Getting to Know Your Colleagues

Within my time spent at Who What Wear, I worked under the social media manager, Michelle, and her associate, Olivia—a recent college graduate.  While both were welcoming individuals, they were heavily focused on completing their own work.  However, they were very helpful in terms of training me.  Seeing as though I was the sole social media intern, I received complete one-on-one focus from them.  They trained me how to pin and write pin captions for pinterest, draft tweets, instagram, snapchat, utilize facebook, and utlilize social dash as well as social flow.  These last two systems enable the company to track new followers of interest as well as maximize retweets and tweet schedules.  Additionally, Michelle would have me research new social media platforms on a weekly basis and pitch how the company could use that to expand their network and e-commerce.

My boss’ assistant, Olivia, took me under her wing.  She is only two year older than me—a recent college graduate.  Olivia is a perfect case for how young and growing Clique Media truly is.  “I got the job as a fluke thing,” she informed me.  Olivia was set to intern at Who What Wear post graduation, however, someone had just quit and they needed a replacement and quick.  Olivia took on the role as Michelle’s assistant and has only been there since June, but shows a vast understanding for the in’s and out’s of the social media development.  She is always quick to teach me or train me on new skills, tasks, technological advancements, or even provide advice.  Because we are fairly similar in age, she seems to quite enjoy mentoring me and for that I am extremely grateful.  After my last internship, I was extremely taken aback by her sense of care and desire to aid me in my growth while working for the company.

On my second to last day there, I asked the head of social strategy and content, Alex, to lunch hoping she would impart some advice to someone interested in pursuing a career in fashion.  Seeing as though she was a family friend, our time together felt more comfortable then meeting with just a boss at the company.  Alex offered me a wealth of advice from approaching individuals in the office and connecting with them to taking a course in business in spite of my English and writing background.  Above all, she urged me to intern in a variety of fields of fashion. “You never know what you may like. Be open,” she told me.  That was the best advice I had received here.  Initially, I had not thought social media was something I would be interested in pursuing as a career, however, now I can see myself delving into social media.  Additionally, she reconfirmed my passion for English and writing. “Writing is a very valuable skill to have whether you go into the editorial or business side of fashion.” Alex also urged me to ask my direct boss, Michelle, to lunch and listen to her thoughts on navigating fashion, journalism, and social media.

On my last day, my boss gave me ten minutes to sit and speak with her. I came prepared with many questions in terms of how she began her path in fashion as well as how what advice she would impart to me.  Simply sitting with her for ten minutes showed her that I was invested in my internship and desired to gain something from her.  I realized that productivity and a strong work ethic was only half of my internship. Connecting with various individuals within the office and networking was just as important.