Student Spotlight – Alison Wong

Alison Wong (B ’17) spent her junior summer internship at DLT Solutions. During the busy months leading up to the job, her research into the company and insights into her own interests led her to an amazing internship experience.

“During my search for an internship, I was utilizing the websites Indeed and LinkedIn, as well as other resources provided by the Office of Professional Development,” Wong recalls. “I was looking specifically for marketing internships in operations, as well as business development and general marketing support. With a double major in marketing and operations and information management, I had the freedom to be open-minded without constricting myself to one track.”

Wong was hired as a marketing operations intern at DLT Solutions, LLC., an information technology solutions government reseller. “Our main project was on developing an email campaign designed to cleanse the existing database and increase its quality and health,” she said. “I worked with two other interns autonomously from our team’s director of marketing. It was our responsibility to come up with a segmentation strategy, contact lists, body content and messaging, and implementation of what ended up being a three-part campaign. This process also included a check-in with the vice president of marketing, as well as a presentation to the entire marketing team about the campaign and its impact on operations moving forward.”

The work was challenging, but much of the marketing vernacular and practices were already familiar to Wong. 

“My marketing background equipped me with a solid foundation of conceptual understanding and industry vocabulary,” she said. “For example, I understood segmentation and the customer life cycle, including the initial introduction to the brand itself, all of which was important to factor into the different components of our email marketing campaign when defining our segmentation strategy and content.”

Wong had this advice to share with current students seeking a similar internship: Do not be afraid of being unprepared. 

“Many companies either have proprietary systems or trainings during which you learn their processes and work ethic,” she said. “As long as you have the willingness to jump straight in and be autonomous when necessary, any student with a McDonough School of Business education can be equipped.”

If you are interested in a similar internship or would like general guidance, be sure to visit your dean or the Undergraduate Office of Professional Development.