Selling Steel: How an Advertising Management Student Found Creativity in Engineering
MSU student, Krisha Mirchandani, discovers how advertising strategy thrives in the unexpected world of engineering
By: Ella Jones
For MSU ad management student, Krisha Mirchandani, opportunity showed up where she least expected it: in the steel industry in a summer internship with RTM Engineering Consultants.
“I didn’t think there would be much advertising or marketing to do at an engineering firm,” she said. “But it surprised me that there was actually a lot of room for improvement, and a lot of different opportunities and projects to work on.”
RTM Engineering is a national consulting firm that specializes in building system designs and sustainability. Working on RTM’s small marketing team gave her a chance to take the initiative and bring her own perspective.
“Since it was a really small marketing team, I got a lot of leeway and kind of got the chance to bring my own ideas to the table,” she said.
That creative freedom led to hands-on work running RTM’s social media accounts, updating their podcast, designing flyers and invitations and helping manage the firm’s customer relationship database.
“When the content I was putting out started getting more engagement from clients and other engineering firms, I realized that it actually does play a big part in recruiting potential clients for the firm,” said Mirchandani about her work on RTM’s Instagram and Facebook.
Through these projects, Mirchandani learned how many advertising principles, like understanding your audience and crafting clear messages, apply beyond traditional media.
“Before this experience, I thought advertising was mostly TV commercials and billboards,” she said. “Since this was focused on the engineering firm’s client base, it was more about emails and less flashy things. That changed my perspective on what working in advertising really is.”
The internship also broadened her understanding of collaboration.
“I realized how many engineers work in groups and how different teams have to coordinate,” she said. “That kind of teamwork reminded me of how different roles come together in an ad campaign, just with blueprints instead of storyboards.”
By the end of the summer, Mirchandani had gained more than just advertising experience, she’d developed design and presentation skills she says she plans to carry into her future career.
“I learned to use programs like Adobe Illustrator and InDesign really well, and I got to present to the marketing team and other interns,” she said.
Her advice to other students thinking about interning outside their major? Keep an open mind.
“Working in different fields gives you real-world experience you won’t learn in class, and it gives you unique perspectives to use in the future,” she said.
In discovering creativity amid blueprints and building codes, Mirchandani found that the art of storytelling isn’t limited to ads or campaigns; it’s a bridge that connects ideas, industries and people.