Hi Everyone! My name is Casey Carter, I’m from Charlottesville VA, and I’m a rising junior at Pitt, majoring in Communications in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences with certificates in Digital Media and Sustainability. After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in advertising/marketing, with an interest in copywriting, more specifically.
This past school year I held an internship in digital marketing with a local smoothie and juice bar in Pittsburgh called Live Fresh Juicery. They have a location on Pitt campus inside the University Store if anyone is familiar! Through this job, I gained experience in content creation, social media, and graphic design. I’m excited to take my experiences from this internship to my internship in Dublin this summer. Outside of class, I am also involved in the University of Pittsburgh student newspaper, The Pitt News, as a writer for the culture desk. I cover a variety of events ranging from art, music, food, performance, and film both on Pitt campus and in the greater Pittsburgh community. In my free time, I enjoy spending time outdoors, trying new restaurants and coffee shops with my friends, writing, and thrifting. I expect I will be doing all of these activities in Dublin as well!
Soon I will be heading to Dublin, Ireland, as a part of the International Internship Program (IIP)! Over the course of eight weeks, I will be interning full-time at Cocoa Brown, a beauty and cosmetics company headquartered in Dublin. I’m very excited for this placement, as it is in an industry that I am particularly interested in. My position involves working with the business, marketing, and design teams within the company, offering me a diverse array of experiences. The brand is currently working on various marketing campaigns and PR events for product launches so I am looking forward to assisting on those projects.
I have selected this program to broaden my skill set and learn about different ways to approach marketing, advertising, etc. from professionals in the field. Every company and brand is different, and I hope to diversify my knowledge and become more well-rounded. Through IIP Dublin I will also gain a global perspective in my internship field and think about how to approach projects or issues from a wider lens. Cocoa Brown is an international brand, with products sold in locations such as Sweden, the UK, Canada, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. Having only worked for local brands before, I’m looking forward to learning about marketing and business operations on an international scale. Moreover, this program allows me to apply skills that I have learned in my classes such as public speaking, cross-communication, writing, and working with a team. Furthermore, I am excited to meet new people at my workplace, expand my global network, and learn from my internship mentors. The feedback component of the internship will be incredibly valuable information for my future jobs, and I hope to learn what my strengths are and also areas for improvement.
When I’m not at my internship, I can’t wait to explore the beautiful country of Ireland— from the bustling city of Dublin, to the peaceful coastal towns and rolling hills of the countryside. I hope to visit locations such as the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Cork, and Glendalough in Ireland, and also make my way to Belfast and Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland (I’m a big Derry Girls fan!). I will also be spending much of my time exploring the city of Dublin. As both the capitol and the largest city in Ireland, Dublin is a location that has so much to offer. From live music in the pubs, to exploring the food scene, to visiting museums and monuments, Dublin is rich with history and culture, and I’m excited to have this vibrant city as my home-base. Furthermore, living on the University College Dublin campus provides a built in community and gives me the opportunity to meet other students from all over the world.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of IIP Dublin and look forward to sharing my adventures with everyone throughout the summer! With a busy summer ahead, writing these blogs allows me to pause and reflect on my experiences. After the program is over, I can look back on them and see my personal and professional growth, as well as all of the fun I’m sure I will have had. I’m anticipating these eight weeks will fly by, and I will make the most of every moment. Off to Dublin I go!
Sláinte!