What It’s Really Like to Intern at Hanson

This past summer, five interns joined us to gain some experience in a digital agency. Each one came to Hanson with their own unique background and worked with various departments, furthering their exposure to our ever-evolving industry. So what did they learn? We sat down with each of them to capture their reflections.

Zac Collins, a Computer Science major at University of Toledo, did his summer Engineering CO-OP with Hanson.

Amanda Hatcher, a UT graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication with a focus in Broadcasting, interned with Video.

Kelsey Lortz, a BGSU Scientific and Technical Communication student with a double Major in Creative Writing, interned (for the second year in a row) with User Experience and Content Strategy.

Rebecca Schroeder, a BGSU Graphic Design Major, interned with Visual Design.

Anna Wesche, a Writing and Film Media Studies major at Johns Hopkins University, was a General Intern who switched it up week to week with Client Services, User Experience, Analytics, Content Strategy, Visual Design, and Video.

How did you find out about Hanson?

“I came to the RAW portfolio review at Hanson last year, which was the first-year school they let juniors attend. [Hanson Visual Designer] Ben Morales was the first one I talked to because of his biography—I saw he’s a designer and a photographer and that struck me because I too am passionate about photography. Later on, Ben reached out to me asking if I would be interested in interning.” —Rebecca

“My professor asked if I was still looking for a job. I said yes and he gave me [Video Producer] Krysta Adamczyk’s contact. He told me I was going to love it.” —Amanda

“I heard about Hanson through my major at the University of Toledo. I applied through a posting on my CO-OP board and interviewed among other candidates with John [Managing Director of Engineering] and Steve [Director of Engineering].” —Zac

What are some things you’ve learned?

“One of the first things I learned was digital language—terms and phrases in this industry that are used everyday. I also quickly learned about workflow in the business setting, and how the teams come together, bringing together a bunch of people with different skills and experiences.” —Kelsey

“The biggest thing I learned is [how to navigate] the work environment in general. When I worked for the galleries in BG, I worked remotely. This is different—I worked around so many different people in different departments. I also learned how to do digital work. I had never designed a website before, but was thrown right into it, which was great experience.” —Rebecca

“[Program-wise] I learned full-stack web development as well as C# and ASP.NET databases. I was involved in a lot of different projects, and my favorite was a JIRA integration project in which I integrated with Slack, our internal messaging system, to provide live JIRA updates in real time.” —Zac

What will you bring with you moving forward?

“It’s helped me narrow down what I want to do. I learned I am efficient when I work but I also like a fun environment and learn from human interaction.” —Anna

“I feel a lot more resourceful since I started here. If I walk in somewhere and they don’t have a program I know, I will learn it. I will throw myself into positions that are going to be useful for a team, because I have also learned a lot from this team-oriented atmosphere. It’s nice because if you have a problem or struggle, you can bring it to the team and come up with a solution. I feel like I can be much more of an asset now. I feel more rounded as a whole.” —Amanda

“I’ll now be ready for anything because things may get handed to you that are vague but you need to be ready to jump in and take initiative. Learning how to be adaptable will be helpful to me moving forward as I figure out my next steps.” —Kelsey

Any advice to future interns?

“When I first got here, I was scared. Don’t be scared of anyone—everyone here is super cool. And pay attention. Everyone at Hanson is fun but we can have fun because we’re good at what we do.”  —Anna

“Relax and ask questions. It’s okay to ask. People are more than happy to help you and drop anything they’re doing. Everyone here is so nice and willing.” —Kelsey

“I wish I would’ve taken more initiative when I didn’t know exactly what I was doing—it’s okay to try something instead of waiting for answers. Try to discover things yourself first and experiment. Push yourself to find the answer. Rely on your own abilities. Even with talking to people—working here is so much more fun when you’re open. And lastly, be confident in the way you talk, the way you present yourself, and the way you work.” —Rebecca

“Take advantage of the mentorship of [engineers] John, Steve, and Joel L. A lot of the stuff they explain to you will be stuff you can use in the future, and they teach you things that would take you longer to learn on your own. Also that one-on-one interaction is awesome. They are teachers here. Take advantage.” —Zac

“Do not assume that Norman [the dog!] is dead. He is okay, he is just resting. Oh, and do not go to the coffee machine before 9:30 am, because there is a line of (I say this lovingly) cranky Hansonites waiting for it to stop brewing.” —Amanda

It’s been a privilege to have each one of these interns learn and grow from their experiences this summer. And what’s more? Three of our interns are staying on with us after their summer time ended. We just couldn’t let them go.