The Rise Internship Experience in 2020

2020 has been quite the year. In early March, I was ecstatic that Rise offered me a position as a marketing intern. A few weeks later, COVID-19 sent me home to finish the rest of my semester from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign online. In the midst of transitioning to life back at home, everything seemed to be up in the air. My friends had started getting emails that their internships had been canceled or shortened, and I had no idea how COVID would impact my internship at Rise.

Fortunately, in early April, Rise emailed their 19 interns ensuring them that the 10 week program would still be moving forward but in a virtual setting. While I was extremely grateful to still have the opportunity, I was quite nervous. This internship was my first real experience in the marketing field and I was not sure what a virtual setting would entail. However as I head into my last week, I can confidently say that my experience at Rise was everything that I had hoped for and more.

Rise did a fantastic job onboarding all their interns. From our first meeting with IT to set up our laptops to various training meetings, interns were given a warm welcome from the entire company. This feeling of welcomeness continued throughout the entire summer. Each week, we got to meet with different company leaders and hear about their role at Rise. They answered all of our questions and offered advice on career development, which is a part of what distinguishes Rise’s company culture.

For me, the time I have spent with the marketing team has been the highlight of my internship experience. Whether it was our weekly meetings, team lunches, or one-on-ones they were always eager to teach and work with me. They are some of the most inspiring individuals I have met, and I am honored to have had the chance to interact with them this summer. While I will miss them dearly, I am excited to see all the incredible work they will continue to do for Rise.

Although 2020 has not been the year I expected, I will never forget my experience as a Rise intern. My expanded understanding of the digital marketing industry and development of various professional skills are something I always utilize in my future career.

In closing, I wanted to share a few of my fellow interns’ experience at Rise:

• "I would describe my internship experience to be very eye-opening. I did not realize how much I would love to do the work I do everyday. I would say I had the opportunity to learn/do most of the tasks that the social team does. The internship was well rounded. Although the program was virtual, I was able to learn about all the different departments at Rise, as well as get to meet many of the current Risers.” Sydney Geifman | University of Michigan
• “Rise offered me insight into the entire digital marketing journey. I saw everything that goes into a conversion: personalization, persistence, and offering a service that can transform businesses. On top of my growth in terms of technical abilities, my "marketing mind" has evolved more than I ever could have hoped.” Andrew Fortin | Northwestern University
• “Rise’s internship was very immersive! Many internships only give a surface level overview of what happens in a company, and Rise lets the interns see the whole perspective, including problem areas. The leadership team is also very transparent, so it feels like employees/interns are involved in decisions.” Sarah Kanzaki | Pennsylvania State University