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By Emily Hogoboom, Web and Digital Marketing Intern, Marketing Department
Emily is a recent college grad trying to make her way in the world. She went to zoo camp as a kid, and loves everything about museums, zoos, and aquariums. She hopes to find a job working in nonprofits, loving what she does every day by making a difference.
As a recent graduate, I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career. I was interested in marketing, but didn’t have a marketing degree or a professional background extensive enough to land me a job in the real world, so I started searching for opportunities that could help me gain experience. I didn’t just find an internship—I discovered a sense of purpose and direction that I didn’t have before.
While interning at the museum, I’ve developed my marketing skills and knowledge extensively...
- I assisted with social media influencer events,
- I coordinated a content calendar to keep social posts relevant to what was trending,
- And I learned about how to measure our impact and reach on social media.
Most importantly, I’ve learned what kind of work I want to do and why. My internship has not only given me the skills I need to be successful in the marketing field, but it has helped me establish the direction I want to follow and develop the passion I need to follow it.
Throughout my internship, I’ve learned about my personality, what kind of roles I’m drawn to, and why. I’ve been encouraged to discover what I’m passionate about, and I’ve been given the tools to translate that into a career. I’ve also been able to connect with people that I may not have otherwise, while also shadowing other departments to explore more of my interests and learn about jobs I didn’t even know existed—like coordinating fundraising events with the Development team.
What I'll take away most from my experience isn’t just the information and tools I’ve learned about marketing, but knowing what I want to pursue and why. Most important to me has been learning that I wanted to use my empathetic personality to work in the nonprofit sector, and to do so by effectively marketing those organizations. I’m thankful to The Children's Museum internship program for giving me a sense of passion and direction for the rest of my life.
