Hometown: Huntington Woods, MI
Major and class standing: BFA in Stage Management, Minors in Arts & Cultural Management & Public Relations, Senior
Instagram: @rayray_gold
Linkedin: Rayna Gold
Where you interned: Jack Morton Worldwide, Detroit, MI
What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?
My internship title this summer was Production Intern! My roles and responsibilities included assisting my manager with any production needs he might have, putting together Requests For Proposals to outside vendors, working with the other interns from the Detroit office to put together a final intern project and various social media challenges, putting together contact and FAQ sheets, sit in on daily client meetings and various production/creative/finance meetings.
It can be a bit tough to understand at first if you’re not familiar with the industry, but basically think about a big conference you’ve ever attended and then think about all the little nuances you might not notice to make sure that conference runs smoothly and looks good… Jack Morton is that company. We’re finding vendors to load in video screens, figuring out how many tables and chairs can fit in a room, creating backdrops, coordinating speaker schedules, etc. Jack Morton technically calls themselves a “brand experience agency” and are run by IPG.
How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?
The way I heard about this internship was kind of funny actually. My mom does yoga every Wednesday at the YMCA and overheard one of the guys talking about the company he works for and an upcoming work trip he was taking and she went up and asked him about it. She ended up getting his phone number and ultimately gave it to me to reach out to him, which I did! He then told me to still apply online on Jack Morton’s website. Before applying I made sure to send my resume to different mentors of mine (MSU Alumni, Professors, etc.) to edit as needed. I ended up sending it in and went through about 3 interviews before it was official. In our final offer phone call, they made sure to tell us only about 5% of applicants actually end up interning for Jack Morton so that was pretty cool!
What did your daily routine include?
The internship actually was hybrid so it depended on the day and if you were being taken on-site to an event for real experience. But in general, we would coordinate with our managers to only go into office twice a week when we would both be there. On the days we went into the office (which was located on the 3rd floor inside of Ford Field in Detroit) we would park in the Ford Field parking garage, walk past the field and take the elevator up to the 3rd floor. Every day was different (which is what I love about the job) but usually started out with catching up with my manager and then hopping on Teams meetings for the rest of the day. Sometimes HR would provide different events/pop-ups/lunch too which was awesome. On my 2nd day of the job they actually had a mini in-office concert with the band, Valley, right after the office’s monthly meeting followed by a happy hour. There was a headshot station set up one day too! On the days that were remote (always Mondays and Fridays) it was mostly taking teams meetings from anywhere. The days that we were on-site were totally different because it includes travel days and then working 11-14 hour days prior to and at the actual event running around as needed and making sure everything runs smoothly.
Your favorite experience from the internship?
My favorite experience from the internship was traveling with Jack Morton to Denver, Colorado to stay at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center to help assist with General Motors Professional Development Days. There, I was titled as a “Production Assistant” and was able to watch all the behind the scenes pre-production work come to life in a 3 day convention and be part of something larger than myself. Even though I was working 12 hour days, it’s just part of the production lifestyle and I wouldn’t change that experience for the world.
What was your least favorite part of the internship?
The only part of the internship that was tough was not always being assigned enough work. Sometimes I just wasn’t able to be given assignments because of the nature of our clients (General Motors, Chevrolet, Cadillac, etc.) and how high of stakes everything is, but just being able to watch senior staff in action was valuable as it is.
What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
I learned everything like how to work faster paced at high stakes and the mentality it takes to succeed in that environment. I learned that it’s all about how you look at a situation, knowing that it has to get done one way or another, and switching your thinking to come from a more logistically creative way. I learned more about the best way to organize documents and emails that makes sense for me. Also being able to watch my manager directly speak with clients was hugely helpful because there is a different tone and language in which you use to make things run smoothly.
What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?
As a result of my time with Jack Morton, I learned how important small details are in executing large scale events and how many people it takes to make it run. For example, a backdrop that sits behind a stage with GM’s logo on it in a conference room went through about 15 different people and 3 different companies just to make sure it got to where it needed to be, looking clean and neat, and on time and that security guard you see standing in from to the escalator wasn’t just told to go stand there, but 10 different people talked and strategically placed them and needed approval before it could happen. I also learned it’s so hugely important to be a team player and go into every aspect of the job with an open mind, positivity, and energy. My future plans will definitely be to progress in the corporate events/brand experience industry. I want to continue networking and never stop meeting new people and learning new things. You never know when the next opportunity will come around!
What advice do you have for other students seeking out internship opportunities?
It is totally normal to feel like you’re not doing enough or aren’t good enough to obtain an internship you are hoping to get. I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not top of my class, but you just have to trust that the right opportunity and job will come along for you. Everyone’s path is different, but also right. I also have found that figuring out what set of skills you think you bring best to a job and what your values are in work can be very helpful in finding the right opportunities for you!
