Will they like me?
Do I even have the credentials to apply?
I study science, not marketing. How could I even be of service to them?
These were my thoughts back in October 2021 when I first saw that Alder & Co. was looking for an apprentice.
Hello, my name is Mallory Furlong, and I am an environmental sciences student at the University of Toronto. I came across Bettina Grab’s profile on Flik, a portal that connects female entrepreneurs with female students to foster apprenticeships across the world. When I first messaged Bettina back in October, I wasn’t sure what to expect. In fact, I was a little hesitant even to reach out. But looking back at those moments, I’m glad that I did.
Working with Alder & Co has been an amazing experience! As a student, you don’t often get to dip your toes into different industries, which can make it hard to explore new opportunities outside of your field. I was always curious about business and marketing, so when I saw that Alder & Co worked alongside climate tech companies to better promote their services and products, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity!
“The best thing that I’ve learned from Alder is the importance of strong communication and leadership.”
In working with the Alder team, I have learned many things. How to re-name a company, how to do a competitive analysis, and even how to expand your business in a new country. I’ve been able to sit in on meetings with clients and the Alder team to learn about how business meetings even work. News flash, it’s not as intense as the movies make it seem! But overall, the best thing that I’ve learned from Alder is the importance of strong communication and leadership.
I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Melanie Adamson, the founder of Alder, and it has been so refreshing learning from such a strong woman. As a woman in STEAM (sciences, technology, engineering, arts, and math), you experience imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and constant social pressures to figure out your career at such a young age. In fact, I already feel like I’m behind in my career and I’m only 22! But talking to Melanie every week and watching her run Alder with such confidence and grace has given me peace of mind. Not only is she pushing Alder to be the best that it can be, but she also makes a consistent effort to build a team of like-minded individuals around her who make Alder even better! Working with this team has taught me the importance of collaborative work and finding those people who want to see you and your dream succeed.
In 2020, I started my own Instagram community, called @enverything, where I create educational content on environmental topics for the average person to understand. I originally reached out to Alder because I knew that this apprenticeship would help me to build my community from a business perspective, and it has! I have learned valuable skills that I will take with me as I continue to grow Enverything and pursue my career.
I just wanted to conclude this post by thanking Melanie, Bettina, and the whole Alder team for letting me work with them for the last six months. I am so lucky to have gotten to work with you all and I know that our paths will cross again in the future!
If you or someone you know is looking for an apprenticeship at a marketing agency, Alder & Co. is the place to go!
To apply for an internship with Alder, please send your resume and cover letter to hello [at] alderagency [dot] com.
Written by
Mallory Furlong
Mallory is an environmental sciences student at the University of Toronto. She works alongside the Alder team on various business and marketing projects. When she isn't working, she also makes environment and climate concepts accessible to an average person through her Instagram community.
