Hi again, from the Caliber Creative intern! Man, time flies when you’re having fun! I spent 11 weeks at Caliber assisting with content development, copywriting and other duties. I was able to learn and gain experience that will be very beneficial to my future career in the industry. From my time at Caliber, I discovered five keys to success and happiness when it comes to an internship.

Know your strengths
As an intern you need to enter the workplace with an open mind and an optimistic attitude. I was excited and nervous to begin this internship because I had never interned at an advertising agency. I came into Caliber with my best skills in my back pocket: problem solving, effective communication and willingness to learn. It is so important to recognize what your strengths are and what you could improve on. More than likely you will have a co-worker that is strong where you are weak, work with this person to discover their secret to achieving the strength.

Be a problem solver
I am normally not afraid to ask questions, but it’s important to evaluate whether you can answer your own question before asking someone else. You should always use the resources you have available, whether that is Google, an instruction sheet or some kind of reference. If you cannot answer the question, look to the best person that can. With my experience at Caliber I have learned that people are usually always willing to help. Like you may have been told before, there is no such thing as a dumb question, and if there is then you will either catch yourself before asking or soon after you ask it.

Love the culture
When you are searching for an internship it is important to look for a company culture that you mesh well with. I can remember my first interview with Caliber this spring and I walked away with a smile on my face. I felt very welcome when I was at Caliber and conversation flowed easily. Now that I have spent a few months here I don’t want to leave the fun and dynamic atmosphere. With my desk being located in the “pod squad,” next to 3 other co-workers, bonds were made, jokes were shared and plenty of food was eaten. Everyone in the office works differently, remember to be humble and participate when you are needed. The easiest way to do this is to follow the Golden Rule, cliché I know, but it works! Either way, whatever Caliber is doing-it’s working, because the culture is rich here!

Find your passion
I am a passionate person, if I find something I love, I consume myself in whatever it may be. This has been beneficial during my internship because I was provided the opportunity to dabble in different roles. Through the projects that I worked on, I found my love for copywriting, social media placement and client coordination. Since I haven’t studied design much, I learned from the designers, first hand. They inspired me to be proactive and take classes that would teach Adobe CC, which is the common software used by designers. So, my advice would be, find what you love and develop a strong desire to do your best.

Value your experiences
Knowing that experiences are irreplaceable and factor into making you an overall well-rounded person. I can’t begin to imagine how much experience I would have missed out on if I hadn’t interned at Caliber Creative. Wherever you are interning, be sure to thank the people that surround you. I value all the time that Caliber employees put into helping me grow and learn in both the industry and life!

BONUS: I got a job out of it! The ultimate goal of an internship is to receive a job offer at the end of the contract term. When applying for internships, it’s important to apply for a position at a business that you can someday see yourself working at in the future. I knew that agency life was what I would enjoy and I couldn’t be happier with my internship at Caliber. As I finish my last semester at South Dakota State University, I will be joining my co-workers at Caliber part-time—focusing on content creation, social media management and copywriting. Whoop!