SumoSkinny LLC. Boston, Massachusetts.
Intern of Marketing & Writing, September-December 2011.
Contributor, September 2011-July 2012.
As an intern and contributor at SumoSkinny LLC, I have been part of a modern job position, working with social media and completing tasks using several sources all connected through the web. As the company relies heavily on a visible brand to attract visitors, my task has been to create and execute local promotional campaigns. Throughout the month of November, 2011, I worked, in collaboration with my co-workers, to establish an event in the area surrounding the University of Rhode Island. Our plan was to donate money to Movember, an organization that raises money and spreads awareness on men's health by growing mustaches, while also establishing brand recognition through the event. Our venue was a local bar, which we persistently promoted in the months leading up to the fundraiser. We managed to attract a considerable amount of people through social media, while further persuading people to attend by posting advertisements in the local area.
Another important function I have had with SumoSkinny has been as a contributor for our online magazine. I have covered URI sports very closely through the academic year, while also keeping up with the NFL and NBA. I analyzed and dissected all aspects of individual teams, independently forming my own opinions and conclusions. The site relies on entertaining and well written products and it therefore requires a high level of creativity. I am required to do constant research and stay up-to-date on all details of the NFL and local sports at the University of Rhode Island. Our content was constantly advertised on the Twitter account we ran, @SumoSkinnyRI, and through other social media. I have also had the pleasure of having my work featured in our Spring Magazine of 2012, which is a print edition. That piece can be found here:
Feature in SumoSkinny Spring Magazine 2012.
Intern, September-December, 2011.
I was invited to assist the University of Rhode Island's Alumni Association with their annual scholarship fundraiser, the Big Chill Weekend. The event has allowed numerous students to continue their education at URI by awarding scholarships to those deserving. In recent years many remarkable stories have been rewarded with a scholarship with money raised during the Big Chill Weekend, but some have stood out more than others. A nursing major tragically lost both her parents simultaneously and seemingly would be forced out of school due to a lack of economic support. Thankfully, this fundraiser ensured her continued education as she was awarded one of the scholarships, allowing her to graduate.
On a weekly basis I was given the opportunity to work with employees of the Alumni Association in a professional setting, completing tasks on the Auction Committee. Our job was to ensure appropriate and correct messages were sent out to former donors and other contacts in our database. The Alumni Association relies heavily on their network for support and their database therefore lays the foundation for the Big Chill Weekend. Together with a team of students, we were able to update their entire contact list by locating and calling people of interest relying heavily on creative ways to obtain and update missing information.
The environment I found myself in was a great experience as it gave me an opportunity to participate in a different scenery, one that a class room does not offer. Beyond working in the office, I was also invited to meetings allowing me to track progress of our event and to get a feel for what will await me in the future. We were also allowed to state our own opinions of the progress and even suggest ideas for improvement. One of the more notable contributions I made was suggesting new items I thought would sell well at the auction, mainly by identifying the audience, but also by recognizing items that had been popular from previous years.
For more information about the URI Alumni Association please click here.
Contact: Al.Bochner@Yahoo.com
