With summer coming to a rapid close, we sat down with our summer interns to hear about their experience here at Tarmika. Here’s what our marketing intern, Katie DiBlasio, had to say about her experience:
Why were you brought onto the Tarmika team?
I was brought onto the team as a marketing intern specializing in graphic and copy development. Alex is the marketing specialist on the team and I worked really closely with her to grow my writing skills along with my eye for graphic design.
I also helped with some UI/UX prototyping and even explored small coding projects. Although I was brought onto the team as an intern, all of my ideas and work were treated with respect and consideration.
What factors influenced your decision to intern at Tarmika?
I decided to become a marketing intern here because I wanted the connected experience start-up culture could provide. This allowed me to explore many different avenues of marketing and develop skills I typically did not work on at my jobs.
Working in an industry I didn’t have any previous knowledge of was intriguing. Most of my past jobs have been with artistic industries in the past. I was looking forward to exploring marketing work for a different industry like insurance technology. I enjoy any experience where I am actively learning, and I knew working in the insurtech industry would provide me with the opportunity to learn.
What projects did you work on?
While I was here I tackled several projects. My day to day obligations included working on the social media accounts along with working on blog posts and marketing campaigns.
The beginning half of my internship really focused on finalizing the [new] Tarmika website. This was a rewarding experience because I got to see all the work that went into preparing and launching a new website. The second half was more focused on brand guide development and defining a new illustration style. This project really tested my knowledge from studio arts as I applied a lot of artistic principles to the development of a foundational character style.
I found myself utilizing techniques I studied in my drawing classes. This included outlining proportions and creating cohesive components of each figure that could be replicated in different illustrations. I was surprised, both by how these projects challenged my original notions about my education, and how I would be using my new knowledge.
What new skills did you gain from these experiences?
I gained a deeper understanding of what goes into marketing. That isn’t a specific skill. But it provided me with the tools to identify my strengths and weak spots in my skill set. The self awareness I gained from these experiences is invaluable.
A more tangible skill I developed was the ability to work collaboratively with my coworkers in creative fields. I have always enjoyed team work but I rarely worked collaboratively with other designers on graphics. I worked with Alex everyday on different designs and stylistic choices for our brand. This helped me to develop effective communication tools for critiquing other design work.
What did you enjoy most about working with Tarmika?
I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie I experienced at Tarmika. After a year of working from home, I found myself looking forward to working in the office with my team everyday. That’s a rare thing to find at an internship.
What lessons will you take with you after your time interning here?
The biggest lesson I will take with me after interning here is that the quality of my work is highly influenced by my environment. I enjoyed coming into the office everyday and that attitude improved the work I was creating. As I carry on in my professional career, I think it is important that I remember the value of a supportive work environment.
Katie is currently a Junior at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is pursuing her BBA in Marketing while completing a second major in Studio Arts. In addition to her internship at Tarmika, Katie is also a freelance graphic designer, and a member of the Women of Isenberg Conference Planning Committee.
