Issue 1

Spring 2014

Connections
University of Georgia IABC
The Internship Issue: A marketing intern shares seven steps to an unbeatable first (or fourth) office experience Page 3

Dealing with Rejected Ideas

By Joseph Arnold
As an intern in the communications industry, youll probably spend a good bit of your time coming up with new ideas. It might be ad campaign ideas, copywriting, ideas for a client pitch, or several things. While interning this past summer, I spent at least 12 hours each week brainstorming strategies for social media, coming up with name and tagline solutions and ways to brand our agencys clients. I pitched dozens of ideas to my bosses and clients and faced much rejection along the way. Sometimes it was a great idea, but the client just was not ready. Other times, it was just a lousy idea. Youll see rejection in any job or internship you hold here are my tips on dealing with it.

Table of Contents
Page 2 The Key to Networking by Sofia Jesani Internships: A How-To Guide by Emily Dardaman Dealing with Rejected Ideas, continued Getting the Most Out of Your Internship by Victoria Cooper Page 6 You Landed Your Dream InternshipNow What? by Sabrina Lewis Perseverance by Reginald Askew

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Stay Calm
Youre going to need some thick skin to make it in this profession (or really any field). Rejection is all part of the job, so dont get upset with or explode on your client. You have to remember the client always has the final word. They generally know when an idea wont work for their brand. Take a deep breath and go Continued on Page 5

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You have to remember the client always has the final word. They generally know when an idea wont work for their brand.

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The Key to Networking

By Sofia Jesani
We keep hearing about it. This daunting thing thats supposed to land us all jobs. Networking. I know it doesnt sound scary, but it is. But the good news is, it doesnt have to be. Putting yourself out there in front of someone you have never met before is pretty horrifying. But the key is practice. Once you have networked with one person, it gets easier every time. Starting out, you will be nervous but after you have had a conversation and maybe even made a contact, you will gain the confidence to talk to more people. Tips for success: 1. Do not be afraid of people in suits. They were once in your position! 2. Practice your handshake along with an introduction explaining who you are and what you are interested in. 3. Practice, practice, practice! Talk to as many people as you can. 4. Follow up with people you speak with to keep life long contacts.

Networking: the introverts nightmare?

Nearly half the population classifies themselves as at least somewhat introverted. For many, introversion adds difficulty to the already-daunting task of meeting strangers in a professional environment. Networking, especially in communication-related fields, is unavoidable and integral to job success. What are these people to do?
The key is preparation. Rehearsing a confident mental state and envisioning positive results can make interactions much easier. Its important to remember that networking is not a hereditary trait for anyone, but rather a skill that takes practice to develop. Vigilant focus on maintaining a positive mental dialogue and open body language will enable you to make a great first impression and will yield better business and social relationships over time. 2

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Internships: A How-To Guide

By Emily Dardaman
What was an intern? I had no idea, but at 18 years old I carried the word around like a new puppy. It felt more like my first day at kindergarten than anything else. My mom took a picture as I climbed in the car; my outfit had been carefully planned a week in advance. This internship was my first job, and I was a bachelors degree away from having a clue what was going on. But thanks to hard work and the guidance of the worlds best boss, I made it through and learned things Ill carry with me for the rest of my career.

Step 1: Drink coffee.

After a few weeks, instead of flinching at acronyms youll be flinging them right back. Its empowering and fun.

Too many times Ive lost the first hour of my day in a sleepy fog or almost fallen asleep in an important meeting. If you have a job that requires being alert any time before noon, drink coffee. Remember that while you may have idealized coffee as the secret to appearing sophisticated or classy, it will not make you any more mature, but it will keep you awake. Even if youre Superman and dont need it, at least learn how to work a coffee machine. Youre an intern; youre going to be making coffee at some point. I was fortunate; my co-workers preferred Diet Coke.

Step 2: Dress strategically.

Its important to remember while youre dressing for success, you're looking for success in the office, not on the runway. Wear clothes that thirty-year-old you would think are cool. They can still be fashionable, but in order to streamline your office experience they cant be too distracting. This brings me to the golden rule:

Step 3: Make people forget how old young you are.

Youre going for an aura of curious and modest competence. If necessary, fake it till you make it for the first few days, just to minimize the deer-in-headlights look on your face. But keep in mind that inexperience shows and humility goes a long way. If you are there to learn, which you should be, people will respect you for it.

Step 4: Carry a notepad.

Treat that notepad like its your firstborn child. Take it with you everywhere. There are two reasons why this is a good idea. First, youll look and feel more prepared when youre holding something; its a grown-up security blanket. Mock it if you want, but it works. Secondly, since the point of this internship is to learn things, youre going to need to remember them, which means writing them down. You dont have to take minutes of every meeting (unless thats part of your job), but its wise to write down questions and key points. Also, dont forget to bring a pen instead of asking to borrow one. Its a small thing but it goes a long way towards making a good impression. Continued on page 4
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Step 5: Whats your headline?

After every meeting or event, my boss would ask me, Whats your headline? Often these were meetings loaded with foreign vocabulary and backstory I had no inkling of. It was a steep learning curve, and once or twice I had to tell her, I have no idea. But knowing that question was always waiting for me, I learned to consolidate the bits and pieces I had gleaned into a single idea. This also helped me learn to ask smart questions. More is accomplished from a few targeted questions than a thousand vague ones, which means that before you ask a question you have to learn what exactly you dont know. Thats half the battle.

Step 6: Learn the lingo

Every office has its own jargon, even different offices in the same industry. Its not just new words you have to watch out for but also the old words repackaged with new definitions. On that notepad youre carrying, write down unfamiliar acronyms, phrases, or anything that seems out of context. I advise you to treat this the way you would learning Spanish if you found yourself stranded in Chile. Youre not going to be an effective communicator if you cant speak the language. Nobodys going to give you a vocabulary list and nobodys going to quiz you, but this might be the most important project of your internship. After a few weeks, instead of flinching at acronyms youll be flinging them right back. Its empowering and fun.

Step 7: Learn from your co-workers

Go to lunch with them. Listen to their stories, and it will be the most rewarding thing you can do. At the beginning of last summer, I had no idea I would be working alongside people who served in Afghanistan, raised goats, met Snooki, witnessed Hurricane Katrina, and loved Doctor Who as much as I did. Its true, I got lucky; my co-workers were extraordinarily funny, kind, and good at their jobs. But whether youre in a group of other interns or are the youngest one in the office by ten years like I was, dont forget that the people around you can teach you as much as the internship itself. Looking back now, that summer marked the time I became an adult. Not because of the coffee or because I had a desk with a desk phone on it, but because I learned to navigate completely alien environments, full of strangers and unfamiliar acronyms, without feeling lost. All it took, in the end, was a little interest. Initiative, that holy grail of intern characteristics, is nothing more than curiosity acted upon. Whether youre pursuing a medical internship or a teachers assistant position, your eyes and ear s are the tools you need to succeed. Take care to hold expectations of yourself, others, and circumstances loosely; then lean in and enjoy the ride.
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Continued from page 1 back to the drawing board. The next couple points are a few of the things you can do with your idea after you avoid freaking out.

Getting the Most Out of Your Internship

By Victoria Cooper Student Organization Advisor So many times, I speak with students who took an Internship that sounded too good to be true, and it was. They were either filing all day, running errands or doing basic social media updates that didnt require any real skill or finesse. How can you avoid such a situation? Here are a few tips: 1. Ask lots of questions to you contact the person in charge. Be sure to be to the point, but find out what exactly you will be doing. 2. Expect to learn and go out of your comfort zone. Internships are only valuable if you put in the effort, so dont be afraid to take risks. 3. Respect those that are already doing the job. So often we want to help, but end up getting brushed off because we came off as knowing it all. Add some humility to your repertoire and you will get much farther. 4. Take advantage of every opportunity. Internships are short and if youre lucky, sweet. Devote yourself to them and you will find that you are better for it. 5. Update your resume as you go; once a week is a good rule of thumb. 6. Keep examples, just put your jump drive on your key chain and you will be all set.

Scrap It
Some ideas just won't work. You know it and your client knows it. This is okay. I generally end up ditching probably 90 percent of my ideas before they even reached the client. Its important to remember that its not about making all your ideas work, its about making the right ideas work. Ask yourself, Is this idea the best use of resources to accomplish the clients objectives? If you dont think so or are hesitant to say yes, then the idea goes in the trashcan.

Polish It
Sometimes your idea might really be worth spending time and resources on. After all, you have a unique perspective as a rising, young professional. When this is the case, but your client isnt completely sold on the idea, listen to their reasoning. What are their needs? What are their concerns? Get an understanding of where the holes in your idea are and polish it, making sure you cover the bases. Tactfully pitch this idea to them again, hitting on their pain points this time around.

Repurpose It
Never throw out an idea that has potential. I tend to write all my ideas on sticky notes that eventually make their way into an Evernote document. Whenever Im brainstorming and need something to kickstart my thoughts, I take a look through previous ideas. They can be a great jumping off point for new marketing tactics. At the very least, revisiting my thought process for past concepts get the gears going as I attempt to come up with fresh ideas.

Archive It
As I just mentioned, I keep a number of old ideas. Ill generally make an Evernote document for each client with ideas that are great, but just arent right for the moment. It might be that there arent enough resources at the time or maybe the idea revolves around the holidays or another event, like a company anniversary. Revisit it a couple months down the road when the time is right.
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You Landed Your Dream Internship Now What?

By Sabrina Lewis What to Bring 1. Laptop
On the first day of my most recent internship, I assumed that I would have access to one of the companys desktop computers and left my laptop at home. When I found out that there were no available computers for me to use, I was embarrassed and extremely limited as far as the work that I was able to get done. Avoid my mistake and always bring your laptop!

first day. Avoid anything too bright, flashy or revealing. Its better to be safe than sorry.

2.

Learn the dress code

Pay attention to what other people are wearing. Some offices have casual Fridays while others are strictly business professional five days a week. If you want to be sure, ask someone what the appropriate dress code is before leaving the office.

What to Do

1. Get a good night of sleep

Even though youll have a million thoughts running through your head the night before your first day, try to get at least eight hours of sleep. This will help you put your best foot forward and ensure that youre ready for anything thats thrown your way.

2. Notebook and pens

Take lots of notes. Write down everyones names, the password to the buildings Wi-Fi, the names of nearby coffee shops and anything else you think you may need to remember. You will thank yourself later.

3. Lunch
Not all companies give their interns a leisurely lunch hour every day. Especially on your first day, its better to brown bag it than to be that miserable person sitting at their desk with a growling stomach.

2.

Test drive your route the day before

Its a good idea to do a practice commute before your first day so that you can figure out the best route to the office and calculate how long it takes to get there with traffic. Once you know exactly how long it takes to get from your door to your desk, tack on a few extra minutes for good measure. Being early not only combats the uncertainties of first day jitters, but also makes a great first impression.

What to Wear 1. Better overdressed than underdressed

No matter where youre interning, you should be the picture of professionalism on your

3.

Do your homework

Want to impress your supervisor? Show up with a clear understanding of what the company has Continued on page 7
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done in the past and what they are currently doing. Read the companys website, social media posts, corporate blog and any recent news articles about them.

4.

Dont be afraid to ask questions

No one expects you to know exactly what youre doing on your first day. Dont be afraid to ask your intern supervisor to clarify what you can expect during your internship and what will be expected of you.

5.

Get acquainted with your fellow interns

Youll be working alongside these people for the next few months, so be sure to introduce yourself to the other interns, exchange contact info, and get to know them on a personal level. If another intern has been working for the company before you got there, ask him or her to help you get acclimated. Befriending the people who youll be spending most of your time with for the next few months will definitely help you out down the road, and will also make your internship more enjoyable.

Perseverance
By Reginald Askew
Throughout my collegiate career, Ive done whats seems like thousands of internship applications to no avail. To call it frustrating would be an understatement, but there is a silver lining. I have learned some tips and tricks along the way that I believe will help me, and you, navigate the tricky road to an internship:

Dont take it personally

The first thing you must understand that no is the nature of the beast. Companies receive thousands of applications and therefore must refuse a lot of good students. Although this may seem like common sense, it remains a good thing to keep in mind for perspectives sake. You cannot get too discouraged The last thing if you dont get a particular internship. Now on with the next application!

Be thoughtful and thorough

When filling out the many sections within an application, treat them all with great importance. Students tend to gloss over the shorter answer questions and focus only on the essays. While the essays are very important, the rest of the application reveals a lot to the employer. Make sure to go through your application with a fine-toothed comb and you should be fine.

Review your resume

that you want to do is spend your summer being a coffee gopher for some corporate slacker.
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As students, our resumes essentially serve as our business cards. They give employers an idea of our

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academic achievement, employment history, and extracurricular activities. Here at UGA, we have an excellent resource in the career center that specializes in critiquing resumes to perfection. Even if you dont go visit the career center, having someone else look at your resume is definitely on of the best things you can do. There are certain things that only a new set of eyes will catch. Trust me, youll be glad that you did it.

Finding the RIGHT internship

Do your homework when selecting which internships to apply for. Make sure that you focus your efforts on companies and organizations that allow their interns to get real experience in the field. The last thing that you want to do is spend your summer being a coffee gopher for some corporate slacker. Research online and reach out to former interns to make sure this is not the case. These are just some of the many things that I have learned are helpful during my internship search. I know it can seem pointless doing all of these applications when you arent getting many callbacks but I like to believe that the night is darkest before the dawn. Just hang in there. Perseverance is key, as the search for an internship is not a battle, but a war. Now lets go fight and (hopefully) win the war!

About
The International Association of Business Communicators, or IABC, is a not-for-profit international network of professionals committed to improving the effectiveness of organizations through strategic interactive and integrated business communication management. IABC: Be Heard

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