The Crash Course that you’ve all been waiting for! I know everyone’s been wondering what my biggest takeaways are from this summer. Well, the suspense is finally over. Now, it’s time to sit back, relax and get caught up on 10 things you should know about Maggie’s intern experience at FANDOM!
1. Change coffee filter
We have all been there… OK? Well, I don’t know about all, but that’s difficult, alright? During my time at FANDOM, I learned that coffee is vital for any high-functioning workplace. I didn’t start drinking coffee until this internship, and I can proudly attest (from first-hand experience) that my productivity levels have increased. I feel like I’m doing an advertisement for the office Keurig, which is lacking some love over there in the corner. But who would’ve thought that it would take so much effort? Seriously: It’s messy, it’s a pain, it’s not fun! But here I am, on the other end of another success story, giving the utmost respect to La Capra, Starbucks, Philz, and beyond!
2. Locate broom & dustpan
You’d be surprised how serious I am about this one. One day, I dropped an entire bowl of cereal in the pantry, and by the time I went to ask Anne where the broom and dustpan were, somebody had already snitched on me! Getting put on blast in Slack is no joke. Definitely one of my most embarrassing moments during this internship, but it also taught me a lot about the FANDOM community…
But in all seriousness, we’re all just trying to look out for each other. For example, Susan is such an incredible resource that shouldn’t be taken for granted. The number of times I’ve called her to let me into the building, or watch for my food delivery is countless. From locating the broom and dustpan, I learned that there are always great resources at a workplace that I should look out for and utilize.
3. Deliveries on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Our favorite holiday! Who would have thought that Tuesdays and Thursdays would be my favorite days in the work week? So random, but so much opportunity, so much life in the office. I learned that Torie Apple drinks a Coca-Cola every morning when she first gets into the office, Anne eats Honey Nut Cheerios as a midday snack, Brett eats way too many of those weird fig protein bars, and Kristy would pick out all the cashews in the mixed nuts container accompanied by a Bug Bites dark chocolate square. To you, this might be useless information that is taking up way too much space in the category of my brain that’s supposed to store memories, but I disagree.
4. Be confident
No one is going to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself. It’s all about delivery! I learned that there is no idea that’s too big, or not worth being considered. After sitting in daily RFP/brainstorm meetings, I have realized that my ideas can expand the creative process of someone else. Through this process, you never know when you might come together to create one great idea. Speaking with confidence has helped my professional growth and individual contributions. Believing that what I have to say is valid and important has been vital in the work that I’ve contributed during my time here.
5. Consider feedback
Although there is no idea that’s too big, I’ve learned that not every idea is the best fit for a client or our company. The practice of listening is crucial in developing a framework for future pitches/RFPs. There were several instances throughout my experience at FANDOM when my ideas weren’t utilized, but these grew to be my favorite moments with the team. The genuine care and consideration that goes into the creative structure of FANDOM x is a skill worth developing. I learned to accept feedback as an opportunity to improve and reach my full potential. I have a killer team, and I take all their feedback to heart because who would take the time to help me do my best if they didn’t care?
6. Initiate experiences
The opportunity for an experience is yours! All you have to do is truly want it for yourself. I’ve had so many great mentors at FANDOM who have set up 1:1 meetings with people for me — and lunches and Happy Hours, too! Although this was nice and helped me get acclimated to the work environment, I learned that there’s not always going to be someone there to hold your hand through things. I didn’t know what I wanted when I first got here, but I can confidently say that I am leaving with more than I could’ve hoped for.
No, I’m not talking about the North Face jacket and cool backpack — although the backpack is very cool. I’m talking about initiating my own experiences. Initiating conversation and expanding on the professional relationships that I’ve made here have helped me walk away with a priceless experience.
7. Time management
Honestly, I was always really good at this anyways, but I continued to improve during my time here. Want to see my schedule during my first week? Just look above. Now picture this: A college student with no responsibilities before noon and “plans” consisting of a course schedule and your average “get-together.” I know you can all picture this because it wasn’t very long ago for any of you.
I thought I was great at time management before I realized that I never had much time that needed managing. I never thought that I would be so proud to wake up at 7am and actually have things to do! Managing my time here at FANDOM has shown me that there is so much work to accomplish in such a short amount of time. It’s been 12 weeks and I’ve come up with content ideas for more than 24 RFPs, planned 2 RFA brainstorms, made 12 updates to the active metrics spreadsheet, and so much more! In other words, it’s been time well spent.
8. Ask questions
I should’ve put “Ask meaningful questions,” but you get the gist. I was terrified to ask anyone anything during my first two weeks here. Not because anyone made me feel threatened or anything, but because I was so afraid of sounding incompetent. Like “Agh, she’ll never learn” or “What’s the point?” The minute I opened my loud mouth to ask a question, I realized what it was that I’m here to do. L-E-A-R-N! I’m supposed to learn.
It clicked when Kristy said, “We don’t expect you to know anything, but we do expect you to leave with more than what you walked through those doors with.” This was a pivotal moment for me, and I became the walking personification of the game 20 Questions. Not only did this allow me to understand what my coworkers were saying in meetings, but it also forced them to challenge themselves to explain something they do every day. Win/win, am I right? Spend 5 minutes in a daily RFP War Room meeting and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
9. Genuine relationships
Through working on similar projects with my team and having a common interest with people about their fandoms, I have enjoyed and appreciated the friendships that I’ve made here. By having people who support me and take the time to make my work great, I have been able to perform my best, while knowing there are people that appreciate my work.
This isn’t networking or “making connections”: This is about being yourself and finding people that will make a job worth showing up for. I look forward to seeing what these people do in the future, and it’s an incredible feeling to know that they were a part of my life.
10. Love what you do
I’m not sure how many of you knew this, but I originally went to Emerson College for their BFA Acting Performance program. I eventually quit the program after a year because I wasn’t being supported by the department and felt like I wasn’t good enough compared to the other actors in my class. I don’t live a life of regrets, but if I did, this would definitely be one. After realizing that I could have enjoyed my craft and focused on my love for theatre and acting, I was disappointed for letting the competition get the best of me.
After feeling such a lack of confidence, I made a vow to myself that I could and would love whatever was next for me. I have lived by the phrase “Love what you do” to the fullest ever since. There are going to be people everywhere that I go that are going to be better than me at something — it’s bound to happen. But if I’m waking up excited to go to work, happy with the what I’m presenting, and loving what I do, then I’m doing it right!
If there’s one thing that I learned from FANDOM, it’s that we all have one thing in common: We love what we do!
