By Guinavier Waite & Kendall Sedestrom
Nothing is more rewarding than the moment when you realize you are going in the right direction with your career. For us, that moment hit when we heard, “we’d like to offer you a summer internship at Lambert,” a phrase both of us were ecstatic to hear. Then, the questions rolled in. What should we expect? What will we learn? What are we going to wear on our first day? These were all important topics but looking back on this moment, almost four months later, neither of us were prepared for the summer ahead. With all things considered, here are five lessons learned from our internship experience.
1. Shaking the fear of asking questions and being confidently curious
In school we are told to ask questions if we are confused on directions or new concepts. But, let’s be honest, there were times when we refrained out of fear of asking the wrong questions in front of our peers. However, as an intern, asking about what you don’t know is crucial to understanding the assignment.
As a Lambert core value, curiosity allows us to better understand overall direction, client needs, rationale and more. This could only be achieved if I put my fear of looking silly aside. That is why Kendall, and I are here – to be confidently curious by asking questions and getting answers from some of the pros in industry.
2. The similarities, differences, and application of what I’ve learned in school
I knew that by entering this space, not having previous internship experience, I was going to be challenged. However, that’s exactly what I was hoping for. From my public relations program at Grand Valley State University, we are taught the fundamentals of public relations and the related tactics in the classroom. However, nothing compares to real deal — actual client work.
I have applied what I’ve been taught by my professors in school, adjusted it as I go along and worked on identifying those “aha” moments. My education provided a foundation that prepared me for my internship, but the internship is what, ultimately, prepares me for the real world.
3. Power of Networking
As a 21-year-old college student, I am eager to make the connection between a passion and a career. During my time at Lambert, I have found that one of the most efficient ways to do this is through the power of networking. It is so substantial in this industry because it allows us to identify opportunities, develop skills and foster a support system.
As an intern at Lambert, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most tenacious and creative people in the field. This network of people has allowed me to promote my creativity and build my confidence, both at the agency and in school. From this I have cultivated that networking is one of the best things you can do to expand your horizons and knowledge as an intern.
4. Over communicate instead of under
With fear of being a nuisance to my colleagues, I refrained from overcommunicating or, at times, not communicating much at all during my first couple of days in the office. I would wait for colleagues to approach me, which, in the end, was not doing me any good in terms of getting comfortable. I quickly realized that I needed to change my ways.
With the help of my manager, Megan Wolowiec, who put this into perspective for me. The truth of the matter is that my teams wanted to hear from me, and it’s better to overcommunicate rather than under communicate. Upon adopting this realization, my time spent at Lambert has become more connected and efficient. After all, this is a communication field. If we aren’t practicing what we’re preaching, then what are we doing?
5. Gaining experience from multiple sectors of the agency
During my interview process, Jeremy Witt asked what I hoped to gain from my internship at Lambert. My response was simple – hands-on experience. This response found me walking 1.5 miles in high heels on my third day to a photoshoot in downtown Grand Rapids. With blisters forming on my feet, I kept walking, knowing that this was the exact type of experience I was looking for.
I was thrown into the field right away and shown a new perspective of the industry that had me applying everything that I had learned in the classroom. Now, three months later, I have received opportunities to have hands-on experience with crisis, multimedia, social media, public relations and creative sectors of the agency. This has helped me identify new passions and even shown me where my talents lie. This has helped me improve the skills in my toolbox and discover what else the industry has to offer.
Our internship with Lambert has allowed us the opportunity to put our skills to the test, push our limits of creativity, and accomplish things we never imagined were possible. With the summer ending, we are proud to go back to school for our final year with a glimpse into what the future could be.