Meet our new international intern, England’s Jacob Rowlands

As regular readers of our blog will know, it’s been a big year for us in terms of interns. We had our first academic-year interns earlier this year. We had our largest group of summer interns ever this summer. And now we’re excited to hit another first: our first international intern.

This week we welcomed Jacob Rowlands, a native of Wolverhampton, England, to 3Points. Jake earned his BA in business studies from the University of Liverpool, and an MSc in digital marketing from Nottingham Trent University, in addition to working in various digital marketing roles. He’ll be interning with us through January, helping us on a number of different projects.

Get to know Jake via the short Q&A below!

What interests you in PR/Communications?

Throughout my studies I was able to learn about many different areas of business, however PR and communications always stood out to me. The dynamic nature of the industry and contrast between clients and projects means no two days will be the same in the learning process. I also have a passion for the digital world and how communication is evolving both on a social scale and in business applications.

How did you choose 3Points and Chicago?

At this stage of my professional life, the opportunity to work in a collaborative, small team environment is invaluable to my learning experience. To see and participate firsthand in the entire marketing process is exactly what I was looking to do, and I am very excited to be able to work with professionals in all different fields. It’s an opportunity not presented at larger companies to new professionals.

As for Chicago, I have always wanted to work in a large metropolitan city that is full of cultures and experiences not available in the UK. Chicago offers all of this with its wide range of districts, cultures and attractions.

What are you looking forward to learning during your internship?

I am looking forward to learning how projects are conceptualised and then developed in a small business environment and about the increased level of engagement that is required from individuals. My previous professional experience has been very data- and analysis-heavy, so the opportunity to work with some more creative and visual elements of projects is also very exciting.

What are you most looking forward to doing in Chicago?

I am a huge sports fan, so I am very keen to explore all the sporting options available in the States that we don’t have back in the UK. In particular, I have always followed the NFL and have been able to see games at Wembley, but I am very excited to be able to see a game over here. Also, I have heard a lot about the food and restaurants of Chicago, and it would be criminal of me not to try as many as I can. A particular delicacy I have been told not to miss out on is deep-dish pizza, which I am very excited to try.

This being my first visit to the States, I am also looking forward to just getting out there and seeing the sights and embracing the culture of another country.

Tell us a bit about your hometown of Wolverhampton — and what do you think you’ll miss most about England?

Wolverhampton is a historic city in the West Midlands of England. It’s most well known for being at the heart of the industrial revolution, hence the region being known as “the Black Country.” It’s very different to Chicago, trading skyscrapers for old Georgian and Victorian buildings. There are many things I’ll miss about home — aside from family and friends I’ll be sure to miss my sports and at times the peace of the countryside. Though, if I had to name one thing it would probably be a proper cup of tea; I might even find myself missing the English weather later into winter, a very rare thing to hear.

Last question: what is your favorite “It’s Coming Home” meme from England’s run in this summer’s World Cup?

A very sensitive topic that the country is still recovering from. As much as the country united, by far the best product of the World Cup was all the memes we were given. If I had to pick one though, I would go for the Matrix dub, though it could be a very long list.