It’s back to school season and that means the end of summer internships! I interviewed former Marketing Intern Rachael Hutson about her summer internship at Silverline. Find out what Rachael loved, what surprised her, what she’s studying, and what advice she’d give prospective interns.

Where do you go to school and what are you studying?

I go to the University of Chicago and am currently undecided, but will likely major in economics! I love writing and language too, so I’m considering adding a double major or minor in either creative writing or French. 

What type of internship did you have at Silverline?

I was a Marketing Intern at Silverline. Throughout the course of my summer internship, I gained exposure to a wide variety of marketing strategies. I was given the opportunity to dabble in event planning, blogging, competitive analysis, data projects, and social media marketing.

Can you describe an average day or week during your internship?

There was definitely no such thing as an average day or week. Each day was incredibly different, the only constant being continuous learning! I participated in meetings, but also worked individually on assignments and conducting research.

Favorite Silverline perks?

The Silverline NY office is amazing. The space itself is inspiring, filled with bright colors and an abundance of natural light. There are standing desks, beanbags, private meeting rooms, whiteboard walls, unlimited coffee… you name it. Creative lulls and spells of boredom are nonexistent in such an uplifting, energizing environment. On a less serious note, a good bagel is one of my favorite foods, and to make Fridays even better, Silverline always ordered the best bagels. Those ten minutes that I spent inhaling my bagel every Friday morning were the cherry on top of an already great experience.

How do you think this experience will help you as you grow your academic and professional careers?

I have acquired and honed a hearty blend of both soft and hard skills during my time at Silverline. As an intern, I was simultaneously entrusted with a multitude of important tasks and given a lot of independence, which was awesome. My communication and time management skills vastly improved as I balanced several assignments for different team members at once. I also gained familiarity with Salesforce and absorbed so much invaluable information from everyone at Silverline. One of my favorite aspects of this internship was the freedom that I was allowed to build my personal Salesforce knowledge base. I set aside a little bit of time every day to complete myTrailhead microlearning lessons available to all Salesforce users.

Internship dog walk!

What’s been most surprising about your internship experience? 

While I was interning, Kai, the Chief Growth Officer, spent about two weeks in Vancouver, leaving his Monarch caterpillar in my care. Kai, an animal and insect enthusiast, informed me about the increasing endangerment of the Monarch species. I felt honored to help his mission to revitalize the Monarch population, and am very relieved the caterpillar survived while under my watch.

Give us a few fun facts about yourself! Hobbies? Interests? 

I play soccer for UChicago, and my team is headed to Italy this preseason to train and play a few games. Beyond soccer, I love surfing, painting, reading, and collecting funky socks!

Any words of advice for future interns at Silverline? Or anyone considering an internship at Silverline?

Be prepared for a very immersive experience. You’ll learn something new every day and you’ll constantly be surrounded by an incredible group of supportive, intelligent individuals. Embrace the opportunity to engage with those both on your team and outside of it. Every Silverliner has unique advice to give if you’re willing to listen.

Interested in working with an amazing team? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page to learn more and to see current openings. Be sure to check us out on Glassdoor and LinkedIn, too.