The Internship Gears of Machinery
Hi all! My name is Julie Glazer and this semester I had the honor and privilege of interning at Machinery, a strategic and creative ad agency. The small company consists of a handful of employees who are passionate about building brands and creating clever communications. Machinery prides themselves on being honest-to-goodness nice guys to work with, and in my experience, they truly are. My copywriting internship has taught me many things, most importantly to be flexible, open-minded, and to be able to roll with the punches. Not everything is easy and fun, and sometimes it’ll take numerous go-arounds for one good line. It’s also extremely important to come to work with a positive attitude, ready for anything, which in my case was easy since I was enthusiastic about doing a job I’ve prepared for my entire college career.
The great part about Machinery is they always have new and exciting projects to work on. While I mainly worked on copy for many of the assignments, I did help with casting voice actors for radio spots and conducting research for RFPs (request for proposal) for potential new projects. I enjoyed branching out, and it solidified my confidence in pursuing my copy career. The company also offered many positive aspects, such as a relaxed, laid back environment, a team with a strong camaraderie, and the enthusiasm and level of commitment to produce quality communications.
The owner, Ken, has been an incredible mentor and a great inspiration. As the creative director, Ken creates the copy for the company’s projects, while his partner Kristian is in charge of art and design. I’ve been lucky enough to work closely with Ken as he’s provided guidance and insight, while gaining actual, real-life agency experience with a variety of clients. It’s satisfying and rewarding to see projects I’ve worked on turn into actual advertisements.
This experience has far exceeded my expectations in a positive way. Coming into this internship, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect or how things would work, but I was immediately welcomed with open arms and made to feel like part of the Machinery family. Every week there’s something new to work on, which has allowed me to gain valuable skills that will come in handy for future projects and jobs. It’s important to stay hungry, confident, versatile, relevant, and to always work hard, be confident, ask questions, and most importantly, have a positive attitude. I’m excited to see how I’ll grow and evolve in my copywriting career, and I’m thankful for my opportunity at Machinery.
