NJIT's Vincent Jackson Builds Skills Through Internships, Most Recently at Adobe

Vincent Jackson is an internship magnet. 

Jackson ’21 had five in his first three years at NJIT, where he’s majoring in business/management with a concentration in marketing at the Martin Tuchman School of Management. Most recently, he spent the summer at Adobe Sales Academy, where he earned the Intern of the Week honor. Jackson, a student in the Educational Opportunity Program who also has interned at Newark Venture Partners, SpeechKit and ABF Creative (twice), reflected on the work skills he has acquired and the art of networking.

What hard and soft skills did you develop at Adobe Sales Academy?

Hard skills were familiarizing myself with customer relationship management systems such as Salesforce that are used for large enterprise companies and gaining insight on Adobe Experience Cloud products such as Adobe Analytics so I could be successful with assignments. Soft skills were communicating with people virtually, establishing common goals verbally and then documenting those goals. I gained a greater sense of empathy due to the fact that all of the interns were virtual and it was a new experience for everybody.  

What did you accomplish to become Intern of the Week?

My mentor and account executive made their ecosystem aware that I was doing a great job doing account research and prospecting. Also, I sent a podcast titled Through Her Eyes to Adobe's Black Employee Network group chat. It was in development by ABF Creative during my first internship with ABF in 2019. It is a very emotional and cinematic audio experience that resonates with a lot of people.

Previously, you had two internships at ABF. What did you enjoy most about working there?

What I enjoyed most about my first internship [as an associate business developer] was that it was the beginning of me getting my feet wet in sales and was with a podcast production company that cares about minorities and their culture being displayed in a positive and genuine light. I was able to craft my own emails to send to dozens of different media companies and I was getting replies! For my second internship [as a sales strategist], we were able to seamlessly transition from working in the office to working remotely. The ability to have quality adaptation to a new digital terrain makes working with a company so enjoyable!

You make some interesting contacts at Newark Venture Partners?

Yes, most notably Anthony Frasier, Wanda Reynolds, Sean Simons, James MacLeod, Patrick O’Flaherty, Ashley Edwards and Jaime Mendoza. I've learned lessons from all of these people that I will be able to use throughout the remainder of my career and my life.

What tips do you have about landing internships? 

Don't be afraid to reply to emails even though you may not have experience. Second, make and organize your LinkedIn--it's a great marketing tool that we must take advantage of. Third, exhaust all options for apps around career building, including Monster, WayUp and Handshake. Also, save the business cards you receive during career fairs as pictures on your phone. And use criticism to your advantage--it's inevitable for everybody to get. Finally, NJIT Career Development Services is a great place to go to make sure you have a high-quality resume.

Where do you hope your degree will take you?

To places that I can only dream of as a 21-year-old.