From Corporate to Creative

I am currently a spring semester intern for O3 World, an interactive agency of around 20 people in the Fishtown neighborhood. O3 specializes in brand experiences through websites, digital products, and applications. This is not my first internship, as I had previously interned for a major health insurance corporation over the summer. At this internship I was working in the Marketing department and in a very corporate, professional setting. Coming to O3 I was excited to get a new experience in a smaller, agency setting. O3 has been the perfect place to get this new experience. With a small number of coworkers, everyone is not only close, but also supportive, making me feel comfortable and cared about at all times. In addition, the setting of the office is incredibly creative. Renovated from an old factory building, the office has a distinct and unique atmosphere to it. There are walls where you can write and erase on the paint like a white board, a full kitchen, a pool table, and so on. The one thing this experience has taught me that did not change from the corporate to creative setting was the importance of positivity. At any internship or professional experience, positivity can get you a long way. Being in such a niche

industry at O3, there are a lot of technical terms and concepts around web technology that gets thrown around. Although I do have a base knowledge on these concepts I constantly ask questions every day. This is great because I am consistently learning, but more importantly my coworkers are patient and kind with me due to my positivity. I try to never let myself get frustrated or defeated, and always be appreciative of those around me, eager to learn more. Simply just saying hello with a big smile on your face can truly make a lasting impression on someone. Similarly, I have observed that if you seemed sad or unfriendly, this can make just as lasting of impression upon someone.
This internship has also been a great experience for me because it has given me more experience in Project Management, specifically within a digital setting. I am currently studying the Art Direction track but have been very interested in the Project Management side of advertising. I also am completing a Digital Media Technologies minor; therefore I wanted to gain more experience in the digital media field. As a Project Management intern at O3, I have been working directly with the Lead Project Manager. He has been an amazing mentor, and the ability to shadow him, work with him and for him, has taught me more than I could imagine. I was even able to take it a step further than the workplace, joining my boss at a Digital Project Managers (DPM) of Philadelphia event this past week. At this event I was able to network will fellow digital project managers of the area, playing a strategic card game based on Project Management and client-based scenarios. This allowed me to get a feel for how professionals who have are heavily experienced in the field work, and how they problem solve. I now feel more confident that Project Management is the area and route I would like to pursue.