HEARST – Alumni Spotlights highlight the success of THF interns with Hearst, a long standing supporter and the Foundation’s first Platinum Diversity Partner.
Paola Nagovitch (THF ’18)
Tell us about your host company, Hearst.
Title: Television Associate at Hearst Broadcasting
Duties & Responsibilities
My summer was divided into two projects. The first project was to research all of Hearst Television’s Facebook Content for 2017-2018 and compile a list of it in order to analyze the data and find what kind of content performed the best.
Then I developed a data-backed method for finding and keeping track of their station’s evergreen content going forward in order for it to be reshared in the future. I also developed a national content posting schedule. The second project was performing A/B testing with their Stitch Facebook videos in order to find what kinds of video perform better with their audience.
What did a typical day look like for you?
Depending on what project I was working on at the time, I came in and started working through the data I was compiling. I occasionally met with different members of the team to assist them with any projects they had going on.
What was one of your best experiences interning with Hearst?
One of the best experiences I had with Hearst was getting to meet the company’s CEO Steven Swartz over lunch with my fellow T. Howard interns at Hearst.
We were able to have lunch with him at the tower and get to know him, his career, and his goals for the company. That was part of a series of events Hearst planned for us where we got to meet different leaders within different Hearst departments.
What did you like most about interning with Hearst?
The most I liked about Hearst was my team. While the experience was great and I learned a lot, I was able to develop great friendships with my coworkers and my manager. It was one of the best working environments I have had the pleasure of being in.
I still to this day keep in touch with them, and I know my manager, Kristina, is always around to help me with any professional goal I set for myself.
How did your role/department fit into Hearst’s overall business objective/mission?
My role has had a tremendous impact on how Hearst Television tracks their content on Facebook. They have implemented my method for tracking evergreen content and maximizing content engagement through re-sharing.
What were the most rewarding and challenging parts of your role?
The most rewarding part of my internship was knowing that all of my work would be implemented into their strategy going forward and that my hard work would help the company. The most challenging part was going through the tedious work of compiling data, which is not the most fun to do.
What particular skills or talents were most essential to be effective in your internship role?
Being detail-oriented and creative were skills that were essential for my success at Hearst because I was building a method from scratch.
What advice would you give to THF interns as they begin summer internships/ careers in media?
Be aware of what makes you unique and always bring that perspective to everything you do. People can tell when you’re passionate about something, and it makes them want to see you thrive in whatever you do.