Everyone always hears about what an intern learns from the CEO (or any other manager in the company) but not many people discuss what the interns can actually teach the ones who have been in the biz for as long as they can remember.
Sometimes, interns never get the chance to even sit in the same room as the CEO, let alone interact with them. But for us and our fellow small businesses, it is very possible that interns interact and work with the CEO on a regular basis.
At East of Ellie, we are all about learning through all stages in our careers, so we sat down with our interns and discussed their perspectives on the industry, and what they thought would be useful for Emily, our very own CEO, to look through the lens from their point of view.
Collaborate More
Collaboration is key in a creative industry, especially when you have fresh talent (like interns) who don’t have much corporate experience, if any. Always make time to sit down and collaborate with your team on a regular basis because its is a win-win situation. Whether it be brainstorming or status updates, including the whole team can help your small business come up with more ideas, generate better content, and grow your reach. The more perspectives, the more opportunities there are to learn for everyone- not just the interns.
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Enthusiasm is Contagious
One of the most important aspects of any job is being happy where you are, and company culture is a huge contributor. One of the best parts of East of Ellie is the people- we are enthusiastic, happy, and excited about our job. Those emotions are easily noticeable and definitely contagious in the office. Enthusiasm is one of the most important things to instill in your employees. If you aren’t excited about your job, how are you going to inspire your employees to be? Lead by example, always stay enthusiastic and positive even when times get tough because it means so much to the people around you.
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Embrace the Walk Through
Interns always hear “it is important to ask questions” throughout the job. Many internships require their interns to be on the phone with other businesses and clients, and some may not know how to efficiently handle those calls. Although it may seem excessive, managers should walk interns through how to properly handle calls in order to get the information they are seeking as quickly as possible. Help us help you! We appreciate the real-life opportunities instead of just running errands, but please keep in mind, we have not been doing this for years. Another tip is for managers/CEOs is to recommend questions for the interns to ask in similar situations that they have found effective in previous situations.
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Learning is a two-way street. Interns learn from higher-ups in the company, and most executives can learn a thing or two from the interns. Want to know more about our team and company culture at EOE? See more pexels.com.