Weekly Launchpad Newsletter
In this issue, I share:
3 Ways to Succeed in your Next Job Interview
I have interviewed hundreds of entry level and intern candidates over the years, here are ways that always stood out to me when I was a hiring manager.
Use the STAR method: I can't tell you the number of times I tried to follow along to an interview answer and it was so disorganized, I just could not.
The STAR method is a way to easily organize your interview answers into a cohesive story. It stands for: Situation, Task, Action, Result. The action part of your answer should take up about 60% of your answer.
Situation: How would you describe the situation to someone who wasn't there? Can you provide enough context as to why the situation arose?
Task: What did you need to do in response to the situation?
Action: What action did you take as a result of the situation and task at hand? The action you took will tie back to the quality at hand that you're trying to showcase (problem solving, adaptability, etc).
Result: What did your action result in? This could include data points but it also could be that the team working on the project had better communication going forward, or that you got feedback and made changes in your approach going forward.
Send a (CUSTOMIZED!) thank you email after an interview!
It's rare for a candidate to send a thank you email so getting one as an interviewer is a sure fire way for you to stand out. HOWEVER, always make sure it ties back to the conversation you had with them and shows excitement about something you discussed. Receiving a generic thank you email is just as bad as not getting one at all, and now you're clogging up my inbox.
Ask questions for which you actually want to know the answers!
Do your research on the organization and who you're speaking with to be able to ask questions that are relevant to the person interviewing you AND help you decide whether or not you want to work there. As a hiring manager, I could tell if they were generic questions that didn't matter to this person. However, very strong questions could turn around an interview where I was maybe on the fence about the person
These are just some of the ways that you can stand out in an interview and what helped people stand out when I was a hiring manager.
Want more support? Let's chat, schedule a free consultation call: Book Online
Or, just want an interview prep guide? Purchase here: Interview Prep Guide
3 Ways to Standout in this Job Market
The job market, especially for new grads, is tough right now. The recent grad unemployment rate is about 5.6% vs 4.2% for everyone combined. And people are even more worried about how AI will continue to impact that.
Let me give you some tips and tricks to stand out and overcome that worry.
Get certified with certifications that make sense for your industry.
And there are a TON of free certifications out there, for example:
Amazon Ads Certifications: https://advertising.amazon.com/academy/certifications
Google Ads Certification: https://skillshop.withgoogle.com/googleads/
Study up on Excel, there's a lot of free resources out there too
Get certified in AI specifically
ChatGPT: https://academy.openai.com/
Develop your professional skills
Companies like Ernst & Young are more interested in hiring people with strong professional skills that can't be replaced by AI but rather can be leveraged in conjunction with AI that makes you more efficient.
Skills such as: problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking, strategy development, communication, etc.
How to Standout as a New Hire in the World of AI
When starting out in a new job, you will be taught tasks and processes that might not necessarily be the most efficient. When you're onboarding, you have the opportunity to dig into AI to uncover ways to make processes more efficient.
For example, I had a new hire that needed to monitor ad spend for their campaigns on a weekly basis. They were taught to go into the ad console 3x a week to manually pull the spend numbers and add them to a spreadsheet. They realized what a drain on their time this was and instead built a skill in Claude to pull this data in for them to review and so all they had to do was make changes to the campaigns if they were not spending correctly. This saved them about 3-4 hours every week and then they shared it out with the broader team so it became impactful for more than just themself.
Mistakes to Avoid as a New Hire
At my last job, I developed and launch a 4-month pass/fail entry level training program. And while over 90% of people passed the program, we did have a few people fail, so they were let go within 4 months of starting. To note: These instances were part of a larger theme in their performance and not isolated one time occurrences.
(Not) Communicating
Being a no call, no show where people were trying to get ahold of this individual all day and had no idea if they were working or not. Turned out, they had an emergency that pulled them away from work. Emergencies happen but what they should have done? Let me (their manager) and their closest working peers know they would be unavailable that day. I, as their manager, could have stepped in to find coverage for their work. But instead, the work didn't get done and it caused a rift in trust (that had already been degrading)
Not Taking Feedback
One of the first things I would teach my entry-level trainees was how to write a strong professional email vs a 5 paragraph essay. I always encourage the use of bullets, highlighting, and bolding to help break up the text and make it easily scannable (because no one is reading an entire email).
For example:
Hi Sam,
I need to move the Q4 client report from Wed, Oct 8 to Fri, Oct 10.
Here's the situation:
Cause: finance data arrived Oct 6, two days late
Impact: only the revenue slide is delayed
Plan: I'll send a draft of everything else by Wed EOD
Can you confirm Friday works for the client by Tue, 5 pm?
Thanks, Alex
However, I don't know if they were trying to be funny but I would get emails like this:
Hi Sam, hope you're having a great week so I wanted to reach out about the Q4 client report because I know it's due on Wednesday but the finance data came in two days late which means that I have not been able to finish the revenue slide and I think I might need more time although the other sections are pretty much done and I was going to send a draft but I wasn't sure if that was okay so let me know what you think about Friday or whatever works and I can also hop on a call if that's easier because I know the client is expecting it soon so thanks and let me know, Alex
They heard my feedback and thought they knew what it meant or how to apply it. This back and forth happened multiple times.
Instead, when you get feedback, you should work to try to understand it from their POV. Ask questions to understand the why as that will help you determine how you should be applying it.
Plagiarizing
I had an individual who was so paralyzed in working in an ambiguous environment that they had a hard time understanding their learnings and knowing how to apply them. Rather than ask for help or try to dig in with me or their training buddy, they decided to straight up copy a presentation their training buddy had delivered (including the voice over or "talk track" that went along with the presentation) and tried to pass it off as their own. So when it came time to ask them questions about their content at the end of the presentation, they couldn't answer it because they didn't actually know the content.
If you're having a hard time learning when onboarding into a new role, don't be afraid to speak up and get help. Asking for help is a million times better than pretending like you know and falling flat on your face.
Weekly Internship Job Openings - Week of Oct 4, 2026
Marketing, Brand & Communications
2027 Summer Internship, Marketing and Communications (Rookie Program)
Under Armour | Baltimore, MD (hybrid or in-office) | Pay not disclosed
Brand Marketing, Category Marketing, Sports Marketing, Social Media or Communications tracks; interns own a business-critical project with mentorship.
Skills: project ownership, collaboration, marketing/communications/social media fundamentals; portfolio welcome but optional.
Eligibility: enrolled in a 4-year program, graduating Dec 2027–Aug 2028 (or May/June 2027); no visa sponsorship. Phrased by graduation date rather than 'junior/senior.'
Notable: rolling review, interviews begin in October; relocation assistance offered.
Marketing Internship – Summer 2027
Polaris | Any U.S. Polaris location (HQ: Plymouth, MN) | Paid: $20.50–$28.50/hr (MN rate)
12-week program touching brand marketing, creative content, e-commerce and dealer channels, with a 3-day summit and final presentation to senior leadership.
Skills: Microsoft Office; marketing coursework.
Eligibility caveat: open to sophomores, juniors AND seniors (graduation Aug 2027–May 2029); 3.0 GPA minimum; U.S. work authorization required.
Notable: applications run roughly August–November.
Digital Marketing Intern – Summer 2027
McKesson | The Woodlands, TX | Paid: $17.33–$28.88/hr
10-week full-time internship on digital performance, customer engagement, analytics and online visibility.
Skills: social media and email marketing, content creation, data analysis, Excel/PowerPoint.
Eligibility caveat: requires 75+ credit hours by start date (full-time undergrad or grad) rather than a strict junior/senior label.
Notable: executive access, coaching and training from subject matter experts.
McKesson Health Systems (MHS) Marketing Intern – Summer 2027
McKesson | Irving, TX | Paid: $17.33–$28.88/hr
Healthcare marketing across strategy, campaign execution, market research and customer insights, working with Sales, Product and Business Development.
Skills: data analysis, presentations, Excel/PowerPoint; CRM/Salesforce or data visualization a plus.
Eligibility caveat: 75+ credit hours by start date; graduate students also eligible.
Summer 2027 Internship – Downstream Marketing
Stryker | New Jersey (Mahwah) | Paid: $20–$35/hr plus sign-on bonus and housing or stipend
Develop campaigns, messaging and product positioning, with field time alongside sales teams and medical professionals.
Skills: written/verbal communication, Microsoft Office, prioritization.
Eligibility caveat: bachelor's or master's students who remain enrolled after the internship; no strict junior/senior wording. 3.0 GPA preferred.
Notable: paid corporate housing or a living stipend.
Summer 2027 Internship Program – Brand Creative Design Intern
Dow Jones (WSJ, MarketWatch, Barron's) | New York, NY (in-office) | Paid: $28/hr
Help build brand identities and design systems across digital and print for Dow Jones publications.
Skills: Figma or Adobe Creative Suite, digital design principles; UI/UX or animation a bonus.
Eligibility: 4-year undergrad graduating Dec 2027–July 2029; no visa sponsorship. Available June 7–Aug 13, 2027.
Notable: rolling review; application deadline listed as November 13.
Sales & Business Development
Sales Intern – Summer 2027
Tanium | Addison, TX (hybrid, 3 days/week in office) | Paid: $25/hr
Schedule qualified meetings for field sales, run lead generation and use Salesforce and LinkedIn Navigator.
Skills: cold outreach (commission background preferred), sales methodology, relationship building.
Eligibility: bachelor's candidate graduating Dec 2027 or Spring 2028 (business majors preferred); available June 7–Aug 13, 2027.
Notable: 401k match and communications allowance.
Business Development Intern – Summer 2027
National Interstate Insurance (Great American Insurance Group) | Richfield, OH | Pay not disclosed
Salesforce data entry, new business intake, prospecting and marketing analytics projects across insurance departments.
Skills: Excel/Word/PowerPoint, communication; Salesforce preferred.
Eligibility: bachelor's student in Business, Marketing, Sales or related, graduating Fall/Winter 2027–Spring 2028.
Healthcare Customer Service Internship – Summer 2027
Medline | Dubuque, IA (hybrid with shadowing travel) | Paid: $16.50–$24/hr
Sales Service Division internship: support healthcare facilities with orders and inventory, shadowing customer service professionals.
Skills: organization, follow-up, customer service, Microsoft Office.
Eligibility caveat: rising seniors (junior standing preferred) — juniors-to-be, not current seniors. Requires unrestricted permanent U.S. work authorization.
Media & Journalism
Newsroom Summer Internship Program 2027: Content Strategy Editors
The Washington Post | Washington, DC | Paid: $1,021.13/week
Audience-focused newsroom roles spanning social media, newsletters and data-driven audience strategy; interns are treated as staff.
Skills: storytelling, audience engagement, deadline-driven work.
Eligibility: enrolled college junior, senior or grad student. Needs resume, 500-word essay and portfolio.
Notable: DEADLINE is noon ET, Friday, October 9, 2026
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Summer 2027 Internship, Market Access Consulting
Precision AQ | New York, NY (hybrid) | Paid: $32/hr
Eight-week internship doing research and analysis for pharma/biotech clients on market access strategy.
Skills: analytics, healthcare data, PowerPoint/Excel, communication.
Eligibility: undergrads graduating Dec 2027–June 2029 in life sciences, public health, economics, business or related; advanced-degree students also eligible.
Finance & Data
Finance and Strategy Intern (Summer 2027)
Robinhood | Menlo Park, CA (in person 3 days/week) | Paid: $33/hr
Build financial models, dashboards and executive presentations for the Futures and Prediction Markets business lines.
Skills: advanced Excel/Sheets, PowerPoint, analytical and written communication.
Eligibility: business, finance or economics majors graduating Winter 2027 or Spring 2028.
Weekly Entry Level Job Openings - Week of Oct 4, 2026
Marketing & Advertising
Junior Account Executive, GEO & PR
5W Public Relations (5WPR) — Miami, FL or Tampa, FL (Hybrid) — Experience: 1-3 years
Junior PR/content role optimizing brand content for AI search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.) and traditional media, including managing media outreach for research- and data-driven stories.
Note: Focuses specifically on optimizing content for AI search engines — a newer skill worth knowing about going in.
Product Marketing Specialist
Databento — Remote (optional SF / NYC / Salt Lake City offices) — Experience: 2+ years
Develops product positioning and writes copy/content across landing pages, social, and sales materials for a financial market-data startup, working closely with product and sales teams.
Note: Fast-growing, well-regarded data infrastructure startup; fully remote option is a plus for grads not tied to one city.
Sales & Business Development
Business Development Representative
Gusto — Denver, CO (Hybrid, 2-3 days/week onsite) — Experience: 1+ years of sales or outbound-prospecting experience
First point of contact for prospective customers of this HR/payroll/benefits platform — qualifying inbound and outbound leads, educating prospects, and partnering with Account Executives.
Note: Base pay of $27.17-$31.90/hr plus a 20% commission structure on top.
Business Operations, HR & Consulting
Strategic Partnership Operations Associate
The Lockwood Group (IDEOlogy Health) — Austin, TX (Hybrid, 2 days/week onsite) — Experience: 1-3 years preferred
Supports a Senior Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships on medical-education events for oncology professionals — speaker recruitment and contracting, event timelines, and cross-functional coordination.
EPiC Associate Consultant – Data & Analytics/AI
Handshake — Denver, CO (Onsite) — Experience: Entry-level/new grad, bachelor's degree, no minimum years
Rotational consulting-associate program with three rotations (Data Analyst, Developer, AI Architect) doing client-facing analysis, dashboards, and requirements work, with mentor and cohort support.
Note: Structured rotational program with built-in mentorship — a good fit for grads who want variety before specializing. Pay: $65,000-$70,000.
Billing Operations Associate
Instacart — Remote, US — Experience: 2+ years in billing operations or similar
Owns monthly billing cycles for Instacart's retail partners — invoicing, credits and refunds, billing-system workbooks, contract review, and audit support.
Recruiting Operations Analyst
xAI — Palo Alto, CA (Onsite, 5 days/week) — Experience: Bachelor's degree (no years of experience stated)
Manages and optimizes recruiting systems (including the Greenhouse ATS) and builds recruiting analytics and reporting.
Note: Unusually high pay for an entry-level-labeled role — posted range is $120,000-$160,000.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Clinical Lab Associate I
Natera — San Carlos, CA (Onsite) — Experience: 0-2 years; bachelor's in biological science or related field
Entry-level clinical lab role analyzing patient specimens and running lab equipment per GLP standards at a genetic-testing and molecular-diagnostics company.
Note: Pay is $28-$32/hr.
Clinical Data Operator
Natera — Pleasanton, CA (Onsite) — Experience: 0-1 year; high school diploma, no bachelor's required
Entry-level accessioning/data-entry role handling patient sample data at the same genetic-testing company.
Note: Lower degree requirement than most listings here — worth flagging for anyone whose degree field doesn't line up, or for friends without a four-year degree.
Actuarial Analyst
Elevance Health — Multiple locations: Woodland Hills/LA CA, Indianapolis IN, Tampa FL, Louisville KY, Cincinnati/Mason OH, Grand Prairie TX (Hybrid) — Experience: No prior work experience required; bachelor's degree plus one passed SOA or CAS actuarial exam
Supports Medicaid rate review, pricing models, and rate analysis at one of the largest U.S. health insurers.
Note: Pay range is $76,176-$114,264 — a standout salary for a role with no professional-experience requirement.
Authorization Representative I (BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy)
Elevance Health — Denver, CO (Hybrid) — Experience: 1 year of pharmacy prior-authorization experience; high school diploma/GED
Processes pharmacy prior-authorization requests for a specialty pharmacy within a major health insurer.
Nonprofit & Government
Annual Disclosure Paralegal
NYC Conflicts of Interest Board — Manhattan, NY (In-person) — Experience: No professional-year minimum for degree holders; bachelor's degree, or HS diploma plus 6 years related experience
Supports the Annual Disclosure and Legal Advice units — reviewing financial disclosure filings and providing legal/administrative support on conflicts-of-interest matters for NYC public servants.
Note: Pay is $52,426-$67,000/year.
Policy & Public Affairs Associate
Democracy Forward Foundation — Washington, DC (Hybrid, in-office ~8 days/month) — Experience: 1-3 years in public policy, public affairs, communications, or project management
Supports the Policy & Public Affairs team at this legal/advocacy nonprofit — media monitoring, press clips, newsletter and social content, and drafting web copy on litigation work.
Note: Pay is $72,100 plus benefits and is overtime-eligible.
Creative & Media
Graphic Designer & Illustrator
Discord — San Francisco Bay Area, CA (Onsite) — Experience: 2+ years
Creates visual design and illustration work for Discord's brand and product.
Note: Pay range ($116,000-$130,500) is notably high for a role at the lower end of "entry level."
Technology
Associate Product Manager, New Grad
Robinhood — New York, NY (In-person/hybrid) — Experience: 0-1 years in product management, product development, or a related field
Rotational new-grad PM program at the trading and investing app, for grads graduating between Winter 2026 and Summer 2027; program start is July 2027.
Note: Application deadline is October 14, 2026 — worth applying soon.
Data Analyst (Entry-Level)
Recidiviz — Remote, or New York City / Oakland, CA — Experience: 6+ months of professional work experience (internships and research count)
Data analyst role at a nonprofit building data tools for the criminal justice system.
Note: Mission-driven nonprofit tech role — a good fit for grads who want data skills with social impact.
Entry-Level Software Engineer (FreeWheel)
Comcast — Englewood, CO (Onsite, 4 days/week) — Experience: 0-2 years
Assists with the design, development, and maintenance of software applications on Comcast's FreeWheel ad-tech team.
Note: Pay range is $82,581-$123,872/year.
IT Support Analyst I
Aledade — Bethesda, MD (Hybrid) — Experience: At least 2 years of IT support experience
Tier-1 IT support role at a value-based healthcare technology company.
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