Here I was, at the end of my sophomore year of college, a Marketing major, and about to start my summer. I was already halfway through my college years and still wasn't sure where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, or who I wanted to be after graduation. I needed to get involved, to learn more, to gain experience. Is Marketing truly what I want to do? And if so, what kind? What field? How do I get there? So many questions that I needed to answer, but I didn't know where to start. I knew that in order to be successful and find a job after graduation I needed to do something. I needed to find an internship. But how?

I had created an account on Internships.com in March, and applied to some possible internships. But nothing had seemed to work out. It was now the beginning of June, and I thought for sure that my chances of doing something that would help towards my career goals this summer were gone. Then one morning I woke up and checked my email, and I had a message from the Marketing Director, Sharifah Hardie from Punch TV Network in Long Beach. She thought my resume was impressive and wanted to schedule an interview! I was so excited, I called them right away and came into the office a couple days later for my interview.

First walking through the doors of Punch TV was so surreal. This was my first real interview, at a real television network, to do something I was truly interested in. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly, and right away I could tell that it would be a great environment to be a part of. Sharifah greeted me with a big smile on her face, and made me feel so comfortable as she was interviewing me. She was understanding of my limited schedule, and told me she would work with me to find something that worked. She explained how I would gain so much Marketing and social media experience working at Punch TV that I would be set for any job I wanted to hold in the future. Little did I know how right she was.

I took the position of a Marketing Intern for Punch TV Network and started coming into the office 2 days a week for 8 hour shifts. I was able to really become a part of the Punch TV family right away, as I was put right into the action and all of the behind-the-scenes work that went into making a television network successful.

My first day on the job, I got to sit in on a meeting with Sharifah and the Vice President, Shariff Hasan. They were discussing the company and the different ways that we could advertise and promote the network. Things like choosing domain names, creating a website, figuring out how to get the funding, calling companies to sponsor you...who knew there was so much that went into it? Simply sitting there and listening to their conversation was so intriguing to me. I noticed them using words and phrases such as "Marketing Platform," "Target Audience" and "Brand Judgement," that I had learned in my Marketing 300 class the past semester. Hearing these things said and discussed in this environment made it so much more real to me. I found myself thinking, "I could see myself sitting here and leading a meeting like this."

Throughout the next few weeks, I came into work and got to do things like submit press releases, come up with ideas for a Marketing Campaign, update the company's Brand Bible, post to/learn more about social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook fan pages, and so much more.

It really made me feel important when Sharifah had me come up with my own Marketing Campaign and pitch my ideas to her. When she liked what I came up with, I got to type it up and make it into a real campaign-something I would be doing as an actual Marketing Director for a company. I put the time in and did the research to come up with ideas to promote Punch, such as having contests on social media sites, hosting Q&A sessions with the actors, getting the viewer's input and applying it to shows, posting "behind-the-scenes" pictures and videos, and hosting viewing parties for loyal fans. The company is actually going to use some of these ideas, which really makes me feel accomplished and proud.

The work I did with Punch TV's social media sites has made me a lot more comfortable in using Facebook, Twitter and blog sites. I understand the importance of gaining a following, having a large number of fans, and how to achieve that. I now know that it is crucial to post frequently, include lots of videos and pictures, and use a ton of #hashtags! I also learned all the strategies about when to post about certain things, how often, and what to say.

Recently, I was asked to do an interview with the Vice President, Shariff Hasan. I was so excited to actually be on film, and be a part of something that would be documented and go up on Punch TV's website, Facebook page, YouTube, and maybe more. I got to interview Shariff from the perspective of a college student studying Marketing, and ask for his advice on how to become successful. He responded to me by telling me about his journey, and what he suggests students like me should do to reach our goals. He helped me understand that staying dedicated and persevering through all of the obstacles is key to becoming successful. Being a part of this video was definitely one of my highlights of being at Punch. 

All of the people who work at Punch TV are not just employees and coworkers, they are a family. Amidst the hard work and long hours that everyone puts in, there is always time left for laughs, jokes, birthday celebrations, and the occasional pizza lunch delivery. Being new at all of this, I had a lot of questions to ask and assignments that I did not fully understand. However, that never worried me because I knew that I could ask anyone for help and they would happily lend a hand.

Interning at Punch TV Network has been so beneficial to me because it is so much hands-on experience. With it being a smaller company, I have been able to really be a part of the team and complete tasks that the real employees would do. Instead of putting me in another room and giving me busy "Intern" work like sorting papers or organizing desks, Punch treated me like a real employee and gave me the experience I need to help me when I graduate college.

I have learned so much here, and will miss my time at Punch TV. However, I truly feel like it has significantly helped me grow and understand more not only about the field of Marketing, but about all that it takes to run a business. I feel much more prepared and ready to now continue my Marketing career path. I am certain that this experience and knowledge that I have gained will be very beneficial to my future in more ways than one. At the very least, entering my junior year of college with this internship under my belt will provide me with more confidence than I have ever had before. Thank you Punch!


#I Want My Punch TV!