Starting an internship can be both exciting and intimidating, especially in a fast-paced industry. For many college students, it’s the first chance to experience what working in a professional environment is really like. This means you will find yourself facing many questions beforehand. What will I be working on? Will I know what to do? What if I mess up? And I would be lying if I told you this wasn’t me before starting my internship with Miller Ad Agency. However, the second I started working as an Account Executive Intern, I was quickly reassured by how eager to help and welcoming everyone around me was. Due to this, I grew confident and became ready to learn, leaving my worries behind. Miller Ad Agency has allowed me to develop new skills and gain real hands-on experience across many areas of advertising. I quickly learned that interns at Miller do much more than just observe. From creating social media content for clients and experimenting with AI tools to assisting with a commercial shoot, I was able to contribute to real client projects while learning from every department.
Beyond One Role
One of my favorite parts of working at an agency was the variety of assignments I worked on. Each hour looked completely different from the last, which kept my job exciting every day.
During my time, I helped with creating social media content, writing captions for TikTok or YouTube, proofing commercials, organizing client calendars, researching AI fashion tools, posting on Basecamp, and assisting with a commercial shoot. I even got to put my Spanish minor to use by proofing and editing scripts and commercials in Spanish.
Working with different clients across different industries allowed me to learn how important it is to adjust my writing to fit each unique brand and their audience.
Behind the Scenes
Before this internship, I had only experienced advertising from a consumer’s point of view. I had only ever seen finished commercials on TV or social media, and I never before thought about the little details that now have become a part of my job.
At Miller, I was able to see this process take place, and it helped me understand that teamwork is crucial when making a commercial. It takes a team to make this happen, from the creative who makes the commercial to the Account Executive who communicates with the client to get approval. Everyone at the agency plays a crucial role in getting a commercial finished. At the commercial shoot, I learned that a 30-second advertisement requires hours of brainstorming, multiple takes, and attention to detail, even down to the outfit and the background. It gave me a new appreciation for commercials and everything that happens behind the scenes.
The Tools Behind the Work
Component 1: Social Media
Social media became a big aspect of my internship. I helped create captions, brainstorm TikTok ideas, make graphics, create content calendars for clients, and more.
I quickly realized that content cannot just be copied and pasted from one platform to another. Each platform has different audiences and expectations. A caption that may work well on TikTok may not work on YouTube. Being able to work on content creation for different clients allowed me to understand that social media requires a balance between creativity and strategy. You can make a post exciting by following a certain trend, but you have to make sure it represents the brand correctly, reaches the intended audience, and supports the client’s goals.
Component 2: AI Modeling Tools
Artificial intelligence has become an important tool for our future. While working at Miller, I was able to become more knowledgeable about how these tools can help us. I explored platforms that could place clothing on AI-generated models, remove backgrounds, and transform standard product photos into polished marketing images.
While researching many different software programs, I was able to see what worked and what didn’t. My results varied from one tool to another. Some generated the correct pattern of the shirt but got the colors wrong. Some tools had trouble with patterns but not with the coloring. I learned that it takes a lot of trial and error to test these tools while also teaching them exactly what I was looking for them to produce. I learned that AI can be a powerful tool to use but still needs human direction to produce exactly what I am looking for.
Component 3: ESP and Basecamp
ESP and Basecamp were tools I learned to use after starting at Miller Ad Agency. I had learned many skills through my coursework at SMU that guided me through this internship, but I had not used these two software programs before. I quickly learned how important they can be when working at an agency. ESP helped keep our jobs for our clients organized by listing all the jobs for the month. It was also where we went to access and create our Digital and Media Campaign Jackets. Basecamp is a great tool that we use to ensure communication between the team. Basecamp became my best friend. If I needed to know what my tasks were for the day or where a commercial was in the process, I would go to Basecamp. It ensured great communication throughout the agency by allowing everyone to know what they needed to do to work together and finish projects for clients.
What No One Tells You About Interning at an Advertising Agency
Write everything down: When balancing work for multiple clients, it can be hard to trust yourself to remember everything later. I learned that I needed to write things down to remember them.
Ask questions: It can be intimidating to ask questions as an intern, but I came to find out that it was one of the most important things I did. Everyone working at Miller Ad Agency was very eager to help me and teach me things. Asking questions allowed me to learn even more than I already was.
Expect feedback: Feedback is important, especially as an intern, because you may not get the hang of something the first time. It is important to be open to feedback and learn from your mistakes. I quickly learned that feedback helped me grow and gain confidence when I completed an assignment for the second time.
Stay flexible: Deadlines at an advertising agency are important. If a task is marked urgent, it is important to be flexible and pause other tasks you are working on to finish the urgent one.
Never underestimate a caption: A caption is usually one sentence, but it can make all the difference in your post.
More Than Just an Intern
Although I gained valuable experience from my assignments, the people at Miller made the internship especially memorable. Everyone gave me a warm welcome and was willing to answer my questions, explain their roles, and help me understand how each department contributed to the finished product.
Throughout the summer, I became more comfortable sharing ideas, receiving feedback, and taking responsibility for my work. I also learned that a positive workplace culture makes busy days, changing priorities, and challenging projects much easier and more enjoyable.
I am leaving this experience with stronger communication skills, greater confidence, and a much better understanding of the advertising industry. For students interested in advertising, an internship at Miller provides the opportunity to do much more than observe. You get to create, contribute, make mistakes, learn from them, and become a genuine part of the team.
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