I am from Zimbabwe, and my father is a wildlife documentary film maker – but when he’s not doing that he’s making advertisements. Many years ago my dad made an ad campaign for Dulux. Even though I was quite young I remember it vividly (because of the adorable Dulux dog of course). Why is this relevant to my internship? Well, here we are twelve years later, and I have just completed my internship at AkzoNobel, the parent company for Dulux paints (and many other world renowned paint and coatings brands).
AkzoNobel is a Dutch multinational, with roughly 46,000 employees worldwide, and its headquarters right here in Amsterdam. I have to admit, I was intimidated, sceptical even, at the thought of stepping foot into the corporate world. When I arrived at Amsterdam Zuid with my fresh pair of ‘work shoes’ and collared shirt, I saw a hive of stressed, coffee fuelled, suit wearing people, and I was convinced this wasn’t for me. However, my time at Akzo changed that.
On arrival I was told that that afternoon we would go on a trip to the Rijksmuseum, as AkzoNobel was a partner in the restoration process of Rembrandt’s Night Watch. ‘Ok’, I thought, ‘Maybe this won’t be so bad.’ I went on to get insight not only into the diverse world of paints and coatings (from shipyards, to eco-friendly buildings, art restoration, formula 1, you name it), but also what it’s like to work in a corporate environment, and more importantly, with a team.
It’s the little things like this which help you feel like a part of the team, not just ‘the intern’.
My position as digital media intern was a combination of content creation, campaign analytics, scheduling, research, and coffee. Whilst learning how to use different software and structure reports is useful and all, there were a couple of other valuable lessons I took away from this internship.
Number one – take initiative. Whilst it might be daunting to step outside of what you’ve been ‘assigned’, in the real world you aren’t going to be told what to do, you just have to do it. Number two – don’t be afraid to make mistakes (this goes with the initiative thing), whilst you might not always hit the nail on the head, your colleagues will appreciate the effort and worst case scenario you’ve learnt what not to do.
Third – ask questions (even though you may think it’s a ‘stupid’ question). This might help prevent lesson number two. And finally (to top off this incredibly cliché list), have fun and interact with your colleagues. In most cases they will be eager to help you learn, hear your opinions, and maybe grab a drink at the end of a long week. It’s the little things like this which help you feel like a part of the team, not just ‘the intern’. Oh, and maybe bring them food – that also helps.
To end off, for those of you still searching for an internship, don’t shy away from corporate opportunities even if you think it won’t be ‘your thing’. Behind the steely façade of the corporate world is a network of passionate people, who are also in for a laugh and happy to help you out.
P.S. I never got to meet the Dulux dog, but the dream lives on.
Cover: Dulux
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