I currently am interning for Philadelphia magazine, and although I have not stayed on top of my blogs, I actually have been working there since the beginning of May. I work as a sales intern, but my major job is being the Design Home intern. Every September, Philadelphia magazine premiers a new home (the Design Home) located on the main line. Top technology, amenities, designs, etc. are placed in the house and each year over 5,000 people come for tours benefitting the Ronald McDonald House. The home is also presented in the magazine as well as the Design Home microsite. My role is to gather all of the materials from clients sponsoring in Design Home, work directly with my supervisor and the web designer, and ultimately create a virtual tour on the Design Home microsite. It becomes an experience for the viewers going to the site to tour the home as well as learn about all the products and clients working on the project. You can check 2010’s virtual tour here http://www.phillymag.com/design_home/2010/index.html.

Right now I am  completely swamped, checking in on the clients, making sure everything is up-to-date on the site, and doing other important jobs that my supervisor asks me to do. I never thought that going into this internship it would be this challenging, but I have learned so much and know this will help me with future endeavors. Going into my senior year, I feel a lot more confident with interviews and taking the initiative to work to my fullest potential.

Here are couple of little odds and ends from the internship that have made it less stressful (in my perspective):

1. Always carry a pen and paper around. Initially, when my supervisor or other sales assistants called me into their office I would not have these two essentials. Boy… did I learn fast. Since then, I have been writing down everything that goes into our meetings from what we have completed on the project to what needs to be done in the next two weeks. I have filled up plenty of notebooks keeping me on top of my game.

2. Back up all important papers/documents by making more than one copy, dating them immediately, and filing them into a specific folder. This will save your “you know what” if there ever maybe a miscommunication conflict. You have the documentation to back it up.

3. Always be three steps ahead. Since working on the project, I am always thinking of what will my supervisor will ask me to do before she actually tells me to do it. I want to make it easier for her, and I think she finds it very helpful.

4. I have stopped feeling weird about asking questions. From the beginning I was apprehensive to ask a question even twice, but I have learned at my internship that I will not develop the skills that I want if I don’t. It will not benefit me or the people I work with if I don’t know what is going on around me.

5. Get to know the people in your office (not just their names) even if you don’t work on a day-to-day basis with them. It is nice to know the different dynamics at my internship, and I truly have liked everyday I’ve worked there, especially the people!

Below are some pictures of the work-in progress of Philadelphia magazine’s 2011 Design Home:

Check out more: http://www.phillymag.com/designhome2011/index.html