Name: Sarah Rubin
Internship Company: Hulu
Role: Distribution/Strategic Partnerships Intern
What did you do before Stern?
Merchandise Planning at Abercrombie & Fitch (specifically on the abercrombie kids business)
What was your role over the summer?
I worked on the Distribution/Strategic Partnerships team supporting various projects throughout the summer. Under this umbrella, I specifically worked with the devices team, business development team, and network partnerships team to create new revenue streams for Hulu.
What were your responsibilities?
I worked on a data analytics/consumption report, pitch decks for new clients, and recommendations for partners in various industries including QSR, food delivery service and hospitality. I also was able to network and connect with over 40 individuals at the company to learn about how Hulu operates as a joint venture and their position in the OTT market.
What was your most memorable experience over the summer?
Being at Hulu for the Emmy nominations! It was a historical time for Hulu, eventually leading them to win Outstanding Drama for the Handmaid's Tale (first streaming service to win that award)!
How did you spend your time preparing for recruiting and interviews?
The Office of Career Development helped me create a non-traditional recruiting strategy, including connecting with alumni in the media industry and visiting various companies with the Entertainment, Media, and Sports Association. I attended knowledge management sessions hosted by second year students who had experience in television, film, music, and sports to learn about industry trends. I also participated in the Entertainment & Media Immersion program which gave me real world experience in the media industry by pitching business development/distribution ideas to HBO. Over winter break, I traveled to California on the Entertainment and Media Los Angeles Trek and was given unprecedented access to elite firms in the entertainment space and an opportunity to network with alumni on the west coast.
Did you find anything surprising during recruiting or the internship?
A lot of my internship was very non-structured, and the team encouraged me to pursue projects that interested me. Without being given a set of instructions, I networked with individuals in various functions to find out where I could provide the most impact and learn the most from the organization. Dealing with non-structured situations can be difficult, but it was extremely rewarding when I paved my own path at Hulu.
Favorite entertainment & media-related experience in NYC so far:
I took Brand Strategy with Professor Galloway last spring, and my team decided to focus our semester-long project on S'well. At the end of the semester, we had to pitch our projects in a "Shark Tank" format to our professor and TA in a competition style. Eventually, my team won the "Battle of the Brands", which was extremely exciting. Over the summer, my sister was at a conference with the CEO of S'well and gave me her contact information. I reached out to the CEO of S'well, explained our project, and asked if my team could pitch our idea to their marketing team. A few days later, she replied, and we scheduled a time for my team to present our winning idea to S'well's senior leaders. It was an incredible opportunity for us to communicate with VPs/senior leaders and one of my favorite memories of my time at Stern.
Movie/TV recommendations:
The Mindy Project & The Handmaid's Tale (on Hulu, of course!). But also, I might be the only millennial that still watches Survivor - it applies to business school/strategic thinking more than you think!