Mentorship and learning are key to adapting and refining one’s skills in the advertising industry. At Launch, we are able to offer internships to young professionals and students who want to learn more about what working at an ad agency is like. Whether it’s creative, account services, copywriting, design, or another area of interest, Launch aims to see interns grow and achieve their goals throughout their time here. Several of our past interns have gone on to work full-time at Launch, as well. We interviewed current and past interns to get an insider perspective on experiences and work they have been involved in.

Megan is an Account Executive at Launch, previously interning in the Summer of 2020.

What led you to intern at Launch in the first place?

I was in the interview process my senior year and attended a career fair at SMU. I had the best conversation with the Launch team. I remember feeling an instant connection and sense of ease. I continued to meet more members of the Launch team via zoom interviews throughout the Spring and was offered a full-time account management internship after graduation.

What’s the most important lesson you learned while interning?

The most important lesson I learned while interning was how to adapt my communication style in the workplace. In advertising, you work with many people across multiple teams, brands, and clients. Learning someone’s preferred communication style is a game-changer. Taking the time to understand who might prefer phone calls to emails, or who prefers to chat before meetings vs. diving right into a presentation is crucial. Learning how to effectively communicate with different clients and team members facilitates greater collaboration and builds rapport more quickly.

How have you grown since your internship?

Interning at a smaller agency allows one to wear many different hats and interact with multiple clients. I’ve had the opportunity to reach beyond my account management duties and try my hand at social media content creation, new business development, consumer research, and Google Analytics. Each one of these challenges presents a chance to grow and flex different muscles. Trying new things has instilled a greater sense of confidence in my abilities as I have transitioned from an Intern and Assistant Account Executive to my current role as an Account Executive. 

How would you describe the company culture?

The company culture at Launch is one of my favorite things about my job. The stereotypes you hear about ad agencies simply don’t apply to Launch. Everyone is kind, hard-working, and intelligent. It’s very much a work hard, play hard environment. Many of our team members have been with Launch for 5, 10, 15+ years! It’s a true testament to the amazing culture we have at Launch.

What’s a tip you would give to young professionals/new interns?

Be proactive!! Actively looking for ways to be helpful not only increases your value to the company but also allows you to learn new things you may not have experienced otherwise. Look beyond your to-do list and take initiative. You won’t regret it.

Isaac is a Copywriter and interned during the Summer of 2021.

What led you to intern at Launch in the first place?

I applied to the summer internship at Launch in 2020 right before the pandemic took off. I interviewed over Zoom and got to meet some of the lovely people on the team. Sadly, the creative internships were canceled that year and I was disappointed since I really liked everyone I talked to during my interview. That’s why I was so excited when I saw that Launch was bringing their internship back in 2021. I immediately reached out and sent them my website and resume, and I heard back in just a few days. I feel like I was drawn to Launch because I had missed out on the opportunity to intern there in the past, and I knew I would get great opportunities and be able to work with really amazing and talented people. I ended up getting the internship and the rest is history. 

What’s the most important lesson you learned while interning?

The most important lesson I learned during my internship was to not be afraid to ask for help or advice. It doesn’t make you look unknowledgeable or inexperienced, instead it shows people that you are constantly trying to understand the world around you and get better at what you do. It’s a crucial lesson, especially in creative advertising which is such a collaborative field. It can lead to much better work and more fulfillment overall.

How have you grown since your internship?

One of the biggest ways I’ve grown since I began interning is being more comfortable presenting work and ideas, both at internal meetings and during client presentations. When I was in school, I presented work all the time to my professors and the rest of my class, and I got used to it quickly. It feels different though, presenting real work to an actual client. But that’s one of the coolest parts about the internship: I was trusted to present my own ideas to the client and speak for myself. It’s not really something you can learn in a classroom; you just have to learn by doing it. Having the opportunity to practice and develop my presentation skills really helped me grow over the course of my internship, and it’s helped me become a better creative.

How would you describe the company culture?

The company culture at Launch is wonderful. Everyone is friendly and mostly everyone is pretty funny (except Jason, who tries too hard). Besides that, you get the sense that everyone wants to see you succeed and grow, not only at work, but also in your personal life. Everyone feels very close to each other because a lot of them have been working together for a long time. As someone new, that’s one of the clearest signs to me that the culture here is exceptional. Everyone wants to stick around, and even some of the people that leave end up coming back. During my time at Launch I’ve never heard anyone say that they “feel more like a family than a company”. They don’t have to say that because you can just feel it. Also, they’ve got great taste in movies/TV shows. I’ve got a nice long list of recommendations to get through.

What’s a tip you would give to young professionals/new interns?

To any young professionals or new interns, I would say don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. You have the advantage of a fresh perspective that many people may not have if they’ve been in the industry for a while. It might take a new point of view like yours to find new solutions, or a new, more efficient way of doing things. Just because you’re less experienced doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Not to mention you’re probably more in tune with what will resonate with younger generations, which brands are increasingly trying to focus on. Even now, you can start shaping the industry into what you want it to be in the future.

Taya is a graduate student that is currently an Account Services intern at Launch.

What led you to intern at Launch in the first place?

I discovered Launch through a course in my graduate program. After hearing people from the team talk about the agency and the internship opportunities, I was interested in learning more later on and ended up applying! It seemed like it would be a great place to learn more about what working at an ad agency is like. Plus, the Uptown Dallas office location and company culture I witnessed from their presentation to my class were very unique and attractive. From what I saw then, I had a feeling that the agency aligned with my goals perfectly.

What’s the most important lesson you learned while interning?

The most important lesson I have learned so far is to be proactive. As an intern, I want to learn firsthand from industry professionals as much as I can. Everyone here is willing to mentor and I want to take advantage of that – I try to initiate conversations and go out of my way to see what is needed of me and learn whenever I can.

How have you grown since you began your internship?

While it has only been a month, I believe I have grown in my accountability and flexibility. Launch gives interns real work and values the insights that we can offer the team. I also am given a variety of projects and tasks. Owning my responsibilities while remaining flexible with the scope of work I am given has let me become even more helpful and efficient.

How would you describe the company culture?

Launch’s culture has been amazing to witness and participate in as a young professional. The team really wants to watch you succeed and grow. They are willing to go out of their way to answer questions and help you out. Being able to shadow and learn from these successful people has been very educational. It also is such a fun and engaging environment to be a part of. While the work these people do is extremely professional and serious most of the time, they don’t let it change who they are as people. It’s been so great to get to know the team and have fun in the office together.

What’s a tip you would give to young professionals/new interns?

Remain open to a variety of opportunities! It can be hard to try something out of your comfort zone, or something that you hadn’t previously imagined for yourself. If you are willing to apply to a job or internship in a new area or industry, it could lead you down a really interesting and successful path you never knew could happen!