Research and analytics are not always the first thing that comes to mind when you think of advertising, but they are an extremely important part of what we do here at HLK! Research / Analytics interns will learn a lot about measuring successful digital advertising and gaining insight into target audiences. Numbers can help us put together stories about the people advertising tries to serve, and that enables us to produce better work in all aspects of a project.

Stephanie Glastetter, Director of Research and Analytics, has a couple of do’s and don’ts for resumes and cover letters when applying for HLK’s Research / Analytics internship:

Do avoid typos and vigorously check your resume, cover letter and any other materials for mistakes. Attention to detail is a big part of the job, and a mistake can get your information thrown out before it even makes it into the right person’s hands.

Don’t include irrelevant information on your resume. Were you a lifeguard in high school? Good for you. It’s unfortunately not going to help you in an advertising agency, so it’s best to include only relevant experience. It’s also important to note that if you’re going to submit a resume that is longer than one page, make sure it’s for a VERY good reason. The internship mentors read through a lot of resumes and anything that’s too long is just going to get skimmed over.

Stephanie Glastetter, Director of Research and Analytics

Do have a cover letter! Even if the application or prompt doesn’t ask for one, it is always a good idea to include it anyway — especially if you are a little bit lacking in experience. Showing that you have a passion for learning and are very interested in research and analytics can go a long way, and a cover letter is great way to show that. You can include information that you like reading about (if it’s relevant to the position) and other interests you may have that will make you a good fit.

Don’t stress about not having a ton of experience — HLK’s program is an internship meant for college students and recent grads, so we understand that your goal is to learn! We’ve all been there.

Even if you’re not an advertising or communications major, don’t count yourself out just yet — many different majors and backgrounds can make you a good fit for a research and analytics internship at HLK, only a few of which are economics, political science, business, psychology and sociology.

Stay tuned to the Launchpad blog for more resume and cover letter tips for the other internship positions!

Read our creative internship advice here.

Read our account management internship advice here.