Marketing internships for high school students

December 13, 2021

Tips to land the best marketing internships for high school students

Once the new year hits, spring flies by. That means now is the time to start thinking about summer internships and jobs. Take some notes while you read this blog post, whether that’s on paper or typing in the cloud.

Since spikeview is a platform to help young people own their narrative, marketing is always on our mind. We meet a lot of high schoolers each semester who understand the importance of standing out from the crowd. That’s true for brands and for individuals.

We put together a list of ways you can stand out from other job applicants.

tips to get the best high school marketing internships

A little bit of strategic planning now will make your applications much easier later!

Simplify your career objectives.

You’ve seen sample resumes all over the internet, and they typically start with a “career objectives” section. For a high school or college student, this might seem premature. After all, if you’re still learning about career options, how can you possibly have a clear objective? 

The answer is you don’t need a rock solid objective. Employers want to know the type of person you want to be when you grow up, and the type of work that might make you happiest. So start by making notes on those two topics. You might write some thoughts as if answering these two questions:

  1. What kind of person do you want to be known as?
  2. What kind of people excite or inspire you?

List 3 ways you spend your free time at home.

Quick! Jot down three things you might do instead of taking out the trash or vacuuming the house. If you’re putting off chores, what are you doing instead? How do you spend your free time at home? 

This might sound silly, but it’s an important part of understanding yourself. Identify the things that bring you joy. These are the hobbies and habits that will likely stay with you for life, and it helps define the type of work you might be suited for as an adult. 

Name one class that feels like fun, not work.

Adults understand school usually feels like work. Most of us don’t go through high school excited about every single moment in a classroom. But almost everyone has one class or part of a curriculum that delivers a smile. 

When it comes time to interview for a job or internship, employers will probably ask you questions about your passions or what you like to study. This is your practice to get ahead of the questions. No answer is too small. It could be as simple as “working with my hands in shop class.” 

Record a video elevator pitch.

You take selfies all the time, so you’re no stranger to the video camera. Make a 30-second video about how you might make an impact in the world. This doesn’t have to be seen by anyone other than yourself. The point of an elevator pitch is to practice giving a concise introduction to a stranger.

If you’re feeling ambitious, record elevator pitch videos about a few topics that show employers you’re more than just a human who fills a job vacancy:

  • How I want to impact the world.
  • One surprising thing I learned from my mom.
  • One thing I taught myself from a YouTube tutorial.

Learn how other people see you.

Start with the people who know you best. Siblings, parents, teachers, or someone you work for. Ask each of them an open-ended question like:

  • What are one or two things I’m good at? 
  • What’s a word or phrase that comes to mind when you hear my name?
  • If you had to delegate a job to me, what would it be?

And most importantly, don’t interrupt or argue! Just let the person talk or even ramble. It’s important to understand how you appear to others.

Write a short story describing how you interact with adults.

Think about your ultimate audience. If you’re applying for a marketing internship, then you’ll most likely be working alongside adults. Communication is on every employer’s mind, and they know resumes don’t demonstrate what you’re like to work with.

Make their job easy! Write a short story (less than 300 words) that illustrates how you interact with people older than you. You’ll be surrounded by people of all ages once you leave school, so communication beyond your peers is vital.

Daydream.

Brains need a break. And it turns out that daydreaming not only relaxes you, it helps spark ideas. It’s easy to accidentally spend hours browsing the internet looking at career options, university programs, and salary expectations. 

As silly as it sounds, schedule some time to let your mind wander. Sit outside and listen to nature. Go for a slow walk. Sink into a couch and stare out the window. Oh, and set a timer – you’ve still got one last thing to do…

Log into the spikeview opportunity hub.

We’ve put together a special hub for all kinds of unique opportunities. All you need is a free spikeview account to get access. See you inside!

apply for high school internships

p.s. We’re hiring!

We’ve got some exciting internship positions available right now. You don’t have to wait until summer!