Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Meet the Auburn student interning with Orchestra Partners in Birmingham this summer
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With classes out for the summer, many college students are spending their break gaining invaluable experience by interning with a local business. We caught up with Lauren Sklar—a rising Junior at Auburn University‘s Harbert College of Business—to learn more about her internship with local planning and redevelopment firm Orchestra Partners.
Meet Lauren Sklar, Orchestra Partners Intern
While summer is a great time to travel and take a break from the rigors of college education, many students choose to get involved with a local business to gain valuable, real-world experience and put their classroom knowledge to the test. That’s why Lauren Sklar decided to pursue an internship this summer in Birmingham.
Originally from Birmingham, Lauren graduated from Mountain Brook High School before attending the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University, where she studies Marketing. For Lauren, the ever-changing world of marketing has been of interest since high school.
“During my sophomore year, I interned at Innovation Depot with GLOW, a company that visits people and does makeup, hair, tanning and more on demand. It’s like Uber for beauty services, and it was a great experience for me. I explored different areas of marketing—specifically social media marketing—so by the time I went to college, I had a good feeling that I wanted to study marketing.”
Lauren Sklar
Getting Involved at Auburn University
Before arriving at Auburn, Lauren knew she wanted to make the most of her time in college. During her freshman year, she joined several organizations, including:
- The Alpha Chi Omega sorority
- Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that pairs participating college students with persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- The Auburn University Marketing Association (AUMA)
During her time meeting with the AUMA, Lauren met one of the Harbert College of Business’ Program Champions—a team of mentors that help students make positive, career-forward decisions during their time at Auburn. Lauren’s Program Champion regularly kept her updated with new opportunities, whether it was a summer internship or a permanent position.
“When I was home for winter break last year, I started thinking about what I wanted to do over the summer. I was applying to places left and right, just to see what would stick. Fortunately, one of the courses I took at Auburn taught us how to professionally organize our LinkedIn page and résumé to make sure I was putting forth my best self.”
Lauren Sklar
Benefits of a Summer Internship
“I can tell that the Harbert College of Business really cares about preparing us for the real world. For instance, the college’s career center offers mock interviews—you dress up for the part and really get a chance to feel more comfortable with the interview process prior to actually interviewing with a hiring manager.”
Lauren Sklar
At Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, students are highly encouraged to gain invaluable experience in their chosen fields through an internship. During an internship, students practice the concepts, business skills and principles they learned in the classroom.
“Through the Harbert College of Business, I was able to not only find an internship opportunity that I may not have come across otherwise–I was also able to take different tools and skills that I learned in my business classes and applied them during the internship application process!”
Lauren Sklar
Interning with Orchestra Partners
This summer, Lauren has spent her time working for Orchestra Partners as their sole Social Media and Content Creation Intern. Not familiar with Orchestra Partners? This community planning and redevelopment firm is behind some of the most exciting projects in Birmingham, including:
- Mercantile on Morris
- The Frank
- Printer’s Corner
- Urban Supply in Parkside
- Powell Steam Plant
“The creative aspect of the Orchestra Partners internship really drew me in. A lot of the other internships I applied to were sales-based, and I realized that opportunity to explore content creation with Orchestra Partners would be a valuable new experience.”
Lauren Sklar
As Orchestra Partners’ Social Media and Content Creation Intern, Lauren is tasked with crafting content—including videos, pictures, captions, branding and other creative advertising aspects—for the different projects that Orchestra Partners is working on. Then, Lauren uses the firm’s social media platforms and traditional marketing methods to push that content forward and get the word out.
“My time at Auburn has really prepared me for this role in multiple ways. Not only have I learned how to conduct myself in a professional sense in my internship, but Auburn prepared me to take the initiative on projects without constantly going to my supervisor.”
Lauren Sklar
Learn More About Internship Opportunities with the Harbert College of Business
- Harbert College of Business: Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn
- Address: 405 West Magnolia Avenue, Auburn, Alabama 36849
“My number one advice for other college students? Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Searching for opportunities—especially as an underclassman—can feel discouraging, since many companies are looking at upperclassmen. I reached out to the Office of Career and Professional Development with the Harbert College of Business for help on my cover letter, my resume and all the different components that go into a job application. With their help, I was able to put my best foot forward with this and future internship and job applications!”
Lauren Sklar
Want to learn more about internship opportunities with the help of the Harbert College of Business’ Office of Career and Professional Development? Click here to learn more or reach out to one of the college’s six Program Champions:
Follow the Harbert College of Business on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest!
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