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How did I end up with a corner office, high above Wilshire Boulevard, at one of the world’s best ad agencies at age 20? Everybody else got fired. In 1991, I got my first agency internship at Ogilvy & Mather in Los Angeles. It was a big deal for me. I’d read “Ogilvy on Advertising” as a kid and loved it. (I was a weird kid.) So it was my first choice and I was thrilled to land an opportunity to intern a few days a week in the account management department. (In my interview, I may have fudged my experience-level with Macintosh computers…and then swung by the bookstore on the way home to buy “Macintosh for Dummies.” 😂) When I showed up on my first day, my boss said to me, “Take any seat you want…everybody on this floor got fired last week.” Welcome to advertising! 😬 They’d lost a gigantic account (the Barbie account from Mattel?) and made deep cuts. So I wandered into a way-too-nice office for a kid with “Macintosh for Dummies’ hidden in his bag. Advertising has always been a feast or famine business. You win a big account, you hire a bunch of people. You lose a big account, a bunch of people get fired. It’s a feature, not a bug. But over the last 20 years, the employment trends have been pretty sweet. The explosion of marketing opportunities in tech meant that, whether you were agency-side or client-side, most people could find a gig, regardless of what happened at any one agency or company. But…something feels different now. For lots of reasons, agencies and in-house creative shops are figuring out how to do more, with a lot less. Despite the “employment trend data” (which suggest “ad jobs” are still on the rise) I know lots and lots and lots of people who can’t find enough work. I don’t the genie is going back in the bottle. Today, Ogilvy wouldn’t just fire the whole floor, they’d quickly sublease the space. And the work I tackled during my internship could be handled by ChatGPT (far more effectively, if I’m being honest.) Also, in the 30 years since that I’ve worked in advertising, I never had an office quite that nice again. 😉

Last year, I hired two social media marketing interns—one punctual, the other always late. But their time management wasn’t the biggest issue. It was their lack of creativity. Despite their role, they only managed to churn out generic festival posts, offering nothing innovative or engaging. It made me question: Was hiring them a mistake? What should I have expected? Social media marketing isn’t just about posting content—it’s about engaging with the audience, staying ahead of trends, and pushing creative boundaries. Interns should be eager to experiment, bring fresh ideas, and actively contribute to building the brand's voice. What do other  founders think? - *Nikhil Kamath* (Zerodha) believes creativity is crucial, and interns should challenge trends, not just follow them. - *Sairee Chahal* (SHEROES) emphasizes that interns should take ownership, pitching and executing their ideas. - *Varun Duggirala* (The Glitch) says that a good intern is one who’s constantly learning and adapting. Was hiring them a waste? Not entirely, but it’s a lesson learned. Next time, I’ll set clearer expectations and ensure that creativity is a priority in the selection process. If you’re considering social media interns, make sure they bring more than just the basics to the table—because in this field, creativity is everything.

We asked our Gen Z intern to ask The UPS Store's Gen Z intern to come up with new content ideas. (Just kidding.) But really, who says a brand known for packing and shipping can't have fun on social? Thanks to our Creative and Cultural Opportunities for Real-time Engagement teams, we find opportunities for our brands to own buzzy trends in authentic ways — and ultimately, engage with audiences to build belief where and when it matters most. #advertisingandmarketing #socialmediamarketing #tiktoktrends #creativeagencies

When your Reels aren't working anymore, what do you do? Well, we 6x'd this clients Reach in just 3 months. Our team is always going the extra mile to find new strategies that work with an ever changing algorithm - because as a Founder, you don't have time to do so. For this Client account in particular, their Reach had been steadily declining. By making 1 small but significant change to the way we were selecting the audio files to put on their Reels, we were able to skyrocket their Reach. We do so much more than "just create content" for our clients. We are true partners. Partners that proactively bring new ideas to the table, and implement them to create major results. You don't need to hire another Intern to manage your social media. You need to work with a team of seasoned pros. We have 2 spots open to start this Summer. Inquire here - https://lnkd.in/dPtrnWEy?

Need a push to get through the rest of your Friday? It might help to remember why you got into the ad game in the first place. Swipe to get inspired by our amazing team of interns ✨ We’d love to get inspired by you, too! Share what you’re excited about lately in the comments👇 #Advertising #Culture

1 year, 2 agencies, and countless timesheets later. I’m celebrating the one-year mark today! 2023: Started as a Post-Graduate PR Intern 2024: In an AAE role in the brand department My grasp of #PR has evolved so much since I started. Who knew I’d be touching account management, influencer relations, traditional media, and event planning? As a Black man in PR, it’s meant being on the front lines of industry change. I‘ve never let a job title dictate my impact and you shouldn’t either - intern to VP. Here are my favorite moments of 2024 so far: • Consulting for brands like Homegoods and f'real for how to cater upcoming campaigns to Gen Z • Receiving the PR Pro Rising To The Top award from the Black Tech Public Relations Society • Hosting my first-ever audio event for The PR Habitat • Reading Brooke Govert’s letter of rec for the ADCOLOR Conference and Awards Futures program 🥲 I leave this advice for the next batch of PR interns. Make noise when it comes to your passions, goals, and dreams 🗣️ p.s. for the vets, what’s something embarrassing you did your first year lol? #publicrelations #earlycareer #internshiptips

Businesses...Please stop hiring social media interns. In my cute and humble opinion... The ONLY people who should be hiring social media interns are businesses or experts who can TEACH and MENTOR social media interns to be GREAT social media strategists and managers. When I see Sally's Ice Cream Parlor hiring for a social media intern that translates to me, a social media strategist, that: A. You don't see the value in investing in expert social media strategy & management OR B. You are ok with mediocre "just post it" content on your social Not to mention...What are you doing to teach that intern about solid social media strategy when you aren't too sure what that looks like yourself? 👀. #socialmediastrategy #contentcreation #socialmediamanagement

Nowadays the ‘directors of marketing’ ask interns “how to make reels”, “what’s the difference between a reel and a story?”, “why didn’t we achieve 1,000 followers in a month?” ☺️🥰😊 Please test your directors. A $16.55/hr intern can outperform $60/hour director these days. Reading and Researching to adapt to new marketing needs is fundamental. It really doesn’t matter how many years you’ve put in the industry if you can’t stay afloat the latest trends and algorithms. #BitterTruth

A trending topic right now on TikTok... 👇 What is and isn't acceptable officewear😅 It may seem obvious to many, but for soon-to-be graduates assembling their work wardrobes this summer, or for first and second-year students who may have never set foot in an office, preparing for their first internships - this isn't something that is common knowledge. Now if I were a company interested in securing the attention of students and grads what would I do? I'd take the trend and I'd run with it... 👚 Office OOTD with the (Finance/Tech/Marketing) team 👚 What are your favorite workwear brands? 👚 What is your office outfit staple? 👚 Get ready with me to go to work at (Insert company name here) 👞 Bonus points if you can incorporate second hand shopping for the enviro and eco conscious viewers! Obviously the above is easier said than done and to get the most out of your content you'll need: ✨ Trusted people to create Employee Generated Content ✨ Keyword analysis to get your content into the right searches and audiences ✨ A little creativity and the ability to stray from rigid brand guidelines... we all know by now that authenticity and relatability are key right 😉 If you're looking for more ways to finesse your brand's social media, or grab the attention of Gen Z with your marketing, my messages are always open for a chat 😊 #gradrecruitment #socialmediamarketing #tiktok #shortformvideomarketing

Interns at my agency get fired for only 1 reason - → not focusing on their personal brand. This is no joke. You can ask them about it. Vihangi and I keep hearing how some of the biggest agencies have got their EX (Employee experience) wrong. Interns are mistreated, exploited. Something we made a promise that we would not do. Over the last 5 months of them working with us, we have - - slowly ramped them up - provided a lot of direction but get them to figure stuff - ensured they are appreciated every time they take accountability More than anything, push them to do what we do. Build a brand. So that if they ever leave (i hope not) There's not just an experience letter and some money they made. But - they have a social proof that backs them up. After all, we are working in the employee(r) branding space. This has helped them - gain a good following - understand discipline - see growth first hand - connect to our work Thanks to this - every content you see around, mails we make, our outreach message are ideated by them, made by them, fixed by them & changed by them. A complete takeover. What we dreamt of on Day 1.