What’s The Deal With That Kid? An Intern Perspective
Like those who have posted about their experience at Tag previously, entering the office is not just a vivid memory; it’s a loaded one. Loaded with the same questions that I had when entering a new school: will I be accepted? Is there anything in my teeth? Did I remember to wear pants?
It was a quick transition, however, from the odd kid at the door asking for an internship, to someone who now feels that he is a new cog in the Tag Strategies clockwork—helping it function more efficiently each day.
One can easily say that my ascent to the aptly titled position of “long-term intern” was not simply a “rise through the ranks” operation. I showed up to Tag in 2012 with basic graphic design knowledge and a penchant for blurting out quirky campaign ideas.
By putting raw ideas like the award-winning Wise Pole in the minds of the Tag Team I believe my involvement in Tag blossomed out of the basic intern phase and into the resident Jack-of-all-trades. And thus the #JoeJob was born.
#JoeJobs can range from minor advertisement adjustments to clipping newspapers to hand shoveling 4lbs of catnip into individual baggies. But no matter the task, the purpose of a #JoeJob is to help Tag run as efficiently as possible. By taking the load off my coworkers one #JoeJob at a time they can focus their efforts and thinking power on crafting amazing brands. After all, brand is what they do.
When I first arrived at Tag I had a very minimal idea about brand. To me a brand was just the manufacturer of a product; but I soon learned that brand applies to everything: goods, services, ideas, and people. The Tag Strategies team lives and breathes brands so much that they branded me with #JoeJobs only two months after my internship started.
The folks at Tag have instilled qualities in me that I cannot repay. They have given me the ability to see why people interact with brands the way they do and recognize when brands succeed and when they fail. This is knowledge that is applicable to everything I do, not just branding and advertising. By taking my curiosity in the world of design and advertising and shaping it into an artisanal interest Tag has helped me find a career I know I can see myself doing in the future.
In a world where 75% of college students change their major, it is clear that within a four-year timespan the average young adult will often find out that their career path is not all it is cracked up to be. Whether it is during hands-on learning or once they enter the job market, many will discover these hardships. It is important, therefore, to be guided by people who can show you not just how to overcome these hardships, but pull the rewards out of their career every day. That is the guidance I have experienced at Tag; and for that I am truly grateful.
Joseph Stingle
Temple University
Class of 2016
School of Media and Communications — Advertising