Beyond the Job Description

As an Account Management intern at LevLane Advertising, I thought my summer would be spent crunching numbers at a tiny desk tucked away from the “real” employees. One hour into my first day on the job, I quickly discovered that I was in for an amazing experience. Every clichéd idea I had about a drab, fluorescent lit, cubicle-filled summer was completely shattered.

The whole atmosphere in the agency is one that encourages creative development and productivity, and the young staff radiates with friendship and positivity. My desk lies in the middle of an open cluster, giving me a head-on view of everyone that walks by, and I love it. I sit next to an employee that sings loudly enough for everyone in our corner to hear while he taps out beats with his knuckles. And nobody seems to mind. People call their office friends over the intercom system, just to say hello, and it’s normal. Last week, I helped my supervisor with an important task. “Melissa, I need your help,” she said to me. “Hold my legs.” Seconds later her head was on the ground and she was throwing her legs to the ceiling. On her third attempt, I let go, and she held a perfect headstand.  It was a team effort.

Throughout my time here, I’ve learned that interning at an advertising agency is much more than the work. It’s the lively personalities that have fostered such a positive vibe that I’m not afraid to ask every mundane question that pops into my mind. It’s the warm and open environment that encourages me to wander outside my comfort zone – and my desk space – to learn more about the industry. It’s the constant emails about free food in the front of the office that makes everyone jolt from their chairs. It’s the other interns I just became friends with, two weeks before I leave the office. Don’t get me wrong, the work that I’ve done at LevLane has been a great stepping-stone in my professional career, but I will remember this experience for so much more.