Monday, July 21, 2008
Interesting Article
I thought that some of you might be interested in reading this article from ReadWriteWeb. Enjoy! Like Its Users, The New Facebook Is All Grown Up!
For Better or Worse
Check Out: The Dark Knight; The Avenue A | Razorfish ad:tech Chicago Facebook Group
Sorry it has been so long since my last post. It has been a crazy couple of days! I only have four weeks left in my summer internship (it has gone by so fast!) and I want to share some of the good and bad things that I have noticed a little past my half way point. Lets start with the bad because I always try to end on a good note. One of the hardest things this summer is the fact that I haven't really gotten a summer. Going into my senior year I can't help but think that this is my last summer of freedom before I have to go on to the real world. It is hard hearing my friends talk about laying by the pool all day while I am stuck in an office. Not having the opportunity to live it up one last summer is a hard pill to swallow! In addition, I sometimes feel like I'm jumping into this world too quickly. It is a lot of responsibility that is taken on very quickly and now that I have had the time to slow down and think about that it is a little scary. While these things do get to me when it is a beautiful day outside and I'm stuck in the marketing fort, I can appreciate that the benefits far out weigh the negatives. The kind of experiences that I have gotten so far have proved to be incredibly helpful in learning about the marketing world, as well as the business world in general. When thinking about how I will be able to market myself, coming straight out of college, as a student who has had concrete experience in the business arena I know that this was the right thing for me to do this summer. I know that the people around me are sick of hearing this but I am learning a ton, more then I ever expected learning coming into this situation. Even if I sometimes wish that I was sitting with a cold beer by the pool!
Sorry it has been so long since my last post. It has been a crazy couple of days! I only have four weeks left in my summer internship (it has gone by so fast!) and I want to share some of the good and bad things that I have noticed a little past my half way point. Lets start with the bad because I always try to end on a good note. One of the hardest things this summer is the fact that I haven't really gotten a summer. Going into my senior year I can't help but think that this is my last summer of freedom before I have to go on to the real world. It is hard hearing my friends talk about laying by the pool all day while I am stuck in an office. Not having the opportunity to live it up one last summer is a hard pill to swallow! In addition, I sometimes feel like I'm jumping into this world too quickly. It is a lot of responsibility that is taken on very quickly and now that I have had the time to slow down and think about that it is a little scary. While these things do get to me when it is a beautiful day outside and I'm stuck in the marketing fort, I can appreciate that the benefits far out weigh the negatives. The kind of experiences that I have gotten so far have proved to be incredibly helpful in learning about the marketing world, as well as the business world in general. When thinking about how I will be able to market myself, coming straight out of college, as a student who has had concrete experience in the business arena I know that this was the right thing for me to do this summer. I know that the people around me are sick of hearing this but I am learning a ton, more then I ever expected learning coming into this situation. Even if I sometimes wish that I was sitting with a cold beer by the pool!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Taking Ownership
Check Out: Jersey Boys (play), avenuea-razorfish.com
Well the new Avenue A | Razorfish site launched yesterday which creates the perfect opportunity to talk about taking stock in what you have accomplished during your internship. As time goes on, you are going to start seeing your work pay off in different and exciting ways. For me one of the most exciting parts has been the ability to add content to this cool new Web site. It may seem like a small part of the site itself, but for me it hasn't been small at all. Let me explain why. I came into this position with very little knowledge of the company that I am now so proud to be a small part of. Through adding content I have learned so much about our agency, the people who work here, and the digital challenges that Avenue A | Razorfish has taken on. But this does not just apply to me, even if the organization that you work for is not one you find particularly exciting or promising, you can still learn a lot about the field you are pursuing by doing what seem to be easy tasks. I have also been able to help out (even if it is in a minor way) with correcting any mistakes or making changes that I think will improve the site. It has turned into a great Web site to interact on many levels, and a great place for people to gain more information about the company. Taking a small part in that has taught me a lot. And as I work more and more, I am getting more opportunities to do things on my own. Make sure you take the time to look back at what you have done so far and appreciate how it has gotten you to the place you are now.
Well the new Avenue A | Razorfish site launched yesterday which creates the perfect opportunity to talk about taking stock in what you have accomplished during your internship. As time goes on, you are going to start seeing your work pay off in different and exciting ways. For me one of the most exciting parts has been the ability to add content to this cool new Web site. It may seem like a small part of the site itself, but for me it hasn't been small at all. Let me explain why. I came into this position with very little knowledge of the company that I am now so proud to be a small part of. Through adding content I have learned so much about our agency, the people who work here, and the digital challenges that Avenue A | Razorfish has taken on. But this does not just apply to me, even if the organization that you work for is not one you find particularly exciting or promising, you can still learn a lot about the field you are pursuing by doing what seem to be easy tasks. I have also been able to help out (even if it is in a minor way) with correcting any mistakes or making changes that I think will improve the site. It has turned into a great Web site to interact on many levels, and a great place for people to gain more information about the company. Taking a small part in that has taught me a lot. And as I work more and more, I am getting more opportunities to do things on my own. Make sure you take the time to look back at what you have done so far and appreciate how it has gotten you to the place you are now.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Making Connections
Check out: Janet Evanovich: Fearless Fourteen
Part of the reason that I wanted to get a summer internship was to create the possibility of moving from an intern position to a full time position after graduation. I would imagine that others go into the experience with the same expectations. Even if you do not like where you are interning, we are still offered the opportunity to create contacts for future employment. Sometimes these can be difficult or uncomfortable relationships to create, and this is something that I am still learning how to do, but it is also an important thing to practice. While it may seem premature to be thinking about this in the middle of your internship and not toward the end, creating contacts for the future is something that we all should be doing every day that we are in the corporate world. The best advice that I was give on this subject is to talk to and stay in contact with as many people that you have met as you can. This can be hard if you just met someone in passing, but if you just try to shoot an email to them it will make a very good impression. I regret not doing that with some of the people that I met at the very beginning of my internship. It is hard to go back and email someone too far after the fact. Because you are in an internship position, most of the people that you meet or are introduced to are more then happy to help in any way that that they can. Even if these relationships do not produce a direct connection for future employment, you never know how they might be helpful in the future.
Part of the reason that I wanted to get a summer internship was to create the possibility of moving from an intern position to a full time position after graduation. I would imagine that others go into the experience with the same expectations. Even if you do not like where you are interning, we are still offered the opportunity to create contacts for future employment. Sometimes these can be difficult or uncomfortable relationships to create, and this is something that I am still learning how to do, but it is also an important thing to practice. While it may seem premature to be thinking about this in the middle of your internship and not toward the end, creating contacts for the future is something that we all should be doing every day that we are in the corporate world. The best advice that I was give on this subject is to talk to and stay in contact with as many people that you have met as you can. This can be hard if you just met someone in passing, but if you just try to shoot an email to them it will make a very good impression. I regret not doing that with some of the people that I met at the very beginning of my internship. It is hard to go back and email someone too far after the fact. Because you are in an internship position, most of the people that you meet or are introduced to are more then happy to help in any way that that they can. Even if these relationships do not produce a direct connection for future employment, you never know how they might be helpful in the future.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Explore the Playing Field
One of the things that I have been doing a lot of is exploring the different thoughts and views of the digital marketing field. It is important if you are going to move throughout any industry that you learn as much as you can about it. That means learning the names of the big firms, knowing where the industry has been coming from, and what direction it is going. The best way to do this is to read blogs or subscribe to RSS feeds that are updated daily with information about what you are learning. A great feed in the digital field is a website called ReadWriteWeb. They offer quick news updates of the things that are happening in the digital environment. If you can find a couple of these feeds or resources you will learn a lot more about the industry around you and not just the company that you are working for. These also give you something productive to do when you have down time.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Stimulate Your Experience
Well I am starting week three already! I can't believe how fast it has gone by so far, but I'm ready for another good week. I had a great weekend (Nice sweep Cubbies!), but I am ready to get back to work. One of the greatest things about this internship is that I am starting to really look forward to getting to work in the morning. Mondays are hard (the weekends go by too fast), but I really enjoy being here. I would love to give advice to anyone who does not like their internship, but I really have no frame of reference for that! I will give some more advice on how to make things go more smoothly. First I would suggest that if you feel like you are not being used enough, create a project for yourself. This will keep you occupied and impress the people you work for. This can be as simple as creating a blog (cough,cough) or looking ahead for what your boss will need next and starting to get organized for it. If you are still looking for things to do, make sure that you keep reminding your boss that you are available. You don't need to be pushy, just remind them every once and a while that you are available to help. I would also suggest that you always double check your work and even your emails. There is nothing more embarrassing then looking back on an email that you wrote too fast and finding all kinds of mistakes in it. Thats all I have for right now!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Week Two: Diving In
It is half way through my second week and by now I have a pretty good handle on the place. I have learned a lot about the Avenue A | Razorfish by just listening to other people talk about what they do. Our firm is basically a marketing firm that utilizes digital channels to spread the word about our clients. As a marketing and PR intern for the company itself I have been given the unique opportunity to see a lot of the work that we have done and the work that we are in the process of doing. The technology that our company is able to utilize and the creative minds that are driving that technology is amazing. **I'm going to put some links up in my website section of places I think you should check out**. The most important thing I have learned so far is that listening really pays off. Make sure you are really listening when people talking about the company and the work they are doing. It is really interesting and very helpful as you continue on.
Beyond learning just about Avenue A, I am learning more and more about the business community every day. It is a little intimidating at first, but I am getting more and more comfortable everyday. The key is to just dive in. For example, my boss was having a meeting and I just walked in and joined them. That way I would learn more about what she does, and as it turned out I was working on the project any way, so that meeting was very helpful. Don't be afraid to jump in and create an opportunity for yourself because they will not always do it for you!
Some other little things that I have learned:
- Bring a sweater. The air conditioning is cold and you might not be able to get outside all day long.
- If you are going out for lunch or coffee ask the people around and your boss you if they want or need anything. This will help you meet people and your boss will appreciate it.
- If your office lets you listen to music bring head phones and turn on pandora.com (link is below). It is an awesome free music site that lets you listen to what ever you want.
Beyond learning just about Avenue A, I am learning more and more about the business community every day. It is a little intimidating at first, but I am getting more and more comfortable everyday. The key is to just dive in. For example, my boss was having a meeting and I just walked in and joined them. That way I would learn more about what she does, and as it turned out I was working on the project any way, so that meeting was very helpful. Don't be afraid to jump in and create an opportunity for yourself because they will not always do it for you!
Some other little things that I have learned:
- Bring a sweater. The air conditioning is cold and you might not be able to get outside all day long.
- If you are going out for lunch or coffee ask the people around and your boss you if they want or need anything. This will help you meet people and your boss will appreciate it.
- If your office lets you listen to music bring head phones and turn on pandora.com (link is below). It is an awesome free music site that lets you listen to what ever you want.
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