As our time at HLK comes to a close, I must say: it’s been a blast. Our last week proved that fact, as HLK hosted the Office Olympics during lunch break. Every day during lunch we’ve been playing Minute to Win It”-type games, such as eating a donut off a hanging string without using our hands, or sucking a cup of pudding up through a straw. Each department acts as their own country, and needless to say, it’s beens hysterical.

In this event, one partner covered his or her face in shaving cream, while the other partner tossed cheese balls at them. The team with the most cheese balls stuck to their face won. It. Was. Hilarious. But aside from all the fun, we interns learned a lot within our short time at HLK, and each team member has a bit of knowledge to share.

I gave each intern the prompt:

What was your favorite part about the internship/HLK? Do you have any tips for future (design, strategy, media, copy, account, research, content) interns?

Here are our responses:

Courtney (Art Director):

Being able to collaborate with a team on huge campaign projects helped me understand that I can't wait to work on more projects that are bigger than myself. It was inspiring to be able to work with brilliant team members in different positions that all functioned together in order to create something innovative. My time at HLK taught me to think big, work hard, and have fun as a team during every step of the process. From an Art Director perspective, never be afraid to reach out to different departments in creative and video production to learn new skills and expand your design thinking.

Meagan R (Strategist):

My favorite part about my experience with launchpad at HLK was seeing first hand the effect that each role has in the outcome of a project. I loved collaborating with my fellow interns and learning from all of our mentors.

One suggestion I have for future strategy interns is to make sure the strategic plan is always airtight at the beginning of the project, so that everything else will run smoothly and there won't be confusion later.

Caroline (Media) :

My favorite part about HLK is the positive, energetic atmosphere and friendly people. I love being able to work as a team on projects for real clients and learn about all the different departments that make up the agency. A tip for the future media intern is to have your mentor walk you through targeting on Facebook and show you examples of boosted posts. This will give you a better understanding of your role for your projects.

Jenna (Copywriter):

Here at HLK I've learned many things. First of which is, the snacks in the glass jars change almost daily. DAILY. And they are always unique and delicious. Second, and more seriously, you have to fight for your ideas. No one will love them or understand them as much as you do. Explain them clearly. Be passionate. Adapt them to the strategy. Ideas and people are what fuel the ad world and you have to be willing to fight for innovation and new ideas. Third, the advertising industry is basically one huge team sport. There can be conflict, team spirit, pride, failure, celebration and most importantly, growth. Just remember to be curious, thoughtful and brave.

Meghan G (Account Manager):

My favorite part of the internship was working with the other interns to brainstorm and come up with solutions for each of our projects. It was awesome to see all the inventive ideas we came up with together.

One tip for the future Account intern would be to always have communication with all members of the team and encourage every member to work together as one strong unit. Teamwork is definitely the key to success with each project you are given during the internship.

George (Research/Analytics):

Is this not the coolest place to work as an intern when you literally are in control of working space/location? You have flexibility, but use it wisely. Time management of research is crucial. Stay ahead of the team, stay on your timeline, be prepared for the work that is asked, and execute as needed. Crunch time can be intense as the pressure builds. Just make sure you stay on track and you’ll be fine . Lastly, try taking a walk during lunch. This is sure to free up that hard drive space in your head.

Lauren-Me (Content Manager):

My favorite part about the internship/HLK is the sheer creativity opportunity. We were all privileged to be a part of this incredible atmosphere where creativity bursts from each individual I have come in contact with. This is a key factor is the brainstorming process, and allowed our team to think big.

My advice for a future Content Manager Intern would be to set up a weekly meeting with your mentor to talk about your project and the blog. You should also stalk the blog as far back as your mental capacity allows to get an idea of how it was at the beginning vs. now and get an insider’s view on HLK. Lastly, for your projects, use http://adparlor.com/ad-mockups/. It ensures mockups look professional and realistic so the client knows what you’re getting at.

Whoever is next on this journey, please know you were chosen for a reason and that you’re going to do great. Everyone at HLK is encouraging and thoughtful, so there is no need to fret. My favorite quote a mentor said to us on our first day was “when I get stressed out, I always remind myself that in the agency world, it isn’t brain surgery and no one is going to die.” Any time I was overwhelmed, I just reminded myself of this, and *phew* no one died.

With that, Dauntless bids you adieu. Be curious. Be thoughtful. Be brave.

--Lauren