Benefits of a Short-Term Internship

Grace Harmatys spent two weeks as an intern at Blaze Partners.

For students who can’t fit an entire semester- or summer-long internship into their lives, a short-term—or micro—internship can be a fulfilling experience. Like many students, Grace Harmatys, a senior management student from Livermore, Maine, relies on her summer job to help pay for school. “I’ve been hesitant to get a summer internship,” she says. “But a micro internship allowed me to gain experience without taking up an entire summer.”
 
Grace spent two weeks in January 2024 working at Blaze Partners, a marketing firm in Yarmouth, Maine. She dove into a project that collected data through interviews and outside research. “I presented my findings to the team, contributing my ideas to the overall campaign strategy,” she says.
 
This short-term internship was ideal timing for Blaze. “We lucked out by having an ideal project for her to work on—a game day project for UMaine men’s hockey,” says Jenna Klein Jonsson, partner at Blaze. “Grace was also able to learn about analytics and reporting since she was here at the beginning of the month when we are working on client reports.”
 
Seeing the inner workings of a marketing firm was an important insight for Grace, who graduates in May. She learned different skills from several marketing professionals and made meaningful connections during her stay.
 
“I believe these kinds of experiences are critical to helping college graduates be considered for great jobs,” Jenna says. “To be honest, Blaze simply wouldn’t consider someone for an entry-level full-time role if they didn’t have any professional experience. And I realize that having professional experience is a privilege not available to everyone. If we can help create opportunities for talented students through micro-internships, this is a win-win for the Maine economy.”
 
From Grace’s perspective, short-term internships can help students balance restricted time and gain experience. “This experience can also benefit students who want to explore different industries,” she says. “This gives students insight into how organizations operate on a day-to-day basis. And lets them find out if an industry or employer aligns with their passions and values.”