Internship Expectations: Brittany Stewart

The following is a guest blog post from Brittany Stewart, who just completed his first year in our full-time MBA program. At the time of publishing, Brittany was two weeks into his internship with Lowe’s Companies, Inc. 

In just one week from today, I will embark on my MBA internship journey with Lowe’s Companies, Inc. To say this first year of B-school flew by would be an understatement. I had the pleasure of connecting with Lowe’s at the National Black and Prospanica Conference in Philadelphia, PA back in September! I remember walking up to a representative at the Lowe’s booth and engaging in natural conversation about my career aspirations. It was one of those when you know, you know situations. However, little did I know, she would be my future manager! I left that conference knowing Lowe’s was the right fit for me, so, luckily, they felt the same.

My official title will be Talent Acquisition – Digital Marketing Intern. Sounds a lot better than “student.” In this role, I will support the talent acquisition team in growing the Lowe’s brand as a top employer through social media channels. This will be my first corporate experience on the marketing side, so I’m ready for the challenge. I came back to NC State to get my MBA after three years in the operations field in order to make a career switch. I’ve always worked with marketing teams in the past, but now I’m the marketer. So, time to roll up my sleeves and learn hands on over the course of the next ten weeks!

It’s time to make an impact. As I think to myself, “what are my goals this summer?” I think of the one phrase that I heard constantly in my marketing classes this year, return on investment. Both for myself and Lowe’s, my goal is to see high ROI for not only what I contribute, but also for what I learn. I’m excited for the opportunity to take on an internship role that has never existed until now. I love that that Lowe’s appreciates the need for social media marketing and is ready to take their strategy to the next level. I want to finish the summer knowing that I’ve made an impact.

As I prepare for my first day, I decided to reflect on my expectations for the summer, and how I will apply all of my experiences and studies to this new role.

 Goals for the summer:

·     Apply classroom knowledge from Digital Marketing and Brand Management courses

·     Meet and network with as many people as possible

·   Grow the Lowe’s brand as a great place to work

·     Engage with other interns and showcase their summer experiences through social media

·     Learn how to develop social media marketing skills through various programs

·     Improve Lowe’s social media following on all platforms

·     Create a strategy for Lowe’s social to attract the best talent for the company

·     Connect with my mentor regularly to learn and grow as a Lowe’s employee

·     Nail my final presentation and enjoy every step of the experience!

I’m ready. The NC State Jenkins MBA program has [over] prepared me for this…thanks, Roderick! I can’t wait to start back in the fall and share my experience with my cohort. Good luck to all of my classmates that are embarking on their own journeys. Time to shine. Go Pack!