Greetings and welcome to our newest series, “From the Ground Up.” Last year we interviewed over 40 of the biggest and best names in the EDM industry. These people are stars in their artists eyes, but choose to stay out of the limelight because they shine better in the business world. This year I wanted to start something different which no one has discussed before. I wanted to start interviewing interns and brand new employees of various companies to get upperclassmen and women excited about working in this industry. I think it’s very important to help those who have indebted their lives to a university all with the chance of not landing a career in their chosen field. This series will cover how they got started from college to landing the perfect internship, it will show future candidates how each company treats their interns/employees, and it will show what each individual learned from their experience. Let’s take a look “From the Ground Up: Into the AM.”

Our first chapter of this series is on The Emazing Group. This company is made up of three smaller companies, EmazingLights, iHeartRaves, and Into the AM. All three of these companies hire interns and employees with us here at EDMJobs, and have recently found a few great candidates for their business. They have been featured on ABC’s Shark Tank and have exploded in popularity since they landed that deal. They are currently looking for an digital marketing intern at EmazingLights. I chose The Emazing Group because they are a shining example of a successful business and a great group of hard-working ravers. In this interview I had the pleasure of interviewing one of Into the AM’s interns, Vincent Quach, whom is majoring in Fashion Merchandising at Cal. State Long Beach. Enjoy his story and learn a thing or two about how to land a gig in this industry!

Who are you and what is your background?

My name is Vincent Quach, 22 years old, currently a fourth year, full-time senior at Cal. State Long Beach majoring in Fashion Merchandising.

How did you get to where you are now?

I would like to think that I am where I am right now as a result of my hard work and dedication. However no proper amount of schooling could ever prepare you for the amount of stress that college will put you through. I am where I am now with the support of my family, friends, and my perseverance to be the first one in my family to graduate from college.

Did you always listen to electronic music when you were younger? Who was your favorite group/artist/band back then?

I only started listening to electronic music, right after graduating high school, so in 2012 to be more specific. My favorite groups/artists were of course the popular DJs that everyone knew. Among those were Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto, David Guetta, and Armin Van Buuren.

You attended college and decided to try out an internship to learn how to become a professional from industry leaders. Did you know who you wanted to work for right off the bat, or did you apply to many different companies?

I had no idea who I wanted to work for off the bat. I’m a very indecisive person and I hate restricting myself to doing JUST one thing, so of course I tried to open my options and apply to anything I thought I would do well in.

Did your college have an intern placement program? Can you tell us a little about their program?

Cal. State Long Beach actually offers a career development center. Within this building, they offer services like resume/cover letter editing, mock-interviews, as well as offer a site that will help you apply to different jobs or internships.

Can you tell us how you landed your current internship with The Emazing Group?

I actually saw a job posting on Indeed.com. I was using Google to search up any “fashion” related internships and found the posting and was definitely interested and had to apply.

How did you prepare for the interview with TEG?

Well I enjoy visiting my campus’ career development center. I had counselors revise my cover letter, resume, as well as conduct a mock interview so I can be further prepared for this interview.

Most companies will give a list of bullet points that state requirements and tasks for the intern to have and complete respectively. Did TEG give you a list of tasks they wanted you to learn and complete while you were there? Most importantly did you ask questions about their company?

Well they didn’t necessarily give me a set of tasks to follow and complete respectively, but they did acknowledge and explain to me what was expected as a Social Media intern. They went over certain tasks and jobs that I was expected to work on while I was in the office. And of course I asked questions about their company. I had been familiar with the brand however I was new to the “marketing” aspect of the retail industry.

Would you have appreciated the opportunity to read an interview such as this one, to gain more knowledge about the company you wanted to work with?

It would have been nice to have read another intern’s experience working with this company. However, I don’t think it would’ve made much of a difference, as most internships are different. I like to follow the motto that what you put into something is how much you’re going to get out of it.

What was it like your first day at TEG? Were you giving tasks right away, just set up to meet people and learn the systems/programs they use on a daily basis or both?

My first day was a bit nerve-wracking. I was given tasks, and I was very unsure of myself because I was not used to such a calm work environment. I believe it was the combination of both the programs, and social media platforms that I had to familiarize myself with, as well as networking and getting to know the entire team at Iheart, Emazing and Into the AM.

Who was your boss and did he or she help work out your issues, if you had them?

Alex Jennison (Brand Manager – Into the AM)

Matt Marchione (CEO – Into the AM)

They both were amazing and very patient with me if I had any issues or questions. It was awesome for me because they made me feel really confident in my work and loved that I was asking questions because I was supposed to be asking questions and learning.

What are your favorite aspects of your internship?

My favorite aspect of this internship is definitely the team atmosphere. I’ve been so used to being within the retail/fashion industry, a lot of the people are cold, very direct, and to be completely honest, a bit snobby at times. It feels amazing to be able to get along with people and have a real positive environment that allows people to help one another. I think Brian Lim does a great job at making sure that his team is working productively, however in a very fun and stress-free environment.

What is your least favorite aspect?

If I could pick out one least favorite aspect, I think it would be the various days where there isn’t much direction given. As an intern starting off with a new company, I might not know all the office terminology used or what exactly I’m supposed to be doing at times. Within the first week of course, I was definitely hesitant to bother my boss or ask anyone for help because I just assumed I was supposed to be doing something. I think the one aspect that could be improved on is definitely laying out like what a normal day is like and possibly explaining to interns in the beginning that they are expected to work on their own pace and not need constant supervision and coddling.

Is there anything you do for work on a daily basis others might be surprised about? 

I believe what I do is self-explanatory, as I am a social media intern. My work is simple and cut out, I am supposed to be managing our social media platforms, handling customer questions and finding content for postings. However, I don’t believe others may know how stressful and critical I am about the content that is posted. I am always second-guessing myself and always thinking about the target customer and whether or not a certain post will receive the necessary engagement versus another post.

Do you have any advice for those trying to find an internship in this industry?

My advice would be to definitely keep your options open; don’t limit yourself to what you THINK you want to do. Apply, and really open yourself up to trying to learn new skills and experiences. Step out of your comfort zone, and really work for where you want to be in life.

Is there anything else you would like to add? Tips, thoughts, feelings, songs, promotions, etc?

Check out intotheam.com and buy merch! 🙂

 

 

Tags: Armin Van Buuren, David Guetta, EmazingLights, iheartraves, into the AM, Swedish House Mafia, The Emazing Group, Tiesto