From a Different Point of View
As an intern, the Hydrogen workplace sheds a different light. My point of view is unique—not because I barely surpass five feet, but because the simplicity focused marketing of Hydrogen were uncharted waters at the beginning of the summer.
When I applied to become a Hydrogenite, I had little to no experience in a professional work setting and did not know exactly what to expect. The goal this summer, before my senior year of college, was to learn and to experience marketing in its purest form. I wanted to work with people who loved what they did and felt passion every day stepping into the office. I wanted my brain stuffed to the brim with information and advice regarding various clientele and marketing tactics on a daily basis. What would it be like to be in an office that was filled to capacity with energy, creativity, spunk, and wonder? Come on over to Hydrogen Advertising and we’ll show you.
In my initial interview with media director Lauren Rose, she informed me of the smaller size of the agency in comparison to some in the Seattle area. I assured her immediately that that didn’t bother me—coming from a small university and a small high school, close-knit environments were nothing new to me. The smaller the group of people, the more chances you get to know who you’re working with. This allows for more comfortable sharing and idea exploration. As an intern, I was available to anyone and had an interest in learning about every area of the office. One of the amazing things about working in an office with less than 20 people on a daily basis, is that it gave me the opportunity to explore the many different facets of marketing including PR, media, tech, account strategy and digital. Then I could analyze the tiers within each of those as well. I was able to sit in on meetings with clients such as Cascade Ice and media partners like King 5 News to understand what clients need and how we are able to best accommodate them. Even as a fly on the wall in these meetings, they deepened my understanding of the flexibility that this profession entails.
The past few months, I have never felt more productive. Being welcomed so warmly into the office and stepping into projects with a different point of view as an intern completely transformed my expectations. It was refreshing to be heard and have my ideas be validated despite my age. I fall between Millennials and Generation Z, both of which have very strong stereotypes. Though I do my best to support what we are doing, I am aware of certain shortcomings. By recognizing those flaws, I am able to help Hydrogen’s clients view my age and mindset as an opportunity to help, rather than to serve a niche-based audience.
Overall, I am obsessed to say the least with where I work. It has opened so many doors of my mind to depths of creativity and given me a chance to solidify my desire to work in this field. My only hope in the future is to be able to work for a company so strongly involved in what they do. This summer has taught me that I aim to work in a place where you feel like you can problem solve efficiently and creatively brainstorm without inhibitions. Through working at Hydrogen, I have been able to see the true beauty behind simplicity and its effectiveness in marketing.
