Southeastern student lands marketing internship, experience with Uber and job offer
Friday, October 27, 2017
by: Rene Abadie
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University senior Zachary Harrison is uber excited
about his recent marketing internship. And, it’s for good reason.
When Harrison was looking for an internship, he was hoping to gain actual experience
he could utilize to gain employment when he graduates next year.
That is precisely what he got when he landed an internship with the international
advertising agency Universal McCann. Working in Los Angeles last summer, Harrison
was appointed to a team developing a major marketing and advertising proposal for
the expanding ride-hailing service Uber.
“Throughout the interview process, I was told that this is not your typical ‘get
coffee and file this paperwork’ sort of internship,” said Harrison. “We were told
that this would be a very hands-on experience and that we would be treated as any
other entry level employee. I figured that’s just what they tell everyone.”
Harrison soon learned, however, that what was promised was true. Working with
four other interns, the team developed a report and presented their results to Uber
on how the company can get current consumers to use the service in new ways.
“Uber is linked with being a designated driver or airport transportation service,”
he explained. “Our objective was to shed light that Uber can be used for any kind
of short distance transportation, such as commuting to work, fitness exercising, even
tailgating.”
The team was responsible for gathering demographic research data on current Uber
users. Harrison said the tasks seemed daunting at first, but that the supervisors
placed trust in the team and provided the interns with great guidance.
“The experience was far more than I expected, and I learned more than I imagined,”
he said.
Harrison is one of an increasing number Southeastern students who are working
in internship and other opportunities designed to provide them with real-world experience
that can open doors for future employment.
He said the internship provided him the opportunity to learn programs that are
used in marketing research and advertising, including the analytics program ComScore
and the decision-making tool Clear Decisions. In addition, he said the experience
helped him develop his skills in leadership, communication, public speaking and teamwork.
“I believe this internship has given me a leg up in my job search,” Harrison
said. “I was able to take away some tremendous experiences and knowledge that come
from working in an awesome environment and culture like Universal McCann.”
He attributed landing the position to the encouragement and assistance he received
from his Southeastern professors, including help in the application and interview
process, and the knowledge he gained in his course work that provided a basis for
the internship experience.
“Zach is beyond the success of nearly any student I have taught at three colleges,”
said Mike Jones, the Louis Mayfield Professor of Marketing at Southeastern. “The agency
world is extremely competitive; to get on with a global firm in a major market like
Los Angeles, and then work on an account like Uber is very special. Graduates from
major universities throughout the country would be fighting for this opportunity.”
Jones added that Harrison performed so well in his internship that Universal
McCann has offered him a full time position with the company following graduation.
Harrison has not yet officially accepted the offer. Thanks to his internship, he’s
definitely in the driver’s seat when it comes to his post-graduation plans.