Intern Spotlight: Claire Netten

Claire Netten of Ankeny, Iowa is the intern with Blink Marketing in Milford. In the fall, Netten will be a senior at the University of Northern Iowa. She is a marketing major with an emphasis in advertising and digital media and a minor in business communication.  

“I wanted to find an internship where I could get a lot of first-hand experience” she explained when asked about her interest in finding a position for the summer, adding, “My family comes to Okoboji every summer, so I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to work in the lakes area because I know there are a lot of employment opportunities.”

Before applying for the position, Netten had no prior experience with Blink. “One of my really good friends knows Jill [Harms], and she recommended that I look into Blink,” Netten said. “I ended up researching the company, and then I gave Jill a call.”

Picking up the phone proved fruitful for Netten, who suggested more people seeking internships should do the same. Describing how she stood out to potential employers, she elaborated, “What I did was I called a lot of companies instead of emailing. My advice to someone applying for internships is to get on the phone and talk with people instead of just sending an email. It helps give you good communication experience.”

"We love Claire!" said Jill Harms, Owner and President of Blink Marketing. "Claire has been a delightful intern. She seems to thoroughly enjoy the video work that she is doing for us and gets very engaged in her projects. She is willing to help out with anything that I need her to do and she does it with a smile. We will hate to see her go at the end of the summer."

Netten also sees the value in the work she is doing this summer, which will set her up for success as she begins her senior year. “I’ve taken a couple classes that deal a lot with marketing and social media which is the stuff that I’m doing here,” she said. “I have a couple more marketing and advertising classes to finish up, so I think the work that I am doing will definitely contribute to those classes.” 

About the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is the regional economic development agency for Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. The Iowa Lakes Corridor’s mission is to foster, encourage, promote, aid or otherwise assist in the economic development growth and development of the four-county region.