We asked Rachel Stand, an associate on our Corporate Advisory team in the NYC office, to tell us about her experience as a fellow at H+K this past summer. Having started in June, she’s taking a moment on her six-month milestone to recall her time as a fellow. Rachel transitioned from fellow to associate this fall, and we look forward to continuing to work with her!

Where are you from?
I grew up in Great Neck, New York. I attended Duke University in North Carolina and I moved to NYC after graduation for a fellowship on the corporate team at H+K’s headquarters.
What did your day-to-day look like during your fellowship?
I was constantly busy as a fellow, which was something I loved about the program. I like to start off my day with a routine, and so I started each morning by completing two monitoring reports. During the day, I usually worked on media monitoring reports, competitor audits, media lists, pitches, editorial calendars, and other work for the corporate team. My colleagues struck a perfect balance of always putting work on my plate, but never making me feel overwhelmed.
What is your most memorable part about being a fellow at H+K?
My team’s attitude, 100%. My team was so welcoming, especially my supervisor, Sam. Everyone was so friendly from the moment I arrived, and it didn’t take long for the team to trust me with legitimate work that actually felt important (no coffee runs!). That’s what differentiated this experience from other internships for me—the work I was doing day in and day out was impactful and helpful to clients. I never felt like I was just being kept busy.
What is something exciting that you worked on?
I had a great time working on the Dolby cinemas project. I find the technology that Dolby uses for its new movie theaters fascinating, and I was excited to dive deeper and learn about their future plans.
Share something you learned from the people you worked with
Two things: pay attention to detail (don’t. rush.) and don’t take anything too seriously.
What is some advice you can give to incoming or prospective fellows?
To thrive at H+K, you have to be committed to putting in effort from the time you come in to the time you leave. That being said, the work culture here is exuberant and fun, and everyone is unique and caring. I would definitely advise future fellows to take the time to go to office events—even something as small as drinks with a team member in the lounge—and really get to know everyone here. There are so many personalities to meet, so many brains to pick, and so many great humans to get to know.
About the Fellowship
H+K’s fellowship program is a three-month opportunity for recent college graduates to gain experience while supporting one of H+K’s diverse teams. It is a formal fellowship designed to help you further develop the essential written, oral, and strategic communication skills required for a career. Visit our Careers page for more information and check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.