BrandYourself: Inside the Internship

We’re fortunate to have worked with (and currently work with) a pretty awesome team of interns throughout our journey to grow BrandYourself and disrupt the orm industry. Our interns are an essential part of our team and we’re proud of the work they’ve contributed to help us get where we are.

In today’s post, John Hartunian will give his insight into his experiences as an intern with the BrandYourself team. We’ll let John take it from here.

Who I Am:

My name is John Hartunian, and I’m a junior marketing major at Villanova University. More importantly, I’m a lifetime Yankee fan, a history geek, and a Pixar maniac. Most importantly, though, is that I’m an intern working with the BrandYourself team.

How I Got Started:

Last year, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about BrandYourself . It got me thinking… So I ran a Google search on my name. What I found wasn’t pretty. My Facebook and Twitter pages were the first things that showed up, and while they weren’t exactly career-killers, they also weren’t the things I wanted representing myself to people searching my name – in my case, that meant potential employers.

So when I read that 75% of human resource departments are required to do an online search of job applicants, and of that group, 70% say they solidify their decisions not to hire if an applicant has poor results, I knew I had to start being cognizant of my reputation online, and after I heard Pete’s story, I knew the best way to do that was to get involved with BrandYourself.

I signed up for a free account and followed BrandYourself on Twitter, saw that they were looking for an intern, and I threw my hat into the ring. In March of 2013 I was hired, and I began operating kind of as a “runner” – I went where I was needed. When the team launched its Concierge program, that became almost exclusively where I was able to contribute.

Under the guidance of the BrandYourself team, I learned how to build websites, craft online profiles, and, most importantly, create positive online content for Concierge clients to help them achieve their goals.

The Team:

When I first got started, the BrandYourself team consisted of 8 members. As they grew and expanded their Concierge program, I grew my understanding of SEO best practices. With their help, I can now successfully say that I own my first page of results.

That wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the team. It’s easy to tell how much they care about their clients’ goals; their dedication to tackling each individual’s concerns and to improving their clients’ reputations is what I love most about working with the company. Everyone I’ve gotten to know at BrandYourself shares a passion for helping people achieve their goals.

My Goals:

Now that I’ve strengthened my reputation online, I want to help other young people to do the same. It’s a crucial step in applying for internships and jobs, meeting new people, and representing yourself to the world.

The Internet isn’t going away, and I think companies like BrandYourself, who help people utilize it to market themselves, are riding a wave to the future.

Interested in joining the BrandYourself team? Check out our available internship positions.