A Candid Conversation with Nicole Ryeom, our amazing intern

Nicole Ryeom, a rising junior at the University of Virginia, has been our intern for the past year covering all aspects of our growing social media presence. Prior to her starting her next internship with Bain & Company in Boston, we thought it only appropriate to chat with her about her past year at Compass Marketing.

What was your biggest surprise when starting this internship?

My biggest surprise when starting this internship was the breadth of areas Compass covered and the depth that went into each project. I thought it was really cool to get to look at things from both the micro- and macro- level and it definitely helped me more deeply understand the ins and outs of the marketing world, as well as the amount of work and effort that goes into creating leads and working with clients. For example, it was really interesting to hear about the overall ideas that came out of working with clients, but then helping with one specific aspect, whether it be brand ideation or SKU analyses, I realized how many things have to come together before the final presentation.

What should Gen X bosses know about your generation?

I am part of the Gen Z generation and I think something I’ve noticed from my peers and myself is that Gen Z is really focused on prioritizing social justice issues in the workplace. Gen Z prioritizes finding a workplace whose values align with their own personal values, instead of keeping their work and personal life values completely separate. Whether it is advocating for equitable pay between men and women or ensuring that there is adequate representation of different kinds of people in the workplace, Gen Z is definitely looking for employers and workplaces that can support the strides society is making towards a more equitable world.

Here’s the moment of truth. Are you going to keep working in marketing?

I’m currently planning on working in management consulting for the next few years, but I’d love to potentially transition into marketing consulting specifically. Growth innovation and brand development are really interesting to me. It would be great to get to learn about them a little bit more! That being said, I’ve really enjoyed getting to work in marketing this past year and I know I will be able to take everything I’ve learned to my next role.

‍

As a team, we are grateful for all the effort and hard work that Nicole tirelessly provided in between juggling her school work this past year. We wish her a bright future, but will leave the door open if our social media guru would like to return.

‍

‍