What I've Learned During My Time As Bumble’s Influencer Marketing Intern

This past semester, I was the Influencer Marketing Intern for Bumble, the women-first social networking app that empowers safe connections across dating, friend-finding, and business networking. Almost every day, I sat in the Bumble headquarters – a bright yellow building they call “The Hive” – and worked with a team of creative and enthusiastic individuals who are dedicated to ending misogyny and creating a kinder Internet. Spending my days at The Hive has given me a glimpse into what my future career industry can look like, which is something that can be difficult to achieve inside of a classroom. Here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned while interning at Bumble: 

Internships can be one of the most enlightening experiences before you launch your career. 

As the Influencer Marketing Intern, I have learned so many applicable skills that I am excited to bring into my future career, including content creation, trend forecasting, and influencer tracking. However, this internship has also taught me skills that I could never add to my resume. For example, by interning at a mission-driven company such as Bumble, I’ve learned that I want my future job to truly make a difference in the world. Here at Bumble, every task I am responsible for is working towards our mission of ending misogyny and empowering women to make the first move in all aspects of their lives. This was such an enlightening experience for me and I wouldn’t have realized that I wanted my future career to be mission-driven if it wasn’t for this internship.

When applying for internships, be picky – but realistic.

Not every application you submit is going to land you an internship. For my very first internship, I started applying in November, and didn’t get an offer until April. During that time, I was able to constantly tweak my resume, practice my interview skills and, most importantly, identify what positions and companies I was most passionate about. Also, use this time to attend networking events or career fairs thrown by your university or other local organizations! Bumble Bizz is also an easy way to connect with others from the comfort of your own couch. Bizz is Bumble's fresh take on networking, with an emphasis on finding professional opportunities over job hunting. Users can instantly find others who are looking to network, connect professionally, and mentor. 

Influencer marketing isn’t just the annoying #ad posts on Instagram.

Every time I mention influencer marketing, I get asked, “What is that?” Influencer marketing is such a new concept that many companies aren’t even sure what it is or how to use it to their advantage. Simply put, influencer marketing teams seek to partner with influencers, celebrities, and other talent to help promote their product whether it be shoes, a skincare product, or in our case, an app. This is such an important way for brands to foster an authentic connection with relevant audiences through storytelling. I get so excited whenever I’m tracking posts, identifying new influencers, or approving content and I see a familiar name pop up. It solidifies that these people I love and have been following for years really do have an influence over me. Everywhere you turn, these influencers are heavily impacting the world — probably more than you think. I am so lucky to have gotten my experience in this field from a company who is paving the way for the future of influencer marketing.

Networking can change the course of your life. 

One connection can lead to the opportunity of a lifetime. I constantly hear how college students are meeting with people on Bumble Bizz to form study groups during finals or how others are landing their first internship or even a job through a Bizz connection. It excites me to hear these empowering connections come to life and it also speaks to the power of networking. If you’re not on Bumble Bizz already, I encourage you to check it out and experience how making the right connections can change the course of your life and your future career.

Also, if you’re about to graduate and you’re looking for a job, Team Bumble is always growing! Look at our current openings by visiting bumble.com/jobs. And if you don't see a role open right now that you could be a great fit for, check back soon for new opportunities.