10 Important Lessons from a New Intern

The day had finally come! I picked the most professional outfit in my closet and got plenty of coffee flowing through my veins, then I headed to the office to start my first week as an L&S Account Service Intern.

I have to admit, I always thought it was a cop-out when I would ask people “what do you do in an average day?” and they would answer with, “no day is the same.” But boy oh boy, now I understand. Because no day at L&S is the same. From researching about different texting platforms to hopping on Zoom client calls to finding fun merch items for upcoming events, I never know what’s coming next. But that’s the best part of the job so far (okay, and maybe the Friday happy hours). No coffee runs or copy fetching here, just real-world experience.

I can confidently say that I’ve learned more in these first few weeks at L&S than any college class ever taught me. And I want to share some of those learnings with you…here’s the top 10.

1. Take detailed notes in every meeting, no matter the significance of the get-together. Documenting what the client or someone from the agency says can help everyone on the team form a better idea of what the client wants. Don’t rely on your memory.

2. Learn how to navigate shared files and how to properly label EVERYTHING YOU SAVE. It’s a daunting task — it’s like purposefully going down a rabbit hole just to secure one file — but it will save you and everyone else a headache later.

3. Learn how to sort and file the 8,000 e-mails you get in a day. (Yes, I am exaggerating. Barely.) Being in the Account Service discipline means you’re often the middleman between the client and creative team. That’s an important stream of communication to man. Content pieces, client conversations and internal team notes are all floating around your inbox and you have to be able to efficiently access them.

4. Read the room. Every client is different, every campaign is different, every project is different. Accounts Service’s job is to read the room, pick up on the vibe and guide the conversation appropriately.

5. Most clients have more than one contact — oftentimes it’s a handful of people working on the project or an entire marketing department. Recognizing the different client dynamics can make a huge difference in how you communicate and do business with them. Know who you’re talking to.

6. Ask, ask, ask. Ask questions no matter how insignificant you might think they are. Ask for more to do. Ask to be in meetings (both internal and external). Asking will some day turn into answering.

7. Over communicating to the team and the clients is KEY. Refer back to point #3 to understand how the role of AS, aka the client-agency liaison, is rooted in communication. Without it, people will be left out of the loop, wires will get crossed and deadlines will be missed.

8. Dress the part. You never know when or what client meeting could pop up. Looking your best and being confident in what you’re wearing can make a difference in your performance. (FINALLY, I get to bust out my blazers from high school oral interp!)

9. Go the extra mile. This is L&S’ internal mantra, and as a new intern, it resonates deeply. L&S is known for going above and beyond in everything they do. And that reputation wasn’t earned by accident; it’s because each employee goes the extra mile every day. That means the interns, too.

10. Be a sponge. Take the headphones out and listen. Read articles. Observe how people interact with each other. Strike up conversations with coworkers whether they’re on your team or not. There’s always something to be learning.