CBA internship helps new graduate land dream job
Melani
Reynolds tried it her way. Then she tried it the CBA way. Now she's leading the
way for Omnium Worldwide, Inc.
Reynolds, who graduated from the
College of Business Administration in August with a BSBA degree in marketing,
landed her "dream job" three months prior to even earning her diploma. That was
in May, when Omnium hired her as its marketing coordinator. A CBA marketing
internship made it all possible, she says.
As a
sophomore, Reynolds had submitted letters to a number of advertising agencies
in Omaha seeking an opportunity to gain work experience while pursuing her degree.
But there were no takers, many of the responses suggesting Reynolds wait until
she had more marketing coursework under her belt.
A year
later, Reynolds learned about CBA's internship program. "This process was so
much easier than looking for a job on my own," she says. "Firms that were
readily seeking interns posted positions on the CBA Internships website.
Working with Dr. Holland was another advantage because she was available to
answer my questions."
Coordinating
the CBA Internships program is Dr. Jonna Holland, also a member of CBA's
marketing faculty. "Dr. Holland sent me on interviews with several companies,"
Reynolds recalls. "I ended up with two incredible internship offers."
One was
from Omnium Worldwide, Inc., an accounts receivable management and cost
containment company (see sidebar). The offer was especially appealing to
Reynolds because it provided the flexibility her schedule needed. Omnium hired
her in the fall of 2003 as a student intern in its marketing department.
"Laura
Knapp and Hoa DeBusk supervised my internship at Omnium," Reynolds says. "They
were great to work with and gave me a chance to really learn about marketing.
At the interview, they asked me what I wanted from the experience."
The
internship provided an opportunity to be involved in the company's marketing
projects. Reynolds helped create drafts of presentation materials later used by
Omnium's business development department to present to potential clients or to
expand current client relationships. "I knew there might be some of the usual
internship responsibilities, but I also received the opportunity to write
business proposals and work with the proposal database." She also was given the
opportunity to try her hand at graphics while designing signage for the operations
floor and to assist in tradeshow planning.
Though
the internship as a for-credit course was completed by the end of the year,
Reynolds' stay with the company wasn't; Omnium asked her to stay on as an
intern through the following spring. When that stint was up, Omnium in May this
year offered her a full-time post as its marketing coordinator.
Looking
back, Reynolds sees how her internship duties fit into the overall marketing
process. "As an intern, I did tasks to contribute and started to get a feel for
the process. Now I'm responsible for the entire process." As marketing coordinator, Reynolds does
forecasting and tracks budgets, and plans and develops materials for initiating
and growing relationships with clients. She oversees the planning and preparation
of events scheduled for tradeshows. Researching industry and marketing trends
and applying them in ways that help clients reach their goals are among her new
and challenging responsibilities.
Says
Holland: "Internships are the perfect win-win situation. Students get the
opportunity to see what characteristics they want in a future career, and
companies can see firsthand if interns have the qualities they seek in future
employees."
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Omnium—Worldwide with UNO
Headquartered
in Omaha, Omnium Worldwide, Inc. provides overdue accounts receivable
management services for a variety of providers in industries, including
healthcare, communications, financial services and insurance. The company
employs more than 850 people in 10 branch offices across the country. Its
marketing department is centralized in Omaha and consists of 10 people,
including three CBA interns and one recent graduate.
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