Ella Schwarzenbach connected with a UA Alum to obtain a second internship at BootinBikinis to further develop her marketing, research, and creative development skills.
How did you get your internship?
Carley, the founder of BootinBikinis, went to the University of Arizona, and I had some mutual connections with her. I was familiar with the brand prior to looking for an internship and saw how exciting things were about to get for them, so I reached out to Carley to express my interest. After that, she set up an interview, and I ended up getting the position!
Why did you choose this internship?
I was familiar with BootinBikinis, but knew they were about to reach some monumental milestones, launching a collection with PacSun being one of them. I wanted to be a part of that growth, and genuinely challenge myself to expand my creativity and work hard during this internship opportunity. Plus, BootinBikinis is both a fashionable and fun brand that I knew would be a great fit for me to contribute my ideas and energy to.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
My work varied throughout the semester, which kept me on my toes and broadened the skills I improved upon! I was involved in marketing and campaign ideation, social media management, influencer outreach, trend research, and helping with bikini design. It was exciting to work on different sectors of the brand, and I really felt like I was contributing to the brand's growth and creativity in real-time.
What is unique about your situation that influenced your internship experience?
What made this internship unique for me was that I was already interning at The A List while simultaneously working with BootinBikinis, so I was able to apply a lot of what I was learning in one internship to the other. Having previous experience in events and brand marketing enhanced my efficiency and creativity.
What was your favorite or most satisfying part of your internship?
The group of women I worked with! I loved working with Carley, Emily, and the other interns. They all made this experience so welcoming and enjoyable. Both Carley and Emily were more than just mentors, but they were also great people who encouraged and welcomed everyone's ideas and creativity, creating such a positive and collaborative environment to accomplish goals.
What was the most challenging part of your internship?
The most challenging part was the internship being fully remote. Since we were all working from different locations and time zones, we coordinated everything over text and Zoom, which can sometimes be tricky to make connections and collaborate efficiently. Fortunately, we had weekly meetings where we shared our ideas and work with the others, providing a space to brainstorm and bounce ideas off of each other.
If you worked on a big project, share more about it.
One of my favorite projects was coordinating the BootinBikinis x Nellie collaboration. I reached out and got Nellie on board to design her own polka dot one-piece swimsuit with BootinBikinis. I also helped ideate and execute the marketing campaign for the swimsuit launch, which was a full circle moment.
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for the future?
This experience has opened my eyes to working with smaller companies. It is very different from working for a bigger organization, but you truly see the impact of your work and how collaboration and contributions can create something special. There is such a close-knit community within smaller brands, and it made me realize how much I love working with a group that is equally as passionate as I am.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for internships?
Don't be discouraged if you can't find your dream internship right away. Sadly you may never find the exact thing you have in mind, which is honestly a growth opportunity. Every internship is an opportunity to grow and learn from, even if it requires you to step outside of your comfort zone. There will be internships that you need to tackle tasks you are not familiar with and that is what they are meant to do--to challenge you and build new skills. All you can do is apply what you already know, and ask questions. There are skills you can learn and skills that you cannot. Just show up as someone who works hard and is passionate and you can achieve anything!