My initial fear of becoming an “intern” was to waste my summer photocopying, making people coffee, and being miserable without any achievements except the name of the agency on my resume. Fortunately, I have landed here at TBWA. I am grateful that everyone has been so nice and welcoming. I’m learning so much about the advertising industry from the creative and account perspective. I enjoy being involved with clients and seeing the process play through to complete a job. I feel so lucky to be able to listen in on the Creatives’ thought process on new ideas and to see the artists sketch out amazing drawings in minutes. I also appreciate everyone putting up with my broken Vietnamese and no one is shy to correct me when I’m wrong. I already feel like my understand of Vietnamese has improved by simply being here. Unfortunately, my understanding correlating to my speaking is another story. I feel that I will be returning to the States with a better understanding of an agency’s functions and procedures but also a broadened view of Vietnam, thanks to TBWA.
My experience at here has satisfied my curiosity for the premise of advertising but also given me a much greater understand into the industry. My job in the States at commercial production company started my interest in advertising and marketing but I never really understood how they got the jobs and how concepts are created for commercials.
I have always been very business focused in school, taking art instead of math would have been a crime in my book because I thought art and creativity was a slight waste of time. What am I suppose to do with my creativity? (It’s also because I am not creative) However, since being here I am constantly being amazed and inspired by the Creative Team. Thank you so much for letting me sit-in and ease drop on all of their creative thinking and seeing their artistic talent. I have developed an appreciation and gained a greater understanding on the importance creativity in the world.
As for the Account Team, everyone has been wonderful mentors. I never knew there was business involved in advertising. Obviously, someone needs to manage things on a business level but it never occurred to me that I could possibly go into advertising with a business degree. I have really enjoyed being involved in the client brief, creative brief, and execution of jobs.
One of the best things that I have gained from TBWA during my time here with the creative and account team is my broadened my way of thinking to expand outside the thought process of an American, and focus on who my target audience is. (Who ever it may be) I believe it’s a incredibly good lesson that I will carry with me in my career.
The Account Team has really gotten me involved with the client process and because they have, I now understand why the research I do is important to the job overall. I would like to go on more meetings with clients just to see how the account team deals with different situations but other than that, I’m fairly happy with the work load I’ve been given.
- Julie, summer intern
Thanks, Julie. It's been a pleasure to have you as a part of the team this summer.
- George
Hey, I understand ur feeling coz I was once an intern in another country. I did feel so special, people treat me so special. They try to involve me in EVERYTHING. Yeah,they never hire a foreign intern for nothing, they must be taught to learn as much as possible, but u know, for a local intern or a local staff, they r not that enthusiastic and welcoming, i mean everywhere in the world, not only in your TBWA. That makes me kind of sad, hehe
ReplyDeleteHi Vu - a shame you've had the experience that you've had. I would hope we offer all our interns the same opportunities. I like to believe that any difference in someone's experience has more to do with their own enthusiasm than their point of origin. Like most things in life, you get out of it what you put into it.
ReplyDelete-George