This summer, I spent nine weeks as a creative services and new business development intern at the vox collective. I had hoped to intern at an agency this summer to find out more about what people in the different departments of an ad agency do on a day-to-day level, since I knew I was interested in advertising, but I wasn’t exactly positive as to whether creative would be a better fit for me than accounts would be, or whether new business development might turn out to be more fun for me than media would. I also wanted to get a feel for the culture, hours, and atmosphere at an agency. In the end, I found out about all of this and more. I learned an enormous amount about advertising and life at an agency, and also about myself.
As a creative intern, I had the opportunity to write copy for the Meet the Optimists campaign, and the chance to sit in on meetings and brainstorming sessions for projects involving clients like Verizon and Macy’s. I really enjoyed being a part of the kind of creative strategizing that goes on in meetings like this, and writing copy gave me a chance to hone my writing and editing skills. On the days that I helped the new business team, I learned how to effectively research companies, product categories, and consumer habits, and also how to prepare creative briefs and new business development briefs.
I also got to help with the planning and launch of the Mutli-influentials brand, and with the preparations for the Raul Higuera exhibition event, which were both really fun ways to learn about the kind of work that goes into a brand launch or a special event. In addition, I got to write for the vox collective blog (www.voxcollective.com/talk) about everything from fashion trends to the recession. Since I love writing, this was a great opprotunity for me.
But what I think impressed me the most was the culture at vox. Everyone I met was friendly, helpful, and encouraging, but nobody shied away from giving me assignments that stretched my abilities and showed me I was capable of things I never thought I would have been. I learned that voxers love to work extremely hard, but play hard too. They’re great collaborators and are truly enthusiastic about their work, whether it’s media management or account direction, so I got to intern in an inspiring atmosphere. And from traffic meetings to client meetings, life at the vox is not only fast-paced and purposeful, but it’s fun as well. I’m thrilled with the way my summer internship turned out, and very grateful to everyone at vox who made it possible and shared their knowledge and experience with me.