Phoenix — McMurry's enriched marketing communications internship program—MyTurnship—started its 2009 program last week. In its second year, the program takes Arizona and New York's best marketing communications students and provides them with valuable real-world experiences in their chosen areas of professional endeavor.

This year's three MyTurnship participants, who represent the best of the best in marketing communications students from Arizona and New York colleges and universities, were chosen from among nearly 100 applicants. Keith Hickey, graphic designer and recent visual communications graduate of Northern Arizona University, Allison Carlton, editorial assistant and print journalism senior at Arizona State University, and Kristen Gundersen, junior graphic designer and graphic design senior at The College of Saint Rose, are spending the summer as McMurry staff members. They work on real projects, attend client meetings, present at company meetings, attend professional development classes, and produce quality portfolio work.

Each MyTurnship participant has a MyMentor, a coach within McMurry who oversees the intern's involvement and performance, and conducts a formal evaluation.

“Part of being a great place to work is having the most talented staff,” says VP/Tremendous People Lee Vikre. “We started this program because we wanted to seek out the top collegiate talent in these states and offer them valuable real-work experiences that surpass most internships.  We’ve met some very bright, creative students and recent graduates, and one of the 2008 MyTurnship participants was hired as a full-time staff member.”

About 30 students were chosen among the applicants to participate in McMurry Day in January, when the applicants came to McMurry headquarters in Phoenix and went through an interview process similar to the one all McMurry staff members go through. They also received interview and job search tips, and applicants were able to join a Facebook group page prior to McMurry Day and ask questions of one another and McMurry staff members.

The MyTurnship participants receive $10 per hour and work a 40-hour week.

About McMurry
McMurry (mcmurry.com), with three offices in Arizona and New York, offers a complete line of marketing communications services to a variety of clientele, including GlaxoSmithKline, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Amtrak, CBS, Aon, CVS Caremark, Waste Management, 24 Hour Fitness and Thomson Reuters, as well as resources to more than 10,000 corporate professionals. The company has specialized practices in healthcare, finance and insurance. It is among the largest independent marketing communications companies in the U.S. and is recognized by the Great Place to Work Institute and Society for Human Resource Management as one of the top five “Best Small Companies to Work For” in the U.S.