Many internships are a joke. Maybe sub-par at best. You don’t get taken seriously, you never work on real projects, and no one wants to hang out with you outside of work. At least, that’s what we hear from our friends. But sometimes, when you’re in the right field, you find the right place. For us, the Right Place was o2ideas.
Here’s what we learned:
Emily, Art Director: After my 10 weeks at o2, I now have a better insight on the ins and outs of advertising. It is full of collaboration and improvisation. Along with some cool new Photoshop tricks (that I’ll definitely be showing off to my friends), I have learned how to design on a tight deadline. This skillset isn’t always taught in school. We might have an entire month to polish one project. I’ve learned to go with my instincts, be bold, and get the job done. Ipaddress . I couldn’t have asked for a better experience or co-workers to build me into a stronger art director.
Anna, Copywriter: I learned how to make progress through criticism – how to present my work, accept rejection, and completely start from scratch (to present later that week). I was accustomed to the evenly spaced project load in school. Here I learned time management because, in the real world, tasks come in consistently and almost always overlap. I learned that, although having sole creative control is lovely, it can be way more rewarding to work with a team, especially when it’s the right one. And the most important thing I learned during my life as an intern? Just keep writing.
Mitchell, Client Services: Oftentimes, the first thing people think of when they hear “ad agency” is what they see on an episode of Mad Men. That makes for great television, but that’s not how it works in the 21st century. After my experience as the lone intern in 2014, I had to learn to let other people do what they were hired to do, and for me to focus on my own responsibilities. After this internship, I found that a successful agency means everyone plays their part as well as they can. And, when everyone does that, then the finished work will ultimately benefit.
The past 10 weeks have presented challenges and successes that inspired us to work harder, faster and smarter. However, the most profound part of this internship was how we were embraced by the team members (sometimes literally). We felt valued, respected and competent – and, as interns, that’s a pretty cool feeling.
We’ve loved the time we’ve spent at o2ideas and the people who have guided us. The culture here is unique, nourishing and productive, and we wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.
Thanks, o2!
