I’ve spent the last three years supervising interns at our shop and regardless of what aspect of advertising they wish to participate in, the answer to “why are you taking this unpaid position?” is the same.
“I want experience.” they say aglow with a response the employer wants to hear.
In reality, you don’t want experience. You want a job. If you don’t want a job, your priorities are backwards.
And there’s no sense sugarcoating the issue. There aren’t a lot of jobs in the industry at the moment. If you apply for an internship, make sure you’re willing to approach it like someone who’s hungry for a career. Otherwise, don’t bother.
That introduction was a little coarse, but this article is about how to succeed in an internship. If you’re head’s not in the right place from the get-go, this article – and your internship – will be a waste of time. On a more chipper note, here are five ways to shine once you’ve landed your internship.
1. Use What You Know
It sounds simple, but it’s amazing how many interns don’t call upon their curriculum once they’ve entered the office. You’re going to be thrown a million new pieces of information and asked to do things that are probably beyond what you’ve been taught. To make your tasks less daunting and give yourself an edge to impress, use what use what you know. Here’s an example:
You’ve been asked to make a cold call to a media vendor asking about some rates. You’ve never made a cold call. But I’m willing to guess you’ve taken a speech class or made a presentation. Remember what you did to give your speech. You probably researched the topic and prepared what you were going to say. Do the same for your cold call – research the media and the vendor and prepare what you’re going to say on the phone. It might take a little longer up front. But if you can provide real value to your supervisor, those extra few minutes of preparation will pay off by delivering what was asked of you the first time.
2. Build on What You Learn
Brace yourself for an analogy that borders on nerdy. Okay. Whew. View your internship like a video game. Every task gives you experience and a certain set of skills. The better you perform, the more likely you are to “level up” and be assigned more involved responsibilities. In order to take the leap, it’s important to utilize what you’ve been taught in order to tackle more difficult things. Everything in this business correlates. Here’s what I mean:
- That data entry for a company’s mailing list should give you insight as to where the audience is located.
- When you’re asked to do media research, it would be wise to start looking at media opportunities in the same area as the mailing list.
- Take time to read the publications where that media actually was placed to learn what content is relevant to the audience.
- Provide an idea or insight as to what might be a cool way to capture this group of people.
In that simple scenario, a data entry assignment gave you the knowledge to make a justified suggestion. If that idea gets taken, you may be asked to help develop it. In the end, what you gain is something that could go in a portfolio, be discussed in an interview or both.
3. Be Thorough
This tip separates the exclamatory recommendation letters from the canned ones. Be thorough. Treat your tasks like a final project you’re doing for a grade. Because in all honesty, you’re vying for something much more important – you’re auditioning for a job. If your final product is complete and polished, you’ve helped your employer. Assists are not soon forgotten, nor are hours of extra work done by the employer or supervisor that has to clean up sloppy intern work. Here are a few tips to impress by demonstrating thoroughness.
- Don’t just post links. We can all do a Google search. Pull out the quotes and information that’s valuable.
- Don’t be afraid to interject your opinion. You’ve been chosen because we think you’re smart enough to handle these assignments.
- Read the directions – twice. If you don’t understand something after the second time you’ve read through an assignment, ask for clarification.
- Present your findings. We probably don’t want a dog and pony show, but format your reports. Make them easy to read at a glance.
- Teach us something. What you present should be valuable information. Become knowledgeable about what you’re asked to deliver.
4. Add Value
Make yourself a contributing part of the team. Become that go-to intern that’s known for the ability to think on his or her feet, meet deadlines and provide relevant results. When asked for your opinion, offer it. If you feel like you’re not being challenged, ask for extra work. It always pains me to hear about someone feeling undervalued during the exit interview. If you’re volunteering your time, make sure it’s meaningful. There might be a reason why you aren’t being given difficult assignments, but if you’re unaware there’s a reason why you’re being snubbed for the tough projects and aren’t being proactive in trying to get them, you’re destined to be left behind. Advertising requires a great deal of self-motivation. Voice your desire to participate and deliver when given the opportunity.
5. Swing for the Fences
Advertising is built around ideas. Our “products” are messages that fill space and time. Bring your boldest ideas to the table. If you’re thinking about a client at midnight on a Friday, write down your idea and pitch it on Monday. What’s the worst that can happen? Someone will say “no.” In this biz, “no” isn’t a dirty word – it’s commonplace. Successful advertisers and marketers never stop learning. We never stop finding new ways to juxtapose two seemingly separate items in order to give customers a unique perspective. We never stop trying to put our messages in places where messages rarely go. Interns share the same space with those on the frontiers of marketing innovations. Use that proximity to showcase your conceptual thinking.
The bottom line is this: An internship is a short period of time where you are in direct contact with people who can hire you or recommend someone else to hire you. Use this time wisely. Make an impact. Prove you are worthy of payment. Because I tell you what, a cover letter versus a letter of recommendation isn’t a fair fight.