I've never had an affiliation to March 12th - for me, it served as another day in the month. This year, however, March 12th became the day I would start my field placement at Launchpad Creative - a branding agency with some of the most incredible professionals in the North. 

It has only been one week, but my recent experience working in the business has made me feel as if I can do the things I was studying for - how ironic is that? 

I think we're all guilty of assuming that as an intern, your highest priority is making sure you don't mess with any of the work that matters - oh, and ordering the right latte for everyone. The number of films I have seen where a young employee races towards their office as they dodge cars and people, all to deliver a cup of freshly brewed artisan coffee to their boss... it is sadly too many. 

Nevertheless, I’m thrilled to say working at Launchpad is nothing like the movies; it's a million times better. I’ve researched all sorts of topics for clients, and it has provided me with a boatload of knowledge and skills to use in the future. Not only have I been able to offer my boss my opinion on what things I wanted to learn from being there, but I'm also getting the chance to do those things - crazy!

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I love working with a dynamic group of people, and the atmosphere Launchpad’s team fosters makes you forget the fact that you’re not in person and are meeting virtually over Zoom. 

As I think back on the week, it’s hard for me to pick one thing I’ve enjoyed, just as it is hard for me to determine what I’m most looking forward to in the future. Each day, I constantly find myself engrossed in new things at their agency. Every meeting is like a buffet, and I can’t help but eat it up and go back for seconds. I'm interested in copywriting and branding, but I'm keeping my options open because I know that whatever I learn will be a fantastic takeaway. 

One aspect that has been evident throughout the organization’s activities is the importance of working as a team to accomplish tasks. Each week there's a schedule and a plan on how everyone will contribute to weekly items. Jenn Ricker keeps everyone on track, while Cliff Skelliter challenges his employees to think and question their work to achieve the best outcome possible for their clients. All in all, it's not just one person but the efforts of everyone that make them successful. 

I feel like I can go on forever about how valuable the experience has been for me thus far, but if I do that, I’ll miss out on seeing how much more valuable it can be. 

In summing-up, when I first became aware that I would be participating in a field placement for my college, I was skeptical of the work we'd be doing. I expected a list of odd jobs to be thrown my way and anticipated the nightmare of wrestling with a demon office printer constantly. However, I’m relieved to say that not only have I learnt a lot about my industry and met some really cool people, but no demon office printer has made its appearance…yet. 

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