Student Spotlight: Intern Joins the Under Armour Team

Name: Kacie Phillips
Hometown: Tipp City, Ohio
Major: Marketing & Management
Classification: Junior
Internship: Digital Sport Marketing and Product Engagement Intern, Under Armour World Headquarters

How did you find out about this internship?
I was initially contacted by Under Armour’s talent acquisition team last October. The recruiter found my profile through LinkedIn and reached out to gauge my interest in the company. Needless to say, I was very excited about pursuing such an amazing opportunity. I have always had an innate desire to combine my passions of sports/fitness and marketing/social media.

What was the application and interview process like?
Since the recruiter reached out to me in early fall, I had several initial conversations with him. After sending my application, I followed up with recruiters to touch base and keep my application top-of-mind. In mid-March, I learned I made it through the initial screening and went on to the next round: a phone interview. During spring break, I had my phone interview and moved to the final round — a Skype interview with my potential hiring manager a few days later. After being one of more than 5,000 applicants, I was so honored and humbled to be offered the position the following day.

What kind of work do you do for your employer?
I am interning with the Digital Sport team at Under Armour. I work collaboratively with the brand team — including the brand categories, public relations, digital/social, events, and retail/account marketing — to tell the Armour39 story through our traditional channels. In order to sustain the conversation, I am building on these channels to develop disruptive, creative marketing. My position incorporates not only traditional marketing, but also social media strategies and grass-root events through our athletes, employees and key influencers.

How has Texas Tech prepared you for this opportunity?
Texas Tech and the Rawls College of Business are a huge proponent in my success. Through influential faculty members, various leadership positions and rigorous coursework, I have gained the work ethic, confidence, and know-how to earn this position and excel in the process.

What have you learned from this experience?
From the beginning, I dove in to learn about Armour39, develop an understanding for how Under Armour marketing leverages social media and grass-root movements, and build out a plan to activate across every project. I have developed a comprehensive understanding of the best practices to market and communicate the “Brand” image.

Every day I take on new challenges and learn from the candid and critical feedback of my manager and coworkers. Through immersing myself in the atmosphere of such an exciting, fresh and fast-paced company, I have learned invaluable skills and competencies to carry throughout my education and career.

How will this experience help you in your future career?
In terms of my future career, I would love to come back and work at Under Armour. This company offers an amazing opportunity to not only pursue my passion, but also to feel empowered to create and innovate along the way. Through hard work, determination and the empowerment of an organization, I know I can make a difference and add value wherever I go.

What advice would you give to other students about the internship experience?
An internship is an invaluable experience. It gives insight into a potential career path, while developing skills and knowledge along the way. Absolutely no amount of coursework compares to tangible work experience.

Get out there, get your feet wet and challenge yourself. I walk into work each and every day with a smile on my face and just enough nerves to challenge myself to improve, excel and add value to my company. No matter what you do or where you go, stay humble and stay hungry.

What do you hope to do in the future?
In the future, I want to combine my sports/fitness with marketing/social media passions —just as I have been able to do over the summer. While it has always been a dream of mine to pursue a career in professional sports, I am keeping an open mind, a smile on my face and a desire to make a difference wherever my path may lead.