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Interning with Blue Ion | Merrill Pischke

Interning with Blue Ion

Hi! My name is Merrill Pischke and I am a senior at the College of Charleston. I am a Marketing major with a Finance minor. In the Spring semester of my junior year, my Research Marketing class took a field trip to Blue Ion to learn about their application of data analytics throughout their marketing process. After the presentation, I was extremely excited to learn more about Blue Ion because it replicated my dream scenario of where I wanted to work and what I wanted to do. Because of this enamoration, I persistently emailed, called, and visited Blue Ion, in the hopes of them needing a Marketing intern. After it got to a level of almost stalking, I was able to meet with members of the Blue Ion team to learn more about the possibility of an internship. I was finally able to start interning for them in September of 2015.

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Although how I got to Blue Ion isn’t as relevant as what I have learned from my time interning, I think it is important to recognize how persistence pays off. Being in college, internships are crucial to identifying what you want to do. It is important to look for the internships that aren’t just easy to get, but for the ones that actually mirror what you hope to do from 9-5 post graduation. It is more about the quality of your experiences than the quantity of your resume fluffers.

Starting at Blue Ion, I was very nervous. Even though these are some of the nicest people you could ever find, everything at Blue Ion, from their work content to their office space, is of the highest quality. I was eager to provide some applicable value as an intern. I was quick to discover my college courses weren’t much help in the face of the digital marketing world. But, Greg Lantz, my internship liaison of sorts, has been such a great guide through my time at Blue Ion. From proofreading websites before launch to attempting Photoshop projects, Blue Ion has allowed me to explore their day to day digital marketing world. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that details are everything. Going through sites with Greg, I have recognized how the malfunction of a small button, on a simple page, can completely derail a user’s confidence in a site’s functionality. From this, I have come to appreciate websites so much more. Within a website, each link, each tab, each picture, are all strategically programmed and coded to operate the way they do. Websites aren’t the drag and drop templates that I thought they were.

Blue Ion has been a really important internship to me. Unlike my other internships, members of Blue Ion actually take the time to explain different aspects of their work. From writing ads to editing blogs, I have gotten the chance to actually learn about and work on different projects. Whether they have to go back and correct everything I did, I do not know, but at least they give me the chance to try. As a student looking for internships, look for the ones that can teach you different skills and not the opportunities that require coffee runs and answering phones. The marketing lessons that I have learned at Blue Ion are invaluable experiences and they have really narrowed and enhanced my view of what I want to do.

Graduating in May of 2016, my time in college is rapidly coming to a close. One thing I am very proud of is that I have started to look for jobs really early on. Many students wait until the Spring to begin their job search but I don’t think deciding what you are going to do post graduation should be left to procrastination. With this early search, I have interviewed with many companies and I have received a job offer!! Even though I don’t know if they are the right company for me, it is exciting to know that there are companies that might want me. Through this trial and error process, my confidence has grown in my resume and my interview skills. I might be slightly biased because I am a marketing major, but I think the most important thing you can do is accurately and confidently market yourself. Companies need to know why they should hire you and you are the one that is responsible for showing them that. Through starting the process early and preparing for interviews, I have helped myself to further remove the mystery and stress surrounding graduation.

Little things about me!!!!!

When I was little they called me the Talking Head. I earned this title because I had this massively round head and I wanted to talk to anyone about everything. Since then, I have slightly grown into my head, but my love to talk and connect has never diminished! Below is evidence, I am the one in the middle… And the cute ones to my left and right are my older sisters, Alex and Jordan.

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I love horses! Such a girly thing to say, but horses have been one of the foundations of my life for as long as I can remember.  From the ages 6-19, I competed nationally on the hunter-jumper equestrian circuit. My family moved from Atlanta, GA to Middleburg (Middle “Of No Where” Burg) VA to give my sisters and I more opportunities to pursue our riding. Below is a picture of my horse Harry Potter. People always ask if I am this huge Harry Potter fan but sadly he came with his name!

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I have loved my interning experience so far with Blue Ion. I look forward to the rest of my time here. It has been such an amazing opportunity and it has set a very high bar in my mind about what a company should be.

THANK YOU GREG AND THE ENTIRE BLUE ION TEAM!