4 Lessons An Intern Can Teach You About Your Job

My name is Carolina Domingues and I am a senior at Belmont University with double majoring in Business Management and Marketing. Before I even start talking about the key lessons I have learned as Comprehensive Media’s Marketing Intern, it is important to talk about what led me to this great place.

Being a student at Belmont has its perks- and one of them is the career connection resources readily available online. One boring night, I was browsing through and sulking about my lack of internship experience in the past, and saw a new listing that caught my attention. I had no idea what Comprehensive Media was- and had never worked in the Video Production industry.

So why did I all of a sudden decide to quit my steady part time job in an industry I loved? Because life is all about learning.

I’ve always heard that if you always do what you have always done, you’ll always get what you have always gotten, and I was ready to do and get more out of my career- so I took a chance. This risky move landed me in what many jealous classmates have called “the coolest job”, and I couldn’t agree more.

From social media to market research and SEO, I am responsible for the different aspects of our marketing strategy. Jumping into an industry, office, and company I knew nothing about was challenging at first, but I soon realized it was time to put my big girl pants on and suck it up.

In the short time that I’ve been here, I’ve learned 4 key lessons that everyone should take into consideration when it comes to their job, or any new adventures for that matter.

1) Be Yourself

Don’t try to fit in. That will make you feel inadequate, and chances are if you got the job in the first place, you are far from that. Yes it is very tempting to act like everyone else and pick up on his or her ways around the office, but that won’t help you stand out as a great employee. You’ll just be like everyone else.

2) Ask Questions

The worst thing you can do is pretend like you know what someone is talking about when you really don’t. We’ve all done that, including me (Sorry Joel…) and it might lead to an instant gratification and feeling of success when the other person smiles and continues on, but that big question mark left in your head won’t be easy to ignore. Asking questions means you are engaged, listening, and willing to learn more about something you might not be familiar with. Trust me, that is much better than pretending to know something you don’t, especially when the time comes to actually act on your knowledge.

3) Be Honest

If your boss shows you something or is dead-set on a specific idea that is just plain heinous, it’s really tempting to nod, smile, and go along with it. If they are that passionate about it, it must be good, right? Wrong. Everyone has different ideas and opinions and sometimes hearing another opinion or perspective changes everything. Agreeing to disagree and showing that you have a valid opinion or suggestion is more valuable than a yes-man attitude.

4) Learn About The Industry

Like I have said before, I didn’t know anything about the Video Production industry, and still have a lot to learn. Being in charge of our marketing efforts means I am constantly finding ways to show off our company and our abilities and skills. How can I do that without knowing them? Without knowing what our target market is looking for? That’s right, I simply can’t. You need to know what you are selling in order to make a sale. Anyone can describe a service or a product, it’s the passion and deep understanding that makes something so enticing to buy.

QUESTION: What key lessons have you learned?