American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson may have written the phrase “the first wealth is health” in 1860, but the concept of “health is wealth” continues to resonate deeply with me today. When I was growing up, I never fully considered the tremendous impact health has on everyone’s life. Oftentimes when we are in good health, we take for granted how fortunate we are and don’t stop to think about how others may struggle with health issues on a day-to-day basis.

The term “going back to the office” meant nothing to me. Going back somewhere implies returning to a place from where you’ve been before, and as a summer intern at Digitas Health, there was no place for me to go back to. It was just going to the office. Before this summer, I hadn’t stepped within 500 feet of any office, let alone go into one for a real-life, paid job.

Starting my internship search, I was very lost on where I wanted to go. As a first-generation college student from Whiting, Indiana, a city with a population of 5,000 people, I didn’t have any guidance or anyone to turn to for help. Going into college, it seemed as if everyone knew the route they were taking, whereas I always struggled to find my own path. I eventually declared my major as informatics at Indiana University—a huge step for me—but it was still difficult to decide what I wanted to do with my degree.

Years ago, a technician visited my house to install a fiber optic internet connection. I remember staring inquisitively at the blinking lights on the box. After a lengthy Q&A session with my father, I realized those lights meant I was connected to the internet, and to Google! This experience marked my life’s journey of summer camp coding classes, fixing my relatives' computers, teaching myself new software, and so on.

College is a time to step out of your comfort zone and learn more about yourself, a time to take classes to learn about the history of pop music or molecular biology. No matter where you may attend school, you are given the opportunity to take a wide range of classes that broaden your horizon and help you find your area of interest.

Until my college advisor mentioned it, I hadn’t heard of Publicis Groupe. On a regular afternoon during my senior year, otherwise known as procrastination hours, I got a call from my favorite advisor who had become more of a friend at this point. He told me about an upcoming event for multicultural students in advertising, hosted by Publicis Groupe, and asked if I was interested in attending.

If you asked me this time last year where I would be right now, I never would have imagined I would be interning at such an incredible company. When I received the call from HR that I had been accepted as the Marketing/Business Development Intern at Razorfish Health, I was in disbelief considering the seemingly never-ending internship process.

Somewhere in life, we’ve all been asked the question, “What would you like to be when you grow up?” The good-natured query often comes from attentive parents or introspective teachers, all eager to mold untapped adolescent potential into a promise of an ambitious future.

As I wrap up my first week as the Marketing Communications intern at Publicis Health, I catch myself revisiting many feelings from this past year. It’s been overwhelming to learn so much about the corporate setting for the first time, and doing so in a virtual space is quite strange.

Traditional, in-person career fairs have largely been replaced by virtual career fairs. In times B.C. (Before COVID-19), career fairs consisted of rows of six-foot-long tables, seas of recruiters, and sometimes upwards of 500 students searching for their dream job. There was pressure for a flawless handshake and a pile of printed résumés to be distributed to others. Fast forward to the present, and students are expected to stand out among the career fair crowd from behind a computer screen.

Purpose. A simple word, but one with a lot of weight behind it. Why? Because purpose implies something larger, something bigger than oneself, and that can be a bit scary. We often find ourselves asking, “What’s the thing that gets me out of bed in the morning?” “What do I want to accomplish in my career?” Or, “What can I do to contribute to my community and society?” For many, these questions can be difficult to answer.

As a junior at the University of Georgia, this was my first time attending MCTP and it was nothing short of amazing. Although it was not in its traditional in-person format, I was able to gain priceless advice and inspiration from professionals, all from the comfort of my home!

Nestled near the center of LGBT History Month, National Coming Out Day is recognized on October 11, and is a day used by many queer folk as a holiday to “come out” and share their true identities.

As I reflect on my time at Publicis Health, I’m grateful for the people, the opportunity, and my personal growth. I’ve learned so much about myself, the people, and this industry.

Last month, I started a project management internship at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness (SSW), a creative agency within Publicis Health. Prior to the internship, I was planning a career in general marketing. Now, I’m dreaming of a career in pharma/health advertising.

In the 20 years of my life, I have lived, studied, and worked in three cities and two countries. For 17 of these years, I resided in Ahmedabad, India, where I was raised. I came to the United States just three years ago. Everything from the languages, the people, and even the work culture has varied vastly within each place I’ve been.

My name is Neha Sharma. I’m a Publicis Health intern, and I struggle with depression. Perhaps I’m taking a significant risk by putting this out in the virtual world. Maybe I don’t fully comprehend the consequences this may reap — the labeling and judgment that come with opening the door to this conversation.

Last year, I wrote about my quest that resulted in a highly coveted conversation with then CEO of Publicis Health, Nick Colucci. Today, I’m happy to share the next chapter in an improbable story: How a question from an intern turned into the opportunity of a lifetime.

I’ve interviewed lots of junior candidates through my six years of working in early career development, and no matter how confident or experienced the candidate, there’s always a bit of nervousness going into a first interview. After all, the initial conversation is a chance for an aspiring co-worker to make his or her first, best impression.