NEW YORK, N.Y. – ZenithOptimedia, The ROI Agency, is currently preparing 30 students for careers in media and to be responsible corporate citizens.
As part of its unique internship program, interns are tasked with supporting the company’s quarterly initiative, “Zenith Gives Back,” beginning July 26.
During “Zenith Gives Back,” agency employees will devote a paid working day to volunteer at one of approximately 15 company-supported charities, or an organization of their choice. ZenithOptimedia’s interns, who have been working closely with internal teams and local non-profits including I Have A Dream, God’s Love We Deliver and Coalition for the Homeless, will volunteer, secure attendance and handle logistics of the weeklong event.
“We are committed to giving back to the communities in which we work,” said Dave Ehlers, Executive Vice President, Managing Director of ZenithOptimedia. “Empowering our interns to play a leadership role in that process provides them with a real sense of our agency’s culture. We look to them to be the next generation of ZO leaders and it’s important that they grasp not just our business, but our corporate social responsibility as well.”
ZenithOptimedia sources interns from a diverse set of educational and development programs, including partner organizations such as the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP), Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and Together Our Resources Can Help (TORCH). Held year-round, Zenith’s internship program aims to expose students to the fundamentals of advertising, media, and corporate leadership at ZenithOptimedia locations throughout the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.
During the program, each intern has a minimum of three mentors to steward them through their experience, including members of ZO’s Vision for Excellence Team, business leadership and talent development. These mentors, and executive management who are actively engaged, provide guidance and support for students as they navigate a potential career in media. Beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, interns also work on a custom project to create case studies that they present to an audience of over 50 senior agency executives. The case studies showcase some of the agency’s highest-profile clients and are co-presented with leaders from the participating media companies.
ZenithOptimedia’s intern program attracted over 500 applicants this season from schools across the U.S., including City-As-School, Hetrick-Martin Institute, New York University, Penn State, Rutgers, University of Texas, and Vanderbilt. Three high school students and 27 graduate and undergraduates are a part of the 2010 summer session.
“I really have gained a hands-on experience since I started this internship,” said Elana Stern, a recent graduate of The Montclair Kimberley Academy who is working at ZenithOptimedia’s New York office this summer. “I wanted to experience a new challenge and find real opportunities before heading off to college and I get that everyday at Zenith.”
