During my time at MP&F, I learned a lot about working on a larger team, not to mention staying on top of projects in a fast-paced environment. Here are some of my top tips for a successful agency internship: 

Write it down 

The notes app on my phone got me only so far once I began my time as an intern. I’ve never been a planner or Post-it Note person, but I found myself benefiting a lot from writing out my to-do lists. I even developed my own system of organizing tasks and projects depending on the due dates. I used “?” for projects that came up but I needed more details for, a simple bullet point for a project that was next on my list, and a star to represent a priority deadline. There’s nothing more satisfying than crossing something out or putting a check mark next to it. 

Pin your emails 

Another way I stayed organized was pinning emails containing projects I’ve been asked to help on to the top of my inbox. This kept my most important assignments top of mind and ensured I had easy access to instructions and details. Once I finished a project, I followed up with my project leader and unpinned the email. 

Follow up with project leaders and check in with teams 

Speaking of follow-up emails, getting into the practice of updating your project leaders on the status of a project not only helps you stay on top of things, but makes their job easier. This is especially important for larger teams because everyone has multiple moving projects for different clients. If you feel as though your workload has slowed down, notify your team that you’re open to taking on new projects.  

Ask questions 

Asking questions is the best way to learn. Even if you feel it’s a “stupid” question, don’t be afraid to ask. Internships are about learning, and asking questions is an important part of the process. Project leaders at my internships always appreciated it when I had questions because they knew I cared about doing the work well and wanted me to be successful.  
 
If you’re looking for an internship, I highly recommend MP&F’s program. You can apply online here. 

*This was written by former intern, Erica Padron.