Sarah Kamenetz: Physique57, Paceline, ESPN+, and Peacock
Class of 2021
Physique57 - Spring 2020
Paceline - Summer 2020
ESPN+ - Fall 2020
Peacock - Spring 2021
New York City
What did you do prior to Stern?
Growth Marketing Manager at SoundCloud.
What was the best part of your internships?
For all of them, exposure to senior leadership and projects I am genuinely excited to have worked on! I got to learn a ton from very smart people.
What was the company's culture like?
Paceline, ESPN+, and Peacock are incredibly fast paced start ups! You get stuff done and everyone is new-ish, so you need to be a fast learner and collaborative.
What kind of events did you get to do with your fellow interns and/or team?
At Paceline, we had team happy hours. At ESPN+ for Halloween, we all dressed up as 30 for 30 characters in a Zoom costume competition that we obviously won! At Peacock, we had a team book club, which was cool. All 3 companies held career-focused events for the interns. As an intern at Peacock, I got to be an audience member of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, so I did get to go to 30 Rock!
What was the city like? Did you have a chance to explore? Did it affect your internship in any way?
I have lived in NYC for the last 10 years and stayed here throughout the pandemic and during my virtual internships. This is my home, so my internship was affected in the sense of literally everyone I work and go to school with has met my dog Fang!
What was most challenging part of your internship and what would you do it again if you could?
For both ESPN+ and Peacock interning in-semester, balancing school and interning was/is pretty challenging. It's a balancing act! I would do it again in a heart beat. I feel so grateful for these opportunities during the pandemic when so many others are struggling and I do not take my situation lightly.
For my MBA2 Fall semester, I TA-ed for former Food Network GM Bob Tuschman in his undergrad TV Management class, which was a great complement to what I was learning in my own classes and while interning in the streaming world! That said, TA-ing and interning at the same time are not for the faint of heart- it's a lot of work!!
How did you manage your time? It seems like it might be challenging to juggle so many things.
Prioritizing and staying organized. I set daily goals for what I want to accomplish every day and live by Google calendar. That said, it is particularly challenging to intern during the semester. The below prioritization grid may be helpful for others who need help managing their time.
How did you arrange your class schedule?
I tried to pick classes I was excited about and that would help me grow, but I narrowed down those on Tuesdays/ Thursdays and during non-business hours. Most of the classes I was most interested in were at night, like Scott Galloway's Brand Strategy and Greg Coleman's Digital Media Innovation. I also took Professional Responsibility over Labor Day weekend and Tech Product Solutions over J-Term to spread out my classes.
What were the weekly hours like?
Paceline, ESPN+, Peacock: I worked roughly 9 AM-5 PM. I interned 3 days per week in-semester at both ESPN+ and Peacock vs. 5 days per week over the summer at Paceline.
What was most helpful to you during the recruiting process?
I coffee chatted like crazy and did a ton of interview prep as part of the recruiting process. I wish I listened to the alumnae and speakers early on who kept saying to be ourselves because that is ultimately what helped me land these opportunities. I also asked for help when I needed it from friends and OCD.
What advice do you have for current and prospective students for their internships?
Unsolicited life advice: consider what self-limiting beliefs you hold and how your life could be different otherwise.