Five lessons I learned as a Crowley Webb intern.

For the past 15 weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of working as a project management intern here at Crowley Webb. I didn’t fetch coffee, speak only when spoken to, or shuffle paper around on a desk to look busy. Crowley Webb took me on as one of their own and taught me what “hard work works hard” really means.

For me, there was no such thing as a typical day at Crowley Webb. Every day presented new opportunities – including conducting competitive research, attending concept meetings and internal reviews, shadowing project managers, and sitting in on interdepartmental meetings – to learn how a full-service ad agency collaborates to create effective advertising campaigns.

Crowley Webb taught me what it means to be a project manager at an advertising agency. And after my time here, I’d sum up what I’ve learned into five key takeaways.

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Time spent worrying takes away from time you could be devoting to other tasks. Just do the best you can – whether it’s during an interview, on a task at work, or on a school assignment. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s small for a reason.

2. Take your time.

It’s more important to take your time and do something right than do it quickly, even when something is “hot.” “Hot” is ad lingo for “this needed to be done five minutes ago.” But five minutes ago already happened. So instead of putting out subpar work in a matter of minutes, the best approach is to prioritize said hot project, clear your schedule of any unnecessary tasks or meetings, minimize distractions for a bit, and crank out what needs to get done.

3. Write the email first, then put in the recipient.

Have you ever accidentally sent an email before finishing it? Me too. But my friends at Crowley Webb taught me to write the email, then put the recipient’s name in. It’s a foolproof way to ensure your email is written correctly, edited for errors, and sent exactly when and where it’s meant to go.

4. Check, revise, correct, edit, and recheck.

Always triple-check your work. Take a minute away from your computer, grab a cup of coffee, then go back and look at it with fresh eyes. Make sure everything is concise and consistent. And remember, there’s always room for improvement.

5. Hard work works hard – but doesn’t forget to have fun.

Crowley Webb is full of some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, but they sure know how to have fun as well. From BOTS (Beer On The Stairs) to company-wide retreats and everything in between, the people here taught me to work hard and reward myself with a little fun.

To everyone at Crowley Webb: Thank you for this amazing opportunity. Thank you for the warm smiles, encouraging advice, insight, and guidance.

Interested in an internship at Crowley Webb? Know someone who may be a good fit? Get in touch with us.