de Novo 2016 Summer Intern: Maddie Young

With the summer months coming to a close, our summer intern, Maddie Young‘s time at de Novo also came to an end. Over the course of the summer, Maddie worked with everyone on the team to get a broader sense of marketing and what “Agency Life” entails. During her stay, she took a liking to digital strategy and account management. This fall, Maddie will be returning to her studies at Drake and will be finishing her degree in marketing. Before Maddie embarked for school, she left us with an amazing blog about her time at de Novo.

Her blog read:

“Working at de Novo has been quite the experience- We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve made jokes at the expense of our co-workers (Ryan). I came out of this internship as a more well-rounded marketer, and not just due to the baked goods always around the office! Through meetings with each person in the office, I was able to learn about the basics of each position and the path taken to get there. I discovered that Digital Strategy piqued my interest, as well as occasional Copywriting. Each week I got to put some of my personality into the weekly ‘Weird Holiday Newsletter’, and write about trending topics. I may not win a Pulitzer from my work, but I think I have a good shot at winning the “Sensible Chuckle Email” award.

Throughout the summer I was exposed to every aspect of de Novo’s marketing services. I attended pitch meetings, video shoots, client meetings, brainstorming sessions, and a kick-ass company potluck in my honor. The ‘Freshman 15’ was somewhat avoidable, but I can personally attest that the ‘de Novo 20’ is not. From this internship, I was able to learn more in-depth about Digital Strategy and use this knowledge as a springboard to get another internship in Des Moines for the school year in Search Engine Optimization.

My best advice for future interns is to keep flexible and have fun! You’re working with some of the most seriously talented (and seriously quirky… and fun) coworkers around. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and sometimes find the answer on your own. Lastly, don’t stop learning. There’s something new to learn every day, even if it is just the best tactic to catching Pokémon. Every de Novian is dedicated to Marketing, and always willing and excited to mentor. Shout out to Sam Fathallah for telling me about this company, and opening the door to Cedar Rapids’ finest Marketing company. I couldn’t have asked for a better summer internship experience, and no matter where I end up, I will always consider myself a de Novian at heart.”

Thank you for kicking ass every day you were here and for being a great stand-in wife (see video below). You did a great job and you will always be a part of the de Novo team. If college is extremely dull and you feel like you need just a little more excitement, our door will always be open for you! Good luck with your future endeavors and we hope to see you again soon!