Blog post from affect

Hey everyone! Here is the latest blog post I wrote for Affect. Let me know what you think:

The first month at Affect has flown by! There hasn’t been a day that I don’t have numerous “pinch me I must be dreaming” moments. The thrill of being chosen as the winner of “The New York Internship Project” has not gone away, and honestly, I don’t think it ever will.

Since this is my first post for the Affect blog, I thought it would only be fitting to make it a Dr. Seuss theme, considering it was the theme I used for my NYIP entry.
A few years ago, one of my college professors read us a Sources of Insight article called “Lessons Learned from Dr. Seuss,” by J.D Meier. The author shared 21 lessons he learned from Dr. Seuss books, polarizing for me the fact that those tales I read as a kid would forever guide me on my personal and professional path. Here are four of the lessons from the article and how they have been applicable to my experiences so far as an Affect intern.

First, be your best you, because in the words of Dr. Seuss, “There is no one alive who is more Youer than You.” I found that as an intern, I couldn’t be afraid to be my true self. I am normally not a shy person, but I found that towards the beginning of my internship I was a bit reserved. It makes sense because I was not only just transitioning into a new internship, but into a big city as well. Then it dawned on me that it was a ridiculous feeling and I needed to be the girl Affect saw in my entry video. My advice to other interns looking to “wow” the people you are interning for; you must be your true self. I know that it may take some time but trust me it, being a different version of yourself will get you nowhere.

Second, kindle your curiosity, because following curiosity allows you to grow both personally and professionally. This internship has already taught me so much. I constantly ask my manager what she’s doing for her clients, because I want to gain some insight as to what it’s like being an account executive at a PR agency. I’ve also asked the previous interns, who now work here, what their processes were in certain projects in order to learn different tactics. I believe the phrase; “there is no such thing as a bad question,” is especially applicable for interns. If you are curious as to what your manager or co-worker is doing, just ask because chances are you will learn something new. As Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Third, persistence pays off, and you have to be relentless in anything you pursue. Whenever I’m handed an assignment I give it 110% of my effort. However, I have done some tasks incorrectly, but I’ve learned to never let it bring me down. I am very resilient, and if I do something wrong I’ll learn what went awry in order to correct it for the future. Learning and growing are two fundamental aspects of an internship. I recommend that no intern should be scared of making a mistake in an assignment because, honestly, it will inevitably happen. Instead of being distraught over the incident, let it drive you to do it better the next time. As Dr. Seuss artfully told young readers, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.”

Fourth, and most importantly, your voice counts. As an intern at Affect, I truly feel that my opinion matters. I am never afraid to share my ideas, which is one of the many things that I love about interning here. I feel that I truly am valued, and they are excited to have me on board. In Horton Hears a Who, Dr. Seuss shows us how one little voice can tip the scale, because after all, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

My final point aptly comes from “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Dr. Seuss talks about the waiting place, which is the most useless place to be. I’ve heard that some interns fall into this limbo space by waiting for their supervisor to reach out for assignments. However, I don’t think internships should be based on waiting, considering the PR industry certainly does not work that way. I know that it is up to me to make the most of this internship and achieve my ideal experience. I encourage all current and aspiring interns to take advantage of every opportunity to learn. As Dr. Seuss would say, “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!”

Weeks three & four

I'm so sorry that it's been a while since I wrote on here. I've been so incredibly busy which is a good thing - right? Anyways it's been going wonderfully here at NYC! I've been learning so many new things and I'm having a blast. I've been doing coverage reports, media lists, briefing documents, just to name a few. Also, my very first blog post will be on the Affect blog site this Wednesday, which I'm so incredibly excited about.

I've had some cool opportunities these past two weeks. The other intern, Cat, and I had the chance to go to a networking breakfast at Synaptic Digital which was so much fun. It was so fun because this agency does a lot of SMTs and it was interesting to see how they are put together. Another fun thing I got to do was go scout different locations for the president of Affect, Sandra, for an upcoming PRSA meeting. Needless to say I've been super busy! It's crazy how fast time is flying bye though.

I've also been doing a lot of exploring and shopping on my free time! Probably too much shopping actually. Anyways I'm definitely been having the time of my life here in the city. I'll keep you all updated soon!

Week two

What a week! I think that after my weekend adventures that you should all plan on hearing from me. But this past week of my internship was a whirlwind. We prepared for an event and then things sort of took a turn for the worse and it was kind of interesting to see how everyone handled it. Not once did I really see anyone lose their cool and it was rather inspiring to me. I really love the people I work with because they have been so helpful in teaching me everything with the various PR softwares. I had the opportunity to work on coverage lists, competitor matrixes and sending out invitations for a PRSA event for the end of the month. There is so much still to learn in this industry and I'm happy that I am having the opportunity to dive into so many projects.

This weekend I had a chance to explore SoHo which was so amazing. There was a DC cupcakes store and I had a mint cookies and creme cupcake which was the best thing ever. I also explored the Chelsea area which was really nice. On Sunday I went to central park and met up with some girls from the dorm. We had so much fun and went to Dylan's Candy Bar. We are actually starting a New York bucket list which will be exciting! So stay tuned, I will be updating you all shortly.

Week One

The first week in NYC has had its definite ups, but ended on a quite unfortunate note.  We will start with the positives.  My dorm room at FIT is pretty amazing, well for a dorm.  It is a three person room with a kitchen and bathroom.  At first I didn't have a roommate, but one moved in this past weekend named Sydney.  She seems really cool and she's an FIT student who is doing an internship this summer.  My work with Affect has been going really good.  I've started to work on some of their accounts and I hae already learned a great deal.  My manager Rosie is amazing, but so is everyone else I'm working with.  The other intern, named Cat, is fabulous and I can already tell that we will become pretty good friends.  The long hours is something that I will have to get used to though.  I am pretty nocturnal person and its kind of crazy that I can't even make it past midnight without falling asleep.  

However, the lovely week I had sort of had a tramautic close.  I received a call from my oldest brother Friday after work and he informed me that my dog Zoey has a tumor in her throat and will have to be put down.  I've had Zoey since the sixth grade and she is the best dog on the face of the planet, hands down.  So tramautized, I booked a flight that night and went back home to spend the weekend with her because I'm not sure how much time she has left.  She is truly my best friend and I've been having a real hard couple of days trying to cope with the fact that she won't be there when I get home.  

So I apologize that it took me so long to update my site, and I promise I will upload pictures on here soon. 

The adventure starts

Hello everyone!  I'm so sorry that it has been awhile since I wrote on here.  It has been a whirlwind since I was announced as the new intern for Affect!  I'm so grateful for this opportunity and wish I could thank each and every person who took the time to vote for me.  Also, to everyone who helped out throughout the process, I don't think a simple thank you would suffice because you all deserve so much more than that.  Especially to Julie Cajigas, who put in more time and effort than any teacher ever should.  You are truly a remarkable teacher and person, I'm so grateful for everything.

I moved into FIT dorms yesterday and the room is so nice and surprisingly huge!  I will be posting pictures on here soon.  As of right now I don't have a roommate, but that could change.  I have also had the chance to meet a few people already and everyone seems really nice.  It's really cool to hear about all the different opportunities people will be having this summer in New York.

Well tomorrow is my first day and I really need to catch some sleep.  I will be doing weekly updates on what I'm doing here in the Big Apple, unless something really remarkable happens and I want to post about it right away!