Rihanna Interned at an Ad Agency: Tactics to Not Lose Your Cool Interning at an Agency

Thanks for stopping by! I’m Colin Dame, a graduating senior with a concentration in Account Management. For the past two semesters, I’ve been lucky enough to intern at LevLane Advertising in Center City. LevLane is a full-service agency with a wide roster of clients.

As someone reading a blog about interning at various marketing firms, you might already know that ad agencies are fast-paced, high-pressure incubators for marketing and creative professionals. What you might not know is that Rihanna totally interned at an agency before she got her start singing your favorite bops. She totally even wrote a song about it! I’ve interpreted what she is totally saying in one of those songs.

1. You see me I be work, work, work, work, work, work: ask for more work
   • Rihanna gets it! Agency life is about putting in the work, work, work, work, work, work. But even in the slow moments, you need to get the most out of your time at your agency. Tasks run dry? Ask media if they need help with some reporting. This week I helped our SEO director do some keyword research. Easy resume builder!
2. You see me do me dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt, dirt: ask for help
   • What you do isn’t dirt, it’s helping your client’s business. But you’re not a seasoned veteran of Leo Burnett or Ogilvy & Mather – there’s no reason you should know everything. There have been times when a manager gave me an assignment, and 10 minutes into it, I had no idea what was going on. Your supervisors completely understand that agency-speak can be a foreign language that you’re there to learn and they’re there to teach you.
3. There’s something ’bout that work, work, work, work, work, work: there’s something ‘bout agency life
   • Agency life includes a lot of chatting with clients – they are the folks paying you! Sitting in on meetings is a great way to learn the language of talking business with clients: when to talk, who to talk to, how to talk, and what to say. Understanding the fundamentals of business communications will take you far in this client-centric world.
4. When you a gon’ learn, learn, learn, learn, learn, learn: learn from people not in your department
   • If you’re lucky enough to work at a full-service agency, you’ll understand that a lot of people there do tremendously different things! Chat with an art director about what they’re excited to see produced. Introduce yourself to someone in the office kitchen. If people around the office know your name and know what you’re contributing to, you might just get an offer to stay on or get a chance to come back.
5. Me na care if me tired, tired, tired, tired, tired, tired: get some rest
   • You’re driven. That’s why you’re an intern, right? You want the best possible job out of college because you produce the best work. Well, you can’t do that if you’re running on empty and a flat tire. Nix going out 5 nights this week and get some sleep! You’ll thank yourself later.
6. Attach the attachment
   • Ok, not a lyric, but it’s so important to be present during this experience. Take each moment one step at a time, and don’t think 6 steps ahead. If you’re sending your supervisor a deliverable, she’s never going to know how beautifully thought out it is if you forget to actually attach the attachment. Make each assignment and interaction count.

Well, thanks for chatting a while. I hope these little tips n’ tricks help you in your journey to become the next top CEO, CCO or CMO. Good luck!