From Intern to Remote Associate: My Experience at Two Rivers Marketing

In the summer of 2019, I arrived at Two Rivers Marketing for my first internship ever. To say I felt nervous would be a massive understatement. Suddenly, I was going from writing assignments in class to creating work for real clients. But all college students have to take the leap from the classroom to the workplace eventually, and so I took a deep breath, got out of my car, and walked inside.

Between my first internship and accepting a remote position two years later, I completed three other internships — two with other agencies and one with my university in Indianapolis. I took countless college courses focused on both public relations and political science. I studied abroad in Switzerland, and then studied from my parents’ living room during COVID-19. I wrote (and cried over) a thesis on using a live bulldog mascot as a crisis communication tool. I spent countless hours in my senior house with five of my closest friends as we tried to navigate our last year of college and post-graduation decisions during a pandemic.

In short, the years of my life following my first internship with Two Rivers brought about some of the best moments of my life and also challenged me beyond what I ever anticipated. The entire world dramatically changed from when I walked in the agency’s doors in the summer of 2019 to when I graduated college in May 2021.

At the time of my graduation, I knew two things to be true: Two Rivers Marketing was not merely my first internship experience, but the most transformative one I had. However, I also knew that I had been sent home from studying abroad to live in Des Moines again, and I was really craving adventure after being stuck in a house with the same five people for the entirety of my senior year of college.

Then, a possibility emerged. What if I worked for Two Rivers remotely?

An opportunity for adventure

COVID-19 shifted nearly every aspect of life, including how individuals work. We all became experts at carefully tailoring our Zoom backgrounds, looking professional only from the waist up, and quickly muting our microphones when an animal would intrude or an upset roommate returned home. It also opened up the idea that remote work was not only possible, but it can also be productive.

As Two Rivers has switched to a hybrid setting by encouraging three days of in-person work and two days of remote work per week, there is much greater flexibility in choosing where and how one gets their job done. I knew I wanted to come back to the organization that challenged me the most during my undergrad career, but I wanted to do it while exploring a new city.

Thanks to an incredibly supportive team, this dream of mine became a reality. Shortly after graduating, I left the scenery of Indiana for the mountains of Colorado with my laptop and monitor carefully packed into my car. I was able to move into a small studio apartment in the foothills of Boulder and begin a new adventure — all while staying connected to the agency that consistently pushed me to become a better writer and communicator.

Why 2RM?

Two Rivers Marketing was far and away the most difficult internship I had during college. The clients are technical and the workload is hard. However, I have always believed that the road more challenging is the one more rewarding. I knew that Two Rivers would expand my technical knowledge base (interested in learning about two-node lighting architecture, anyone?), while also strengthening my public relations skills.

In addition to professional growth, the team at Two Rivers remains unmatched. When your supervisors become your mentors and role models, beginning each work day feels significantly easier. To have team members who enthusiastically support my remote work fosters a strong sense of community, even when I am not in the office in person.

Two Rivers has given me the best of both worlds: the opportunity to work with an incredible group of people on challenging clients and the chance to go hiking on weekends and explore new local spots.

Looking back at my nervous, sophomore-year self stepping through the agency’s doors, I had no idea what the next few years would have in store for me or what a large role Two Rivers would play in them. But I can confidently say that I am so, so glad I got out of my car and walked in that day. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Interested in exploring career opportunities with Two Rivers Marketing? Visit our careers page to learn more.