Written By: Mia Pittore

If you had told me at the beginning of my summer internship that I would leave with a full-time job lined up for after graduation, I probably would not have believed you.

Going into the summer of 2026, my goal was pretty simple: learn as much as possible, challenge myself, and make the most of every opportunity that came my way. I joined PTC’s Partner Marketing team as an intern in the Boston office, excited to finally take what I had been learning in the classroom and apply it to real-world marketing.

What I did not know at the time was just how much I would learn, how many different areas of the business I would get to experience, and where the summer would eventually lead me.

Learning by Actually Doing

One of the things I appreciated most about my internship was that I was trusted with real projects that had an impact on the team. I was not just observing what everyone else was doing. I was given the opportunity to contribute, share ideas, and take ownership of my work.

My biggest project was helping lead a full revamp of PTC’s Partner Marketing website. To understand what needed to change, I conducted one-on-one interviews with internal and external stakeholders and asked them what was working, what was difficult to find, and what they wanted the website to offer.

From there, I helped rethink how the site could be organized and how resources could be easier for partners to access. I even created an AI agent to help organize and analyze the feedback I collected throughout the process.

That project taught me a lot about something I feel is extremely important in marketing: you cannot just create something based on what you think people want. You must listen to what the people who are going to use it want.

Getting Comfortable With the Unfamiliar

Data was another major part of my summer.

I worked with website analytics, social media data, partner activity, and Salesforce reports to both identify trends and better understand business performance. Before starting my internship, I had very little experience with Salesforce, but by the end of the summer, I was using the data to look at metrics like Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), product performance, and partner activity.

There was definitely a learning curve here, but that became one of my largest takeaways from the internship.

You are not supposed to walk into an internship knowing everything.

Internships are meant to be a place where you ask questions, try things you have never done before, and become more comfortable being uncomfortable. Some of the tasks that felt the most intimidating at the beginning of the summer ended up becoming the ones I learned the most from.

More Than Just One Side of Marketing

One thing I really enjoyed about working in Partner Marketing was getting exposure to so many different areas of the business.

Throughout the summer, I worked on Global System Integrator (GSI) success stories, internal case studies, blog content, sales enablement materials, presentations, analytics, website strategy, event planning, and more.

Having several projects happening at the same time was sometimes challenging, but it helped me become much better at prioritizing my work and managing my time. I learned how to keep projects moving forward, communicate with different stakeholders, and learned when to ask for help.

I also learned that marketing does not exist on its own. The work I was doing connected with sales, partners, digital experiences, data, communications, and many other parts of the business. Seeing these connections helped me better understand how much effort contributes to making a marketing strategy actually work.

The Opportunity I Was Not Expecting

Toward the end of my internship, I was invited to interview for PTC’s Rotational Leadership Development Program.

This was where the summer took an unexpected turn.

The interview process included a presentation, behavioral and business-focused interviews, and a case study. It was definitely outside of my comfort zone, especially knowing that I was interviewing for the opportunity to come back to the company full-time after graduation.

At the same time, preparing for those interviews gave me a chance to reflect on everything I had done throughout the summer. Projects that once felt like another item on my to-do list suddenly became examples of how I had learned to solve problems, communicate with others, analyze information, and take initiative.

A few weeks later, I received an offer to return to PTC after graduation as a Business Analyst in the Rotational Leadership Development Program.

It was one of those moments that made the entire summer feel even more meaningful.

It Was Never Just One Thing

Looking back, I do not think there was one specific project, interview answer, or accomplishment that led to the opportunity.

It was everything together.

It was asking questions when I did not understand something. It was saying yes to projects that I had never done before. It was reaching out to people, building relationships, asking for feedback, and showing that I genuinely wanted to learn.

I think sometimes students feel pressure to make a huge impression during an internship. My experience taught me that making an impression does not always mean doing one huge thing. Sometimes it is simply showing up consistently, being curious, doing your best work, and being someone others enjoy working with.

What I Would Tell Other Students

If I could give one piece of advice to anyone starting an internship, it would be to treat it as more than something to add to your résumé.

Talk to people outside of your immediate team. Ask them what they do and how they got there. Volunteer for projects even if you are not completely sure how to do them yet. Ask for feedback and actually use it. Learn about parts of the company that have nothing to do with your specific role.

Most importantly, do not be afraid to admit that you do not know something.

Some of my largest growth moments happened because I had to ask a question, learn a new platform, figure out a problem, or step into something that was completely new to me.

Final Thoughts

I started my summer at PTC hoping to become a stronger marketer and gain real-world business experience. I left with new skills, meaningful relationships, a much better understanding of the type of work I enjoy, and the opportunity to begin my career at the same company where I started as an intern.

I went into my internship thinking about what I could learn in one summer. I came out of it realizing that sometimes one summer can completely change what comes next..