We live in a time that calls for big, bold thinking. As an RPA Intern, that’s exactly what you’ll get to do.
That means contributing to real work that really matters. For brands that really matter. At an agency where people matter. Because everything we do at RPA is guided by our People First philosophy.
Putting People First means we couldn’t let the challenges of our moment get in the way of offering students and newcomers to our industry the perfect way to launch their careers. So while the internship is virtual, the opportunity is very real.
To make sure you won’t miss out on important experiences and skill-building, we’ve tailored the internship to include:
We hope you’re as excited as we are. And we look forward to meeting you!
Fall Semester: September – December, deadline to apply June
Spring Semester: January – May, deadline to apply October
Summer Semester: May – August, deadline to apply February
1. Submit resume + Social Project
2. Phone Screen
3. In-Person/Virtual Interview with department
To get started, click here for current job openings and follow the appropriate links for the type of internship you're interested in. Good luck!
• SUPERVISOR: Kara Miyashiro
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: Loyola Marymount University
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I found out about RPA through the LMU M-School program and was drawn to their people-first approach.
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I am eager to learn about how working at the intersection of business and creativity can create value, encourage innovative thinking, and inspire visual solutions. I also love storytelling and how advertising can connect brands to people!
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: I started working with resin as an art form, reading a lot more, and pursuing my dream of becoming a surf photographer.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…I want to learn more about creating strong client relationships and the overall start-to-end process of advertising campaigns and creative projects."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I lived in Shanghai, China for 4 years of my life.
• SUPERVISOR: Tyler Sweeney
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION:
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I found out about RPA through research of advertising agencies located in Los Angeles. I dreamed about working in LA since I was a little girl.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: Hobbies I picked up during quarantine include hand lettering (my form of drawing since the best thing I can draw are stick figures), and baking treats for my neighbors and friends.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARNMORE ABOUT… I want to learn more about what drive humans support and stand behind a brand, how does that community create loyalty and support, especially through a digital space."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I grew up dancing and still when I have the chance teach and take dance classes. I once danced in a Hell’s Kitchen flash mob, but if you watch it you will not see me.
• SUPERVISOR: Gaby Huizar and Phillip Thompson
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: California State University, Fullerton with an emphasis in Advertising and minor in Marketing
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I found RPA by researching advertisement agencies online; when I learned about RPA's "People First" philosophy knew I wanted to be part of the agency.
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I decided to go into the advertising field because my purpose is to promote products, services, and ideas to improve people's lives.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: Learning about the benefits of yoga and meditation through great books as "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…The advertising industry, data analytics, digital marketing, and automation."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: An interesting fact about me is that I share my life with four beautiful rabbits. I love spending time with them because I admire how they are fully connected to the present moment without anxieties from the past or the future.
• SUPERVISOR: University of Oregon
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: Reed Willig
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: S/O to Ethan Aliste
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I want to push agencies and brands towards Creative Social Responsibility
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: SoundCloud rapping, Homemade Cold brewing, and Golf.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…space and alternate universe theory."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I once held my breathe for over three minutes.
• SUPERVISOR: Sue Park and Anna Hovanesyan
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: I’m so happy to say that I’ve just graduated with a BA in Advertising & PR from CSU Dominguez Hills!
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I first heard about RPA through the Academics podcast. In one episode, summer interns were interviewed about their experience at RPA. I was so intrigued with their stories that my curiosity sparked from there.
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I loved that advertising is this wonderful blend of communication, connection, creativity, and collaboration all wrapped into one. Advertising also has the ability to make a global impact and I wanted to be a part of the process.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: I started making masks, planted & tended to a vegetable garden, picked up playing The Sims again, and, of course, binge-watched some of my favorite shows.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARNMORE ABOUT…I’d love to learn more about different cultures of the world."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I am a travel enthusiast. I love to explore new countries and immerse myself in new experiences. When traveling, I love to eat at places Anthony Bourdain has visited. So far, I’ve only crossed off 3 of the list, but I’m sure there will be plenty more in the future!
• SUPERVISOR: Claire B, Lulu S., and Emily F.
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: Fort Hays State University, VCU Brandcenter
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I found out about RPA through the VCU Brandcenter internship website.
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: What made you want to get into advertising?: My background is graphic design and marketing and advertising is a beautiful mix of both. I was fascinated with trying to figure out every tiny piece of ads and why they were created. I love the idea that advertisers are not only trying to sell a product or service, but can incite real change and invite consumers to make really impactful decisions.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: I love to read and really picked that up again during quarantine! I also enjoy taking cycling classes, playing tennis, and going to the gym.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARNMORE ABOUT…the production and filming process."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I read over 70 books in 2020.
• SUPERVISOR: Maria Del'Homme
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: The Los Angeles Film School
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: My Aunt who works in advertising recommended that I applied for the RPA internship. And after I researched the company and I saw what you guys were about, I wanted to be a part of RPA.
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I have always been curious about how advertising mixes psychology and art to promote items.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: I took up streaming during the quarantine. I used to stream art and games, and I was able to make a nice community and meet amazing people.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…The creative pipeline and how all the departments at RPA work together."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I have my name in the credits for a Louis Vuitton commercial that I got to work on.
• SUPERVISOR: Avery
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: University of Southern California
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: Through my former professor David Measer who previously worked at RPA!
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I have always been drawn to branding, and love that advertising provides a unique intersection between business and creativity.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: I started a food Instagram during the first week of my sophomore year of college (my first time cooking for myself), and over quarantine, I grew the account by posting regularly and sharing my own recipes. I am a self-proclaimed foodie and absolutely love trying new foods and restaurants!
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARNMORE ABOUT…The creative process!"
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I know over 30 digits of pi.
• SUPERVISOR: Kacey Shep
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. Statistics and Data Science.
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I found out about RPA through close friends who works at RPA.
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I am ESFJ! I'm naturally curious to understand and read people. Data from advertising was a perfect way to quantify my curiosity and inspire others while at it.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: I became a macrame enthusiast and a regular at Griffith Park to hike.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARNMORE ABOUT…I want to learn more about how machine learning can be further be incorporated into audience profiling and segmentalizing to promote people-first culture!"
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: A cool accomplishment of mine is spearheading a Covid-19 awareness campaign for my community by building a website, creating a live dashboard, and being featured on the radio!
• SUPERVISOR: David Minser, Jenny Kim and Maryellen Rayner
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: Chapman University
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I knew a few alumni from my school that worked full-time at RPA, so I asked them about it and they had nothing but good things to say!
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I love that in advertising you must be creative and analytical. There are few industries that push you to be good at both, which is what made me want to go into media and advertising.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: I’ve read an insane number of books during quarantine and took up doing diamond paintings and working out in my free time.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…I want to learn more about the strategic processes behind creating a campaign and media plan."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: Something interesting about me is that I have good luck when it comes to raffles and contests! I have won AirPods, concert tickets, a Keurig, and a barware set through raffles before!
• SUPERVISOR: Kenneth Jackson, Tiffany Kwong and Alvin Phan
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: Network connection VIA the American Marketing Association
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: Advertising is a great blend of creativity, data analysis, and psychology, all of which I enjoy and find fascinating!
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: Coding in Java, video games and working out
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…the advertising industry and how teams work together to create material for clients."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I know how to build and service bicycles!
• SUPERVISOR: Kimberly Yu and Galina Eydel
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: University of California, Santa Barbara
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I found RPA by researching agencies in Los Angeles, where I’m from!
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: It was important for me to find a career path where I could be creative and strategic simultaneously. Advertising proved to be the perfect balance for me!
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: During quarantine I’ve taken up yoga and learning how to do my own makeup!
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…I want to learn more about investing and cryptocurrency."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I am an only child!
• SUPERVISOR: Tanyza Zhuck and Debbie Arakaki
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: The University of Texas at Austin-----Major: Advertising Minor: General Business
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I found RPA through speaking with a Texas alumni who raved about the internship program!
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I wanted to get into a field of business that still allowed me to be creative in my career! Advertising was the perfect fit for that.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: Taking long walks while listening to podcasts and learning new recipes to cook and bake!
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…How global brands adapt their advertising amongst different cultures and members of society."
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I am a 6th generation Austinite! I love the city of Austin and everything that it brings! From the outdoor adventures to the live music, to the amazing food scene, there is something for everyone to love!
• SUPERVISOR: Jen Lamping and Lia Hanson
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: Boston University Class of 2023
• HOW DID YOU FINDUS?: I heard about the company and they're amazing workplace environment through a friend that used to intern for the company!
• WHAT MADE YOU WANTTO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: Advertising (justifiably) gets a bad rep for often feeling uninspired and exploitative. However, I want to pursue methods to create advertisements that are filled with creativity and good ethics and serve the consumer instead of misleading them..
• HOBBIES YOU’VETAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: Photography and graphic design are the most involved hobbies I took up over quarantine. Some other random ones are cooking, skateboarding, mixology, creating mixtapes and customizing clothes.
• FILL IN THE BLANK:“I WANT TO LEARNMORE ABOUT…I want to learn more about how to live off the land and on my own terms. Woodworking, gardening and camping have been some big interests of mine recently."
• INTERESTING FACTABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I shared my 12th birthday party with Usher. I'll never forget the insane size of the cake he brought.
• SUPERVISOR: Vincent Liao, Pedro Ramirez and Donovan Brown
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: University of California, San Diego
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I found out about RPA through UCSD Handshake.
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I have always been interested in building fun, creative campaigns and wanted to know more about the process.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: Hiking!
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…Stocks.
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I won a district-wide spelling bee in 4th grade!
• SUPERVISOR: Erin Lynch
• SCHOOL/EDUCATION: California State University, Fullerton with a B.A. in Business Administration, Marketing Concentration
• HOW DID YOU FIND US?: I discovered RPA through competitor research for a business communications class. Later, I reached out to a professional from RPA to learn more about the agency and the advertising industry.
• WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO ADVERTISING?: I started off with an interest in digital ads, I learned the basics of paid ads, competitor analysis, and terminology. I notice that similar concepts and terminology was used in the broader aspects of advertisement, not just in digital, which fuel my interest in advertisement.
• HOBBIES YOU’VE TAKEN UP DURING QUARANTINE?: I have taken homeschool teaching for my little 3-year-old nephew in teaching him the alphabets, coloring, numbers, and reading. I was proud of my nephew was able to learn and read out the family names.
• FILL IN THE BLANK: “I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT…Account Management process and methods.
• INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF OR ACCOMPLISHMENT: I was able to earn a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu while injured and gained confidence, not only on the streets, but on my professional/work environment. I have to give credit to my peers, teachers, family for all support in my overall success. I can’t wait to get back on the mats when restriction is lifted.
“One of the greatest experiences of my professional career.”
– Matthew Younquist, Digital Production
“I learned so much …The Launch program is above and beyond. I think the program is great, unique and provides so many opportunities that I would have not had elsewhere.”
“The RPA internship program provided me with the ability to meet phenomenal people, learn more about myself, and find a pathway in the workforce.”