I was hired on here at The Creative Company at the end of May. As a 20 year old, entering only my junior year of college, I was turned down by many of the bigger agencies I applied to because “that’s so cute you’re only 20!” I wasn’t expecting to get the job; in fact I was planning on returning back to the comfort of my local pizza store, Giuseppe’s, to once again serve Italian beefs and be the local pizza girl. As you can imagine, when I received my acceptance e-mail from Laura I was ecstatic. She told me she had never hired a sophomore before, but there was something about me she believed in. Naturally, all my studying for my Weather and Climate final went out the window.
It become my prerogative to prove that I wasn’t just some 20 year old millennial following the footsteps of what I’m suppose to be doing. I wanted this for myself. Honestly, I had no idea what I had signed up for. Most of my friends were going to be spending the summer here in Madison floating down Sugar River and eating brats at the Terrace. I was going to be working 40 hours a week or more, doing who knows what, wearing actual business outfits. I have to say, I felt pretty grown up.
My first day at The Creative Company was June 2. I pretty much dove head first into the work I was going to be doing. I was expecting to have maybe a table to work on with a chair and a trashcan; that expectation was blown up when I got my own area to work in, with a new Mac, and access to the Keuirg whenever I wanted. (I always say it’s the little things that make the difference…) The thing is, I realized early on I wasn’t going to be treated like a kid who knew little to nothing about PR. That was new, and Laura and The Creative Company welcomed me in with open arms.
Interning became my life for the summer. I was assigned multiple projects weekly, and constantly switched gears. I learned how to write press releases, do actual case studies, work side by side with clients, and utilize social media programs like Simply Measured. I saw that analyzing results were the key to pinpointing what makes for a successful campaign, and learned how taking an initiative is the only way to work on projects I want to be on. I dipped my toes into video editing, graphic design, email marketing, pitch and copy writing, contacting media, and more.
That was the best part. Laura and the team treated me well and trusted me to get work done. I showed them how I wanted to work and learn, and they let me. A lot of times I was on my own to figure something out and I loved it. There was never a moment where I was bored, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for a project. Working at The Creative Company proved to me that if you want something to happen, its up to you to figure out how to get there. Like we said, “You must be present to win.”
I’ve been inspired by everyone at The Creative Company because its rare to hear people say how much they love their job-and I hear it every day. A lot of people my age have no idea what they want to do, and while I can’t say I will stay in PR and Advertising my whole life, I know that this type of work environment is one I always want to work in. It’s hard being seen as the generation who will make less than his or her parents, but I believe the key to proving everyone wrong is finding something that believes in you just as much as you believe in it. For me, it’s putting my heart and soul into my future career, and being more than a 20-year old millennial. The Creative Company is an experience of a lifetime, and I couldn’t be happier to be coming back this fall.
