Intern for a Day - Risdall Advertising Agency - Courtesy of: Tom Erkfitz

The following post is courtesy of: Tom Erkfitz

I walk into a room with a line of one hundred plus glass jars filled with more candy variety than Willy Wonka's chocolate factory sitting on the conference table. This set the stage for my second time participating in Intern-For-A-Day at Risdall Advertising Agency.

Founded in 1972 as Risdall Advertising Agency by John Risdall himself, Risdall Marketing Group (RMG) attracted more than 50 U of M students in hosting its fifth annual Intern-for-a-Day event on Friday, Dec. 5. Tucked away in the northern suburb of New Brighton, Minn., my own hometown, Risdall's headquarters is home to an ad agency full of individuals with big hearts.

The Intern-for-a-Day was a fun-filled day that began at 9 a.m. with a delightful breakfast and agency tour and ended with a Q and A session.

Throughout the day, students were given hands-on experience through two client brainstorming sessions and two different opportunities to meet with over ten of the agency's team members—including John Risdall—in mentor sessions. From account services and art direction to public relations and social media, the mentor sessions offered a range of topics to appeal to the interest of the diverse group of students.

Additions to this year's Intern-for-a-Day presentations were made to the students on topics that included search and social marketing, how an agency works and how to prepare for an interview.

This year's Intern-for-a-Day program was even more impressive than last year's program. Risdall is proud of its involvement with the U of M students. The agency has a several of their employees serving as mentors in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's 2008-2009 Alumni Mentorship program.

For it commitment to students, Risdall deserves significant recognition. John Risdall and his team should continue the tradition of Intern-for-a-Day for the years to come. The event was an opportunity that students greatly appreciate, myself included.

I want to thank everyone at Risdall Marketing Group on behalf of the U of M Ad Club for the tremendous opportunity to learn more about their agency and the industry. I encourage students to take advantage of this great opportunity in the future.

Tom Erkfitz
E-mail: tomerkfitz@gmail.com