Chase Bogan: Making an IMPACT

Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on February 8, 2017, at the 11^th Annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

Chase Bogan graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in studio art, with a concentration in graphic design. He interned with Hanapin Marketing, and was hired as a full-time employee.

Indiana INTERNnet: How did you like your internship with Hanapin Marketing?

Chase Bogan: It was actually much different than I anticipated. I knew nothing about Hanapin Marketing before applying, and assumed I wouldn’t really fit in, or enjoy an internship at a marketing place. I was the typical college student that didn’t know what I wanted to do, but thought I knew what I did not want to do. Luckily, I knew almost right away that I’d at least enjoy the environment and people.

My supervisor was (and still is) extremely helpful and caring. I expected to have a supervisor that didn’t have time to answer questions or provide feedback. Having a supervisor that was approachable really made a difference from the start, especially since I’d done graphic design before, but not in a marketing environment.

IIN: Was this your first internship?

Bogan: It was my first, and only, internship. I chose to complete an internship, because I thought it would give me a much better chance at an enjoyable and high-quality job in the future. I actually didn’t apply for any jobs right out of college, just internships. I was a bartender through college, so I still had a job at night to depend on. I knew that putting time into an internship now, would help my career in the long run.

IIN: What was the most challenging project you were assigned?

Bogan: I’m not sure if I could single out one project that was the most challenging. I think the most challenging aspect, however, was that I was creating actual materials to be used by Hanapin Marketing. I felt pressure (which was almost all from my own self) to create quality materials in an environment much different than a college class. In a college class, I may have had a week or more to create something. In the workforce, that’s not realistic. It was a challenge to adapt my work process to be more condensed without losing quality.

I came into the internship being more of an illustrator. By the end, however, I’d learned how to use Photoshop and other Adobe programs to a much greater extent than I had previously known. I used my new software skills to make impactful ads that utilized the GIF format. Hanapin Marketing hadn’t used GIFs before, so it was something new that I could contribute. Now my responsibilities include all advertisement creation.

IIN: Did you participate in the professional skills training sessions that Hanapin Marketing offers to interns?

Bogan: I had multiple training sessions, not all of which were with my supervisor. It was a great way to get to know people around the office, and learn helpful skills that directly related to working at Hanapin Marketing. Hanapin Marketing even offers skills sessions for employees about a variety of industry-related topics as well as general work/life skills, which I continue to find useful.

IIN: How was the transition from intern to full-time employee?

Bogan: The transition was interesting. I began as an intern, then became a part-time employee, and finally became a full-time employee. When I began my internship there were no open positions that would be design-related, so I never anticipated being able to work there.

As my internship grew to a close, my supervisor told me there was a small possibility I could somehow be able to stay. I tried not to get my hopes up, but inside I was extremely excited. My part-time position was only agreed to last a few months, which made me assume I still would not end up working at Hanapin Marketing. Then, nearing the end of my part-time agreement, my supervisor told me there was a chance I might be able to stay as full-time. Again, I told myself not to get my hopes up, as it depended on multiple factors other than myself and my quality of work.

It was such a great feeling learning that I would get to stay at Hanapin Marketing. It was a long, great road that led to my position at Hanapin Marketing. A road that I never would have had access to if I hadn’t applied for the internship. I’m even happier with my position than I expected. I honestly love working at Hanapin Marketing. I know my work makes a difference and my voice actually matters. I never expected to feel valuable so early out of college.