Hi, I’m Brittney and this is my take on agency life when you’re the marketing intern at Agency Creative.
My first day I arrived an hour early. Nervous. So I backtracked to the nearest Starbucks to waste some time before my big day. I spent the next 45 minutes running through a million questions—important ones like was I dressed okay and could I strike a power pose in these heels? It was amazing and awful at the same time. I arrived 15 minutes early, like all good interns do, ready to work.
And thank goodness I did. I thought I might make coffee runs, answer phones, and shadow my supervisor. Which I did have to do. But I was also given assignments and deadlines, and invited to learn first-hand what goes into our branding process, Chemistry. It was incredible.
Here’s What I’ve Learned
Stay Positive
A good attitude goes a long way. It makes the day pleasant, and your coworkers will find you pleasant to be around. Which is kind of important, especially if you’re hoping to transition into a full-time role. Plus, positivity improves your confidence. And you’ll need lots of that when you’re working through a presentation or competitive analysis or some other thing you’ve never heard of and never done before.
Ask Questions
And plenty of them. Being a marketing intern is like having a free pass to pop quiz anyone in the office. At any time. (Fun, right?!) You’re here to learn, so don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as possible. Especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed on an assignment. It’s okay to ask for help. Your team is there to be a resource. Use them. And try not to be hard on yourself, remember everyone was new once, even the CEO.
Listen Up
Being a marketing intern at an advertising agency means you get to see every part of the process from client management and strategy to the creative (or ads to you newbies) we see as consumers. Shadow every department while you have the chance. You never know what part of the process will spark your interest or how it might shape your #careergoals.
Lean In
…to every opportunity you’re given. Not only is it a chance to get some hands on learning, it can also be your chance to shine. Here’s an example from my own experience—I went to a brainstorm meeting for a new client. Our objective was to find the brand differentiator or USP (unique selling point). Everyone was throwing ideas around, and I decided to share mine. It ended up sparking a conversation that lead the team to the brand USP. That’s right, I helped write a USP. And yes, I most definitely did call my parents to rave about how wildly successful my day was the second it was socially acceptable to (alone in my car).
And I did the same thing when I got offered a job 12 weeks later. #AgencyLife is fast-paced, sometimes overwhelming, but at the end of the day completely worth it because you get to help your clients and their business be successful. I am excited to start this next chapter. Bring on #Agency(Creative)Life.
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