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The presentation I give to our interns at VML. A few highlights I wish I had known when I was starting out in my career in startups/marketing/communications/advertising.
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Practice for Interns
Amy Winger Chief Strategy Officer
VML
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Every year I speak to the summer interns. I’ve stopped talking about the strategy practice and started talking about their own future work practice.
This is that presentation.
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Lawyers practice law. !
You will practice communications. !
Let’s start with a few observations from the last 20 years of my work life.
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“I want to be more strategic.”
Don’t say this. What your manager hears is, “I don’t know what I’m doing. I have no idea, actually.”
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“Hey, do you have a sec?”Don’t say this. What your manager hears is, “I don’t know
exactly what I’m going to talk to you about and it’s going to take 30 minutes. ” Or they think you’re quitting.
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“That’s what I’ve been saying for two weeks!”
Don’t say this. What your manager hears is, “I don’t know how to communicate and I like to spend time being
frustrated.”
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Bullet points.
Keep it short. Your email is an invitation to further dialogue.
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Don’t get embroiled in office drama.
Trust me. It’s not interesting and you’ll regret it later.
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Credit: Don’t give it all away but don’t be greedy either.
Yes.
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Practice working alone.
Do this. Don’t always rely on collaboration skills. Practice thinking and honing your own thoughts.
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Become a lifelong student of people.
A sure fire way to love what you do your whole life.
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Seek inspiration from many sources: Colin Powell, Navy SEALs, baristas
Stay open to possibilities through your career.
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At a certain point, it’s not about your work quality, it’s about your work
delivery.
Be great to work with, not a misunderstood genius.
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Keep your sense of humor.
Another sure fire way to love what you do your whole life.
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Be nice.
Yet another sure fire way to love what you do your whole life.
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If you don’t love what you’re doing, don’t do it. Life’s too short.
If you remember nothing else, remember this.
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Go forth and practice amazing communications!
