By: Yianni Peroulas
How Did I Get Here?
Like most business students at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, I was ambushed early in my college career by countless peers, advisors, and family members asking about my post-grad plans.
Instead of choosing a concentration early, I made it my goal to diversify my classes and experiences to include many facets of business. The intent? To not only discover my interests, but to be well-rounded. So far, this goal has led me to work brief roles in consulting, real estate, and eventually a summer marketing internship here at McKeeman.
Early Expectations
Before this internship, I had no previous experience in marketing, so I didn’t know what to expect. However, as the son of business owners, I understand the importance of marketing, and since my father’s restaurant works with McKeeman, I was aware of their expertise and hardworking team.
Heading into the summer, I hoped to leave McKeeman with a clearer understanding of the inner workings of marketing and agency life.
My Experiences, Takeaways, and Advice
From the first day, I was welcomed warmly by the amazing team here, eager to introduce me to the processes, assignments, and resources necessary for marketing and PR.
What became abundantly clear to me early on was not just the efficiency and organization of the team, but the amount of care they have for each other, and the pride they take in their work.
From beginning meetings with kudos to hosting a weekly book club that fosters a constructive and caring environment, McKeeman’s team culture was eye-opening to experience, even for a short period of time. My perspective on how a team should work together and how a company should operate has completely shifted. Any business could benefit from taking a page out of McKeeman’s book when it comes to building a strong, cohesive workplace culture.
As for the content side of the internship, I was able to assist on a variety of projects for a variety of clients, allowing me to get a taste of the many sides of PR. Every day on the job is completely unique, which requires the team to be flexible and wonderfully creative. I honed key professional skills, including long-form writing, social media calendar planning, content creation, and media research – all skills the I will carry forward into future roles.
A standout moment for me was contributing to data analysis and marketing recommendations for my father’s restaurant. After working at the restaurant for the past six years, it was fun to see the statistics and view the business through a fresh lens.
For any future intern, take the time to really observe how this team collaborates; there’s something very genuine and intentional about the way they operate. Soak up everything you can, and you’ll undetstand why McKeeman was voted a top place to work. Have fun and be creative!
What’s next?
I am now approaching my junior year at UNC, where I intend to continue my studies in business, political science, and Spanish, and look forward to studying abroad for a semester in Spain. As I move forward in my career, I’ll continue to look back on my time at McKeeman as a powerful example of what strong company culture and meaningful work experience should look like.