I have not had a summer break since high school. I kid you not, I worked part time and took up classes every summer. Whatever gaps I had in between school, work, and sleep, I would squeeze in a vacation.
While many recent college graduates were soaking up the sun and going on lush adventures abroad, I stayed home after my graduation. I don’t regret it.
I had one week of summer between my graduation day and my first day as an intern at BBDO Atlanta. And honestly, it was all I really needed to soak in the fact that I have finally accomplished my academic career and landed an opportunity to intern at one of the best advertising agencies in the country. I was selected as one of the Minority Education and Training (MET) Fund recipients for summer 2014. What was originally a 10-week opportunity extended into a 15-week internship.
While I was an undergrad taking advertising courses, I could only dream of what it was like at an advertising agency. We would imagine Mad Men scenes because that was all we really knew. For projects and assignments, our class would be broken up into different teams, aka “departments” mimicking a real agency. We throw down a plethora of ideas, research, creative mock-ups, and sometimes even a roller coaster of emotions.
Coming to BBDO was a huge eye opener. It provided a glimpse of what the real world is like outside of my comfortable “undergrad bubble.” It taught me to think fast on my feet when a situation appears itself, good and bad. It made me manage my time efficiently down to the nanosecond. It made me appreciative, not for myself, but for the people I worked alongside with. And lastly, it made me proud of The Work. After all, BBDO is all about The Work, The Work, The Work. That’s what I love about advertising. Working with great people and great brands. Shout out to the teams at BBDO, especially Sponsorship and Wired! You all really made me feel part of the team and I appreciate you welcoming me to BBDO from Day 1. Thank you to all the awesome interns I met while on board, keeping me sane and filled with laughter. And THANK YOU, Wendy, for offering me this rewarding experience.
I ended my internship with the ALS Challenge on my last day. BBDO was challenged by MEC and in return BBDO nominated 22squared. Check out the video here with the scene opening up to the EVP Management Director, Mr. Doug Walker, speaking….
BBDO ALS Ice Bucket Challenge 2014
PS – I fist pounded Mr. Doug Walker before the challenge! 🙂
TIP: I strongly recommend everyone who wants to pursue a career in advertising to intern at an agency and grab a glimpse of what it’s like beforehand. You can check out what I did at BBDO during my internship on my LinkedIn
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jeanna hoang 