did you go to school? What did you study?
Allison Whitmeyer: I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Kenan-Flagler Business School in May 2016. I studied Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing.
Madison Obritz: I graduated from Boston University this past May, and I studied communications with a concentration in public relations.
In what department did you work as an intern at Jack, and what’s your role now?
Allison: New Business / Accounts. I’m now the Business Development Coordinator.
Madison: I have been a part of the Production team. I have been promoted to Production Assistant.
What was your favorite experience while at Jack?
Allison: Surprisingly, working late on a pitch. Even though we were all exhausted and on a tight timeline, being part of a team that was truly passionate about the work they were doing made it all worth it.
Even though we were all exhausted and on a tight timeline, being part of a team that was truly passionate about the work they were doing made it all worth it.
Madison: My favorite experience had to be all the company outings. It’s great to know that the company values community and encourages some down time with co-workers. Plus, I got to talk to people from other departments that I don’t normally work with every day.
What was your favorite project to work on while at Jack?
Allison: My favorite project to work on at Jack has been, without a doubt, a pitch for a sportswear company. I was part of the pitch from when we received the RFP to the final presentation. Being a part of such a strong, creative, hilarious team was incredible—and a great learning experience.
Madison: My favorite project to work on was for a top food brand. It allowed me to get involved on a project from beginning to end, and even go onsite. I feel like I learned the most on that project, which will inform future projects I work on.
What do you love about working at Jack?
Allison: I love working at Jack because every day is different, and you are constantly challenged. Plus, the work is extremely exciting and ever-evolving.
Madison: I love the projects that we work on here. It has been a great experience learning from all these smart, talented people. It’s really inspiring to see what everyone does.
What got you interested in working at a brand experience agency?
Allison: A couple of summers ago, I interned at an event company. The following summer, I was a marketing intern. I really enjoyed both experiences and wanted to find a job that combined the two, and a brand experience agency is the best of both worlds. In my opinion, it is a combination of the arts and the business world.
Madison: I had always wanted to work on events, but what I discovered at Jack Morton took my idea of “events” to the next level. I like seeing people’s reactions [to experiences] and knowing that I somehow played a part in that.
What inspired you to work in marketing, production, or new business?
Allison: I love fast-paced, challenging, and ever-changing work (I get bored easily), so new business was the perfect fit.
Madison: What inspired me to work in production is my interest in the live, onsite process of events. I like bringing ideas to life.
I like bringing ideas to life.
In what way do you think that Jack prepared you for the real world?
Allison: While college definitely prepared me to enter the real world, Jack has undoubtedly prepared me to not simply survive, but thrive in the real world. Jack initiated my professional development journey through my interactions with senior account, creative, strategy and production employees.
Madison: I think something that Jack has taught me that will stick with me in the real world is that sometimes you don’t necessarily need to have [majored in] something that you want to do. People in this office have all different backgrounds in terms of past jobs and college majors, and that shows that putting in the effort and tailoring what you have done to get you where you want to go may help you more than you think.
What’s something you experienced at Jack that you couldn’t have experienced at any other company or agency?
Allison: The one thing that you can only experience at Jack is the people. Everyone at Jack is passionate about the work. Every single person makes Jack what it is–extraordinary.
Madison: Something I experienced here that I wouldn’t have been able to experience somewhere else is definitely getting to go onsite. I have been to local events at past internships, but never have I had a chance to fly to a project site and feel as much a part of the team as I have felt here.
If you were to sum up Jack Morton in three words, what would they be?
Allison: Inspiring, ambitious and one-of-a-kind.
Madison: Vibrant, full of life, doers.
Any advice for future interns?
Allison: Actively seek out opportunities. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want, whether it be to sit in on a meeting, grab coffee with someone from another team that you want to learn more about, or gain more responsibilities and work (you will definitely get that if you ask!).
Madison: Make the most of your internship! Go to every company outing, department lunch, speaker series, Walk the Wall presentation, and talk to as many people in the office as you can. Soak it all up at Jack because that will make your experience more worthwhile.
Anything else you’d like to add about your experience at Jack?
Allison: I learned exactly what brand experience is from [our Chief Creative Officer] Bruce Henderson. He said, “Advertising is about promises brands make, and experiences are about fulfilling those promises.”
Madison: I am appreciative of how supportive everyone was. I’m excited to be stepping up and sticking around!
Learn more about our company culture, and stay tuned for future internship opportunities!