Intern Interviewing

The time has officially come for us to interview candidates for the eBoost Consulting internship program. Where did the time go? I feel like it was just yesterday that I went through my interview for the eBoost internship and now I am on the other side of the table asking the questions.  Since I went through the same type of interviewing process, I feel that I should give advice on what to expect to our candidates and important interviewing tips that I’ve learned as an interviewer.

What to Expect

Since I don’t want to spoil the entire surprise, what I will say is that all interviews are done within the office and can last 30 minutes more or less.  There are a series of questions that you will have to answer and mostly revolve around yourself.  Expect a situational question or two.  After the last interview question, you have a chance to ask any questions you may have to the interviewer.  You got this!

Interviewing Tips

Be on time! This is probably the most important tip of all.  First impressions are very important and you don’t want to start off the interview on the wrong foot by being late.  Be on time, or better yet, be early.  It is always better to be early than late.

Be yourself, not who you think we want you to be. Interviewers know when you are trying to be someone you’re obviously not.    Don’t fake it!  Be yourself and keep it real.

Take your time answering questions. Don’t be afraid to take a moment after a question and think about your answer.  If you didn’t understand the question, simply ask the interviewer to repeat the question.

Body language is key. Good eye contact, a warm smile, and a firm handshake can help you overcome nervousness, develop a personal rapport and present a confident image.

Although this list can go on and on, I believe that these are the most important tips to be aware of for this particular interview.  I hope that this has been helpful (let me know if it was helpful by completing the poll at the bottom) and I just want to say good luck to everyone interviewing for the eBoost Consulting internship!  I can’t wait to see the next intern class rock stars!!

Ruthie Sanchez

eBoost Consulting Intern

eBoost Interns – Where Are They Now?

I recently caught up with some of the past eBoost Interns to find out what they have been doing since completing the internship program. I had them answer three questions:

1. What was your eBoost experience like?

2. What was the most valuable lesson learned at eBoost?

3. What are you doing now?

Here’s how they answered.

Allie Heinrich

1.) My favorite memories as an intern were filming our video and getting to work on actual client accounts. I learned a wealth of information about digital marketing every time I was in the office and was thrilled with the amount of projects I was entrusted with. I was also able to foster great friendships with my fellow interns and the consultants.

2.) The most valuable lesson I learned was to take advantage of every opportunity you are presented with, because no matter how small it may seem, every opportunity has the potential to propel you to greatness.

3.) I am now the marketing manager of iTAN Solariums and collaborate with the eBoost team on the solariums’ corporate marketing.

Kurt Kaufer

1.) The internship was a great experience for me. As someone who was looking to make a career transition, I couldn’t have asked for a more comprehensive education in the short amount of time I spent at eBoost. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did I learn the execution side of the business, but I was able to gain exposure to certain other marketing and business strategy tactics. This cross-functional experience helped me to quickly gain a high-level understanding of digital marketing as an industry and eBc’s approach to the business.

2.) As someone new to the interactive marketing space, there wasn’t one specific lesson that stood out more than others. Each had an equal degree of positive impact to my professional development and the sum of the parts (MECE principle) led to me achieving my overall goal of learning as much as I could during my time here.

3.) I am now a full time Associate at eBoost Consulting.

Jason Kirby

1.) My favorite part about the internship was building relationships with the consultants as well as my intern class.

2.) The best thing I got out of the internship was the fact that I knew that the work I was doing was making a difference and being able to see the end results.

3.) Thanks to the success of the internship I am now the Director of Vertical Operations at eBoost Consulting and look forward to all the new interns coming in

Justin Goodman

1. Working on real client projects was key, to monitor the success of real campaigns and work with clients through a project.

2. When you are bringing someone in for an interview, set their chair lower than yours. <– for Johnny

Really though, it was the combination of skills acquired at eboost that allowed me to go confidently into interviews and further demonstrate my ability to manage marketing and internet marketing for the companies I have worked with.

3. I am currently a marketing manager at a power sports dealership. However, I am secretly wanting a new job! Power sports just are not my thing…and while marketing is, and internet marketing is great, really working in an industry you are passionate about is key.

Impact of eBoost Internship Program

I know how hard it is to look for a good job, especially when you lack the experience.  Although I had the college degree, I realized  quickly just how important getting experience really was when looking for a job.  Since joining the eBoost Internship program, I have learned all about Search Engine Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, E-mail Marketing, and so much more.  I even got to participate in client phone conferences, face-to-face meetings, and assist the eBoost Consultants and Associates with their day-to-day projects.  I personally have grown and learned so much about myself and digital marketing….but don’t just take my word for it.  Check out what past interns are saying about the eBoost internship program and how it has impacted them and you decide for yourself.

Kurt Kaufer

Penny Zhao

David Wayman

Justin Goodman

Allie Heinrich

“The eBoost internship helped me discover my passion for marketing and set me on a path to find my current job.  I was able to learn a lot, grow and develop my individual strengths.” -Allie Heinrich

“I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did I learn the execution side of the business, but I was able to gain exposure to certain other marketing and business strategy tactics.  Each lesson had an equal degree of positive impact to my professional development and the sum of the parts (MECE principle) led to me achieving my overall goal of learning as much as I could during my time here.” -Kurt Kaufer

“The internship has made me more confident in taking challenges.  It definitely gave me more interview opportunities, and helped me get better performance at my current job.” -Penny Zhao

“The eboost internship has shaped my career to this point.  It was my experience at eboost that helped me land my first job out of college.” -Justin Goodman

“eBoost Consulting has impacted my professional and personal life.  I have learned how to properly challenge myself and not to fear, but to learn from my failures.  Some of the best training I received was not about digital marketing, but about leadership, respect, and mentoring – a skill set that I am still developing and will continue to use in my professional life.” -David Wayman

As you can see, the eBoost Internship program had tremendous positive impact on past interns.  If you think you have what it takes to be the next eBoost Rock Star, apply now for this great opportunity to get in on the ground floor, gain valuable real-world experience, and get an education in digital marketing!

Ruthie Sanchez

eBoost Consulting Intern

The eBoost Internship Video

In the tradition of the eBoost Internship Program, we had an assignment to create a video to spread the word about the internship . Naturally, we gathered around and checked out what past interns did for their videos. What we found was a mixture of ideas, ranging from an eBoost music video to a day in the life of an eBoost intern.

After a quick brainstorming session we decided that we wanted to take a new approach to the assignment, instead of a video we were going to make a commercial. This decision was based on the fact that our objective was to capture the attention of the audience and spark interest. So a 30 second commercial format would be much more fitting than a short video.

Next, we discussed the key points we wanted to communicate in our commercial. It was important to narrowly define our objectives, so that it could be communicated in a 30 second timeframe. Here is what we ended up with:

- Eboost is an innovative digital marketing consultancy, specializing in PPC, SEO, e-mail marketing, SMM and much more
- Eboost is an accredited digital consultancy, named top 10 Best Companies to Work for In San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal.
- Establish some sort of call to action

After we agreed on the message that we wanted to communicate, we had to figure out how we were going to communicate it in a creative and unique way that would grab the audience’s attention. We settled on two things, 1) an eBoost puzzle and 2) a Scrabble board. The point of using a board game and a puzzle is to communicate that eBoost has a fun and friendly work environment. Also, it’s not so boring to look at.

Once all the planning was done, the only thing left to do was to actually go out and do it. Ruthie had the pleasure of gathering the materials, the scrabble board and the puzzle. She actually ended up creating an eBoost puzzle and cutting out the pieces one by one, which proved to be a difficult task. I had the task of putting the commercial together, which required taking pictures and editing. With what little knowledge I had in both photography and video editing I was able to struggle through it and come up with the final product, which we so creatively named the eBoost Internship Commercial.

Watch the video below or watch it on the eBoost YouTube channel, where you can also view past intern videos. Let us know what you think, any feedback would be appreciated. Do you think we accomplished the goals that we set out to accomplish?

New Technology – Keep it Clean!

As an eBoost intern, aside from doing all the wonderful things we do, there is the much needed, mandatory grunt work that we are in charge of.  Today’s grunt work topic is vacuuming the entire eBoost consulting office.

It all began as I started in the conference room, made my way to the hallway, then to the large open space where all the eBoost rockstars are stationed, went back to Megan’s office to make sure it was as shiny as the other rooms, and I then proceeded to the interns/orange room. For some odd reason, totally out of my control, the machine abruptly shut off and half of the office was in complete (or maybe not so complete) darkness. For some of us, that would have been a very stressful and chaotic moment but not for Johnny and Nick. They were excited to leave the office so they could deliver a life-changing speech to thousands of people at a conference. As for Evan and Kurt, they were spared the trauma since they were in the freshly cleaned, eBoost conference room! But poor Allison and Marko who stayed….wait a minute, where was Marko when this all happened?

But anyhow…. all this could have been avoided had we had the Koolvac Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, the vacuum that does the work all by itself!!!! Having such a vacuum would solve all of our problems! Interns could spend more time doing other grunt work or making a rich blend of coffee for Evan, there would be no power cuts ever, the trash would be emptied daily versus weekly, mineral water would be ever-flowing and the shredder machine would never get stuck again. And of course, our level of creativity would go off the roof in the orange room with so much free time on our hands to be great.
I sure am not complaining as I must say I am an expert in the cleaning field. I got first hand experience at age 5 and have been meticulously cleaning ever since as I have no roommates to “share” chores with.

But it wasn’t such a bad day after all since Megan came to the rescue and brought a very happy ending to this whole situation  . That’s me handling the vacuum, not the koolvac… but I am still smiling!

Ashmina Aullybux
eBoost Intern

Stepping up to Creativity

Direct Mail Marketing, as most of us know, deals with sending promotional offers or advertisements via postal mail, different from eMarketing. We receive tons of mailings per day -  I said it, per DAY! So the question is, how do some companies differentiate themselves when sending invitation letters or promotional items to the community so they can stand out?

I decided to make it to my 10 am IMC class last Monday, forgetting that instead of the regular lecture series, there was going to be a guest speaker! Nancie Vann from Adcentive Group came in to give us an insight as to how she has used a number of differentiated direct mail marketing strategies to boost interest in bringing attendees to the Adcentive Group Open House as well as other promotional tactics to meet her clients’ expectations.

She sounded like the queen of creativity to me. Who can come up with the idea of sending out an invitation to an open house on a bandana? She sure did and here is the infamous bandana she brought to class to prove it!!!!

 

Adcentive had a Rodeo theme open house at their showroom located in San Diego and Nancie Vann mentioned how they came up with the idea of sending out a mini horse wearing a cool red shirt that can be placed on an office desk or hang on the computer monitor, while the invite was on that bandana [see picture to the left]. How ingeniously marketed! Even some of the attendees showed up wearing the bandana!!

She went on to say how some of her clients have tried to copy some of their ideas for their own direct mail marketing [I would too!!!].

This is just one of the cool ideas Nancie Vann at Adcentive came up with, and she brought a plethora of nick-nacks, all from past promotions for different marketing efforts for clients as well as more direct mail marketing ideas from previous open house events.

From a personal standpoint, I would love to see more of that, I mean who wouldn’t want to open up a small ‘treasure’ box and dig out a stuffed animal and a bandana as an invitation to an event? I was impressed….

Ashmina Aullybux
eBoost Consulting Intern

Birthday @ eBoost

Johnny's Birthday Dinner

Birthdays are always a time for celebration here at eBoost Consulting.  Everyone gets the chance to take a break from the ordinary and….eat cake!  Last friday, November 6, was Johnny Chan’s birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  I’ve noticed that the tradition around the office for birthday’s is to give a special birthday card that is signed by everyone in the office.  You can just imagine everyone sneaking around to Megan Sanders office, the Administrative & Accounting Manager, to sign a card behind Johnny’s back. =)

Since Johnny is my mentor, I wanted to get him something nice for his birthday.  I knew that Johnny likes  muay thai, which is alot like boxing.  Could I buy a fight for him….and “make sure” Johnny wins?? Does he need new gloves? MAYBE A SHIRT!  I’m such a girl, I always end up trying to buy clothing.  No…I decided to ask around the office to see if I could come up with a better gift idea.  I went to Evan LaGasse, the SEO Expert here at eBoost.  He suggested that since Johnny likes nutritious food, I should get prunes for his birthday.  Uhhh…maybe next year Evan.  Next, I went to Nick Urbani, the Managing Director of Business Development.  He mentioned to me that they were gonna go to a book signing for the book called The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons on his birthday.  That’s when the idea hit Nick…. I should buy him the book to get signed!  I found the book at Borders, wrapped it up, and gave it to Johnny for his birthday.  I’m glad I found a nice gift for Johnny and not have to rig a fight for Johnny.  I think he really liked the book anyway!

The best part of birthdays is food!  Finally, to end Johnny’s birthday, we all went out together to Kensington Grill right off of Adams Avenue.  We socialized, ate great food, and I actually tried squid!!  It was an experience for sure.  Like I said, birthdays are always a time for celebration at eBoost Consulting.  Hope you enjoyed your birthday Johnny!  Happy Birthday!!

Ruthie Sanchez

My First Client Meeting

Conference Room

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending a real eBoost Consulting meeting with one of their clients.  My mentor, Johnny Chan, was the Meeting Facilitator.  He basically made sure that everyone stayed on track with the topic and moved the meeting along as efficiently as possible.  Marko Nikolic gave the main presentation to the clients about  SEO (Search Engine Optimization) recommendations for improving their website and evaluate their scheduling of completion.  AND…I (Ruthie) was the quiet intern that observed the entire meeting with a notepad and pen. =) I was very impressed to  witness the strategy behind SEO and all the work and research done by eBoost Consulting.

Before interning at eBoost Consulting, I never really knew the depth of “Search Engine Optimization.”  I was confused at first on why SEO was beneficial to a company’s website and how it worked.  For a quick understanding of what SEO is all about, “Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to  websites from search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc) via “organic” or un-paid search results.  Typically, the earlier (or higher) a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine.”  If your curious to see how SEO is done The eBoost Way, check them out!!

I still have a lot to learn about digital marketing, especially about SEO.  I look forward to sharing my future experiances at eBoost with you, whether it be other client meetings  or my own rambling of gossip here in the office.  Shhh….only if you don’t tell.  Comments and/or suggestions are greatly appreciated!  Happy Monday!

Ruthie Sanchez

Fired up and ready to go!

It has been a couple of weeks now since I started the eBoost internship, and after completing such tasks as creating personas [Translation = fake people], my website’s wireframe and working on some business development projects Nick assigned, the learning curve keeps growing. And lo and behold, I am not talking about the art of learning how to brew coffee. As a matter of fact, coffee is ever-flowing in the office, and I could probably use some training on that too, I am sure, since it has been years since my last cup of freshly brewed coffee.  But the next step of the internship program is to work on your website; now, who said that creating a website from scratch was easy?

I have to admit though,I now know that those who are able to do it are geniuses! It took me 4 hours last Friday to figure it out and I still need to spend more time figuring it out….But I am fired up with the idea that I am going to get some expert advice and training on building my very own website versus just taking a class – fun fun fun.

This is what I like about eBoost, their interns get hands on experience because of the do-it-yourself and figure it out mentality that motivates us to try and give it our best.  You are taught some basics and then asked to apply them. You then find yourself either excelling at the assigned task(s) or going through the ’figuring it out’ process… At least some of them you will excel at. In my case, I am still figuring out the how-to’s of html, and the road to excelling at it is an ambition in the making.
After the website development, I am positive that the learning curve won’t stop growing and it will take more than the assigned 240 hours if I really want to keep learning. In the meantime, I will keep trying.                                                   

Fired up and ready to go!

Ashmina Aullybux

Meet the New Interns (Alpha Zeta Omega)…

Rock Star: Ashmina

Meet Ashmina: I am currently a marketing student at SDSU and aspiring world traveler….well, just a thought for now until I really decide to put that into practice.  On a more serious note, I do enjoy traveling, in fact, originally from Mauritius, (can you tell me from the top of your head where it is on a map?)  I have been in the U.S. for the past 5 years.  I also went to Paris, Brittany, Monaco and Maui – Hawaii.  Some of my favorite things to do, besides interning at eBoost Consulting, is going to the beach, eating ice cream and also eating in general, hiking, watching movies, and going out everywhere and anywhere – I am always up for a road trip!   =)

Why did I choose eBoost Consulting?: It is the best place to intern in San Diego, I have my own personal mentor [What's up Nick?], they trained me before my start date, I get to learn how to build my own website and most importantly, they care about what they do, have a laid back organizational culture, and are really passionate.

Rock Star: Ruthie

Meet Ruthie: I recently graduated from college in Northern California last June with a Bachelors degree in Marketing.  I absolutely love music, specifically singing and playing guitar.  I am so stoked to be back in San Diego close to my family and friends.  Besides interning for eBoost Consulting, I am “trying” to look for a part-time job. =)  I am also working on my parent’s family business website.  All of the new website building tools that I have been learning at eBoost Consulting is not only helping me better my skills, but also my parents business.  My most obsessive  secret hobby  (Shhh!..) has to be hands down… video games!  “Work hard, play hard!”

Why did I choose eBoost Consulting?: I realized quickly how important getting experience really was when looking for a full-time job after college.  So, the reason why I decided to apply for an internship with eBoost Consulting was to  gain experience in my field and further my marketing knowledge.  I noticed immediately at my interview and first week of orientation/training that everyong at eBoost Consulting was extremely nice and helpful.  I have been here exactly one month and I am still happy that I choose to intern for eBoost Consulting.

Rock Star: Trung

Meet Trung: I am a marketing student at San Diego State University, two short semesters away from graduating. I am interested in digital marketing, creating online businesses, and mobile development. I enjoy looking for needs and trying to develop ways to satisfy those needs. I also enjoy playing music (www.myspace.com/dabears) and skateboarding (www.theskatespot.com).

Why did I choose eBoost Consulting?: I  heard so many great things about the eBoost internship program and wanted to experience it for myself.  I wanted to learn more about digital marketing and how to effectively apply it to get results.