Nicole Halpin - Marketing Student & Event Coordinating Intern at the Auburn University Office of Communications and Marketing

Nicole Halpin is a senior in Marketing with a minor in Business Engineering Technology. Nicole is originally from Vicksburg, M.S. and is currently an intern for the Office of Communications and Marketing as an Event Coordinating Intern. She has been partaken in numerous campus organizations such as: Camp War Eagle Counselor, Phi Mu Public Relations Chair, as well as a being part of the official “Who’s Who” among Auburn University students. She has also had in several internships of note such as: Marketing Intern for Auburn Athletics and Event Coordinating Intern at Follywood Productions. Nicole’s ultimate career goal is to be an event coordinator.

What Marketing classes are you currently taking? Which Marketing class has been your favorite?

Promotions Strategy, Retail Management and I am getting marketing credit for my current internship. I have really enjoyed Promotions Strategy with Dr. Rotfeld. It is a challenging class, but Dr. Rotfeld does a great job of explaining the material and gives lots of real life examples. Even though the class is challenging, I feel like I have been able to get the most out of this class than the most of my marketing. I feel like I catch myself referencing a lot of the day to day things we learn about.

What advice can you give current students on getting involved in extracurricular activities on campus?

I think I am lucky because I have been able to be exposed to many different aspects of Auburn when it comes to extracurricular activities. It is important that people get involved with extracurricular activities because personally I think that it’s the best way to really test the waters and help you figure out the best path to follow after graduation.

Could you tell what would you like to see change about the Marketing department or curriculum within the college?

I would recommend having more marketing electives dealing with sales and advertising. This is because there is such an incredible wide variety of sales careers in the marketing field.  Many people immediately think you should go into sales when you graduate with a marketing degree. A couple of classes that could really segment this field would be really beneficial.  

What has been your favorite and least favorite part of your experience as a Marketing student in the College of Business?

I have really enjoyed having classes with the same groups of people because I have been able to really maintain a lot of the same study groups and have the same people for many of my group projects. I feel like marketing is such a bubble inside the college of business and it’s great to have been able to form a good rapport with many of the same people in my classes. I really wish that there would be more organizations that would be more focused directly with my major. It has been tough to really find things that really encourage you to be involved within College that are marketing related.

So you’re looking for jobs, can you give us your tips for finding jobs and internships?

I would recommend really getting out of your comfort zone and trying out as many experiences and locations as you can. I really think getting pigeonholed is a big detriment. And I also would recommend not being scared of entry level sales roles because these really act as your foot in the door type of jobs for many of the upper level positions.

How about interviewing, any tips?

RESEARCH! Research the company, the position you are interviewing for, and local community you will potentially be living in. During an interview just be yourself and answer the questions to the best of your ability. Always be honest, because the interviewer can always tell when you are lying. Also, be sure to completely answer your question and don’t give one-word answers. It's best to keep the interview as conversational as possible. Lastly, write a thank you note after the interview. It shows that you are interested in the position and you are appreciative of their time.

Can you tell us what your plans are after graduation?

I have been cold calling companies because I am so passionate about getting in the event planning industry. I think having some sort of gimmick that makes you different really does indeed make a difference when looking for jobs and the success that comes with it. I really see myself doing event planning in many fields like corporate, P.R. or even wedding planning. I love Texas and Dallas so that is the main area that I have been focusing on and really see myself thriving in.