Getting an internship at Ogilvy Malaysia and a full-time job at Leo Burnett Malaysia would be a dream for anyone in advertising and communication.
Well, Corporate Communication student Diane Lee achieved both those dreams in only a matter of months – an incredible achievement for someone who was fresh out of university.
We can hear you asking now ‘how on earth did she do it?’ In her own words, here’s how.
Be Driven
I’ve often seen this phrase in motivational articles, but I never really understood it until my internship in Ogilvy Malaysia’s PR and Influence Team. If you didn’t already know, Ogilvy is one of the names in advertising. It was founded by David Ogilvy, the man many know as the ‘Father of Advertising’.
When I first started my internship, I was all excited, thinking I would be guided along the way and it would be all fun and games.
In reality, everyone was way too busy with their own work so I learned from another intern who joined earlier than me. It wasn’t what I expected but I wasn’t ready to give up yet. I told myself that I had to do my best.
As time went by, my senior account executive and manager began assigning me to more tasks. When I received negative comments, I accepted it and continued to give my best while performing. I was proactive, kept asking questions and built a strong relationship with my supervisor.
Eventually, I got more opportunities to join product launches and events like KL Fashion Week 2019 and met some of the coolest influencers around. I managed to build my network with media representatives and I got more tasks from different accounts.
Having the right attitude helped me to finish my internship with positive feedback. The key was not giving up.
Get Ready to Learn
After gaining some experience in Ogilvy as a PR intern, I thought why not try something new in a different agency. I was lucky enough to land my first job as an account executive in Leo Burnett, one of the world’s biggest and most well-known advertising agencies. I would be one of over 8,500 employees in an organization spanning 85 countries, that counts McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Fiat and Samsung among its clients.
What’s an account executive? Well, it’s not accounting – I’m a brand custodian and a big part of my job is client servicing and project management. Of course, I had to start from zero again as being an account executive is quite different from being a PR practitioner.
Everyone in my team knew that I was a fresh grad, but there was no hand-holding at all. Again, seniors are not going to guide you step by step because they’re swamped as well. You must have that eagerness to learn.
Whenever I could, I read about the brand assigned to my team so I can understand their corporate identity and values. This is incredibly important because our campaigns and collaterals revolve around the brand’s corporate identity. I have to make sure that every deliverable crafted by the creative team, whether a print ad or a digital banner, are based on the brand’s values.
Know that You May Not Be As Good as You Thought
I just graduated when I first joined Leo Burnett, and I was very confident that I was going to fit right in and be able to show the team what I got. The reality was quite different.
I was very passionate to share my opinions and suggestions from the outset, but I just wasn’t experienced yet. The ideas that I gave weren’t solid enough.
I learnt that I have to give myself some time and observe how my seniors are completing a task or building a communication plan. In any career, when you’re starting out you have to listen to people who have been in the field longer than you. You don’t have to rush to prove yourself.
Learn to Work with Others
In a workplace, you have to coexist peacefully with your teammates and leaders. Not everyone is going to share your mindset and approach to work. But even if I don’t share the same values with them, I have to communicate with them professionally and find a win-win solution for a problem.
Sometimes, I would have different opinions with my leader or the creatives regarding a visual layout of a certain project, but truth to be told, this is very subjective. There is no right or wrong and it all depends on whether our client likes it or not.
Hence, if I am the person-in-charge of that certain project, I have to fully understand what the clients want and relay the message back to the creatives. I have to keep everyone aligned on a same goal and ensure that our own creatives resonate to what the client is aiming to see at the end.
I’m here to solve problems and bring my client’s vision to life – and I have to keep that in mind. As an account executive, I have to understand where they are coming from and understand their point of view.
In the end, we’re all working towards the same goal. Wherever you work, never forget that about your team.
