Tags
advertising, internship, internship spotlight, Northwestern, off-broadway, School of Communication, theatre
Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf (SoC ’18) is a theatre and sociology major, also enrolled in the IMC and leadership certificate programs.
Describe your summer internship.
I spent my summer interning at Daryl Roth Productions/Daryl Roth Advertising. For the advertising company, my responsibilities ranged anything from group outreach for potential ticket sales to helping prep for an opening night of an Off-Broadway show. For productions, I did a lot of script coverage and assisted in various research and development of new work that is being produced for regional or Broadway theaters.
How did you learn about the opportunity? What resources were especially helpful in your internship search?
One of my Northwestern mentors (who I met through the Network Mentorship Program) told me that Daryl Roth was one of the absolute best to work for in the business. I had heard of her before, knowing she produced Kinky Boots, The Humans, The Normal Heart, War Horse, and a slew of Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning productions. I cold-called her office number and asked if they were taking interns and her assistant told me to forward my resume and cover letter. I landed an interview, and that led to my internship.
What did you enjoy most about the experience?
Because I was the only intern in the office, it allowed me to help out in a lot of different areas and meet almost everyone in the company, and no two days were the same. For productions, I would get to read scripts submitted to our office and write summaries/feedback notes that Daryl herself would read. I also got to be in the room during a new musical reading, scout out an experimental performance, taste donuts from a potential caterer, and attend an Off-Broadway opening night party.
What is the biggest takeaway from your internship?
Try to get to know as many people as possible at all different levels and places in their careers. Treat every task with the same amount of enthusiasm, even ones that are not as intellectually challenging, because your attitude is so important and if people like being around you, it’ll make all the difference.
What advice do you have for students pursuing internships that will help them be most successful?
Take rejection, learn from it, and move on. Honestly, a lot of hiring decisions are based on being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people. However, you can help yourself by putting in the preparation work with cover letter/resume/interviews and maintaining confidence throughout the process.