What I’ve Learned from my ‘Big Girl’ Job

This summer I have learned so much about not only how to work in a professional setting but also, about myself and all that I can accomplish. I had the wonderful opportunity to be the Social Media and Communications Intern at an advertising agency in Downtown Detroit. I was pushed and challenged and have grown tremendously because of it. I thank everyone that has helped me this summer along the way. I appreciate each and every one of you. With that said, I’m happy to announce I’m staying on the team. Here’s all I’ve learned thus far.

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ASK FOR MORE: A lot of employees just go through the motions and do the bare minimum. This is not effective because you’re never going to grow or better yourself. I’m always looking to gain more strengths, so I continuously ask my supervisors what they need help with. I even try to get most tasks done before they have to ask me to do them. The more valuable you make yourself, the better.

BE OPEN TO CHANGE: Life changes, strengths change, work responsibilities change. You have to be flexible to these deviations or you’re not going to go very far. Sometimes these changes are good, sometimes not so much. I started out in a bit of a different area and then fully changed to do all social media which is where I wanted to be. I would’ve been happy in either area because I’m always looking to grow and improve my abilities, but my main skills are in social media and I’m confident I can do a good job in this area.

ALWAYS WEAR A SMILE: I’d like to consider myself a pretty happy and confident person, so I tend to always have a smile on my face. I love coming to work and I love what I do so that makes it a little easier to always wear a smile. When you’re approachable you generally get asked to do more and contribute more, which as I mentioned above is very important.

ACT WITH CONFIDENCE: Plain and simple- if you act like you know what you’re talking about whether you do or not then people will take you more seriously. I always act with confidence and trust what I’m saying or suggesting, and it has taken me to great lengths.

BE A TEAM PLAYER: The reality is that you can’t do everything yourself. You need to know and be able to work with other people. I like working as a team because you can bounce ideas off each other and get tasks done quicker and more efficiently. This summer I had the opportunity to work with the other interns and it was one of my favorite things I did. We all became so close because of it and made connections and friendships to last a life time.

BE YOURSELF: You were hired for a reason. Show everyone! Don’t waste your time in being fake or superficial because believe me, that will get exhausting. I am the same person at work as I am around my family, friends and classmates. Believe me when I say, people know when you’re being fake, don’t give them a reason to dislike you.

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This is only the start for me and my career. I can’t wait to see where the future takes me! Follow me on LinkedIn if you want to connect or learn more!

XOXO, Tayler