Internship Spotlight
Emily Singh
Marketing Strategy Intern at Quicken Loans

The best piece of advice I have ever been given is “you don’t learn anything new if you don’t try anything new.” It’s the motto I live by, and what guides my decision-making. It’s how I ended up 1,000 miles away from home for college, and why I’m never shy to flirt with change.

How I Got My Job
When setting out for a summer internship, I had the typical communication student laundry list of criterium. I wanted that sexy summer internship with a well-known agency in a cool city where everyone wants to work.

With no boundaries or preferences for the location, I was applying to every internship I could find; however, one stuck out to me. Not because it was a company known for marketing. Not because it was a service I was passionate about. But because my recruiters were as invested in developing me as a professional as I was excited to learn. So on decision day, Quicken Loans was the company I chose.

Throw Caution to the Wind
Prior to moving up for my internship, I had never stepped foot in the state of Michigan. Though I was nervous to spend my first summer not living at home in Texas, I was excited about the new opportunity that I had and eager to see what Detroit had to offer.

My advice to anyone looking for a job or internship is to apply without worrying about any potential risks or negatives. Throw caution to the wind, because no matter what the outcome is, you’ll learn from it. My experience with Quicken Loans was invaluable, and I only have positive things to say about it.

[Singh emailed the CEO to ask if he would have lunch with her. She was the first intern to ever ask and he said yes. The picture at the top of this post is her wearing his Cavaliers' Championship Ring.]

What I Did
I worked specifically with the Marketing for Servicing team at Quicken Loans. My team and I worked to deliver marketing materials for serviced clients—those who had already closed their loan with Quicken Loans. The majority of my time was spent managing an internal client loyalty program, where I gained meaningful experience with brand loyalty and client retention.

In addition, all marketing interns were tasked with a group “intern project.” Mine was focused on future intern recruitment, so it was exciting to create deliverables and prepare a pitch for a project directly focused on my demographic.

The number one piece of advice I have for those seeking summer internships is to broaden your horizon. Don’t just look around your hometown or college town; those are experiences you’ve already had and people you already know. Look toward somewhere you’ve never been—even somewhere you never thought you would ever go.