3Points Summer Intern Roundtable Recap
Somehow, summer is already winding down, which means we’re already saying goodbye to our 2018 summer interns. This summer was our biggest one yet for interns, as we had three (we love staying on-brand) college students in the office: Notre Dame rising senior Chris Brendza, Yale rising junior Anna Jennings, and Northwestern rising senior Christine Marella.
We were a little nervous about having interns take up such a large percentage of our team, but the three of them have been invaluable to us over the past few months, taking over a variety of tasks and impressing us with their smarts, dedication, and positive attitudes.
Before they left, we asked our interns to share a few quick insights and memories from their experience at 3Points.
What did you learn during your internship?
Christine: This internship was a top-to-bottom education in public relations, especially since I had no prior hands-on experience in PR before this summer. I worked on internal as well as client projects, so I learned about both how this business is run from the inside, and how we serve and partner with our clients.
Chris: I agree with what Christine said — as well as reiterate that working at a small agency allowed me to get a holistic view of how PR firms operate. Instead of being stuck on one client or one project, I got experience with and worked on a wide variety of PR tasks all across our client roster.
Anna: I learned the true power of a TEAM. This sounds cliche, but 3Points emulates the saying “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Each member works for the betterment of the agency, and that is a quality that I looked for in an internship this summer. I learned that being a team player in the Chicago tech industry means being open, honest, clear, and encouraging. 3Points hits all four of these characteristics and more.
What was your favorite thing about your time at 3Points?
Christine: No two days look the same, and that’s not something a lot of people get to say. There’s a significant level of spontaneity in this field, and I definitely enjoyed how varied the work was.
Chris: The people. When working in a small office, the people can really make or break the experience — and this team is not only easy to work with, but easy to learn from and fun to hang out with.
Anna: The team. The working environment that 3Points has created is second to none. Not only is everyone co-workers, but friends. They want to invest in who you are as a person, co-worker, and teammate. Working hard is second nature to this agency and after spending a summer with this amazing group of people, I can confidently say I received the perfect combination of work and joy.
Was there a specific project you are proud of or that you really enjoyed working on?
Christine: I am proud of all the writing and editing work I got to do for both 3Points and our clients. That area is my niche, so I truly enjoyed diving into those projects.
Chris: I know Sam will want me to say putting together Toggl analytics reports, but the project I probably invested the most time in was running our company social media accounts. Whether it was searching for interesting and relevant content to tweet out, reading up on daily tech news, or engaging with our clients and followers online, it gave me a lot of great experience in handling corporate accounts.
Anna: I enjoyed working on our clients’ social media accounts and posts — mainly because it was the greatest learning experience I could have asked for this summer. Will would provide me an opportunity to come up with posts on my own, correct them, and chat about what I could do to improve. I felt as though I was always improving, which provided extra encouragement throughout the summer.
Funniest story or moment from your time here?
Christine: One of my favorite moments was when our office effectively shut down to watch the World Cup semifinals — we gathered around our high tables, ordered pizza, and collectively shouted at the TV.
Chris: At the start of the summer we had a team outing to go axe throwing — from Sam channeling his inner lumberjack to Katie finding a hidden new talent, it was both a hilarious and memorable experience.
Anna: My favorite moment at 3Points was spending an afternoon with the former CEO of CHX. Not only was I awe by his wisdom and poise, but was able to teach him how to “Dab” by the end of the meeting. Many laughs were shared, and that will be a memory I hold forever.
What was the most fun thing you did in Chicago over the summer?
Christine: I saw Naia Izumi at the NPR Tiny Desk Concert at Lagunitas Brewing Company! The space was incredible — the room was right in the center of the brewing warehouse and looked out on the machinery and equipment. There were probably fewer than 200 people in the audience, sitting at long picnic tables drinking Lagunitas. Definitely not your typical concert.
Chris: I’m a sucker for ballgames so I always love a day or night spent at Wrigley (I saw Jason Heyward’s walk-off grand slam earlier this year). Beyond Cubs games, I recently went on a Taco Crawl that was pretty awesome — good weather, good food, and good drinks.
Anna: I found a new passion for running this summer, which resulted in running several races around Chicago, including the Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10 Miler and Hemingway 8k. I met incredible people, saw gorgeous nature spots, and took home a few medals. It was an amazing way to meet Chicago natives while also getting my workouts in!
We’re going to miss our intern army, and we wish them the best of luck with their final years of school. If you are a college student or recent graduate and are interested in an intern position with 3Points, feel free to apply via the jobs page on our website.
