How to fit in with creative, funky, interesting, hip agency-types

            Before I started my internship on the reputation team of i.d.e.a. I interned for a U.S. senator.  Three months of pencil skirts and business suits later, the only lesson I learned about how to get along with people was how not to step on anyone’s toes. Head down, keep the talking to a minimum and remember these people are not your friends. So, when I stepped into i.d.e.a. for the first time and set eyes upon the orange walls, brightly colored couches, blue jeans, and the blue streaks in lovely Melina’s hair I was just waiting for a twister to come take the house away. This was no Kansas, no traditional closed-door office environment with too much individual ambition to fit into a team.

           

            At i.d.e.a. things run a bit differently. Meetings take place in corners with fuzzy white stools and bright orange couches and there is just as much enthusiasm over the men of the company growing mustaches for the Movember campaign as there is in landing a new client. You are just as likely to hear laughter across the main area, as you are to hear words like “productive” and “efficient.” Here, the music ranges from indie rock to electronic ambient, from old country to “Hip Hop Fridays.”  The receptionist isn’t a receptionist, but the Office Queen. And that she is. At i.d.e.a. individuality is not frowned upon, but celebrated and each person brings his or her own distinct spark to the job. Sometimes, though, all that camaraderie can be intimidating. From knowing the proper etiquette when someone with a bike is coming into the elevator at the same time to remembering to wear your costume on Halloween (i.d.e.a. people take Halloween very seriously), here are some tips on how to fit-in with creative, funky, interesting, and hip agency-types:

            First of all, there may be an “I” in i.d.e.a., but there is no “I” in team. And you know what i.d.e.a. really stands for? Team. People here like working together. Collaboration is key and to have any success at the company you have got to get on it – the team, that is.  Get to know the people in your department. No one likes a player who’s not sure who to pass the ball to because they don’t know who they are playing with.

            Secondly, consider optional dress-up for Halloween mandatory (lesson learned). Participate in company activities. You think the six-foot something shaggy dog looks funny with whiskers painted on his face? Wrong. You do. Your knit sweater and jeans will get you nowhere when the rest of the staff ranges from Cyclops to Dracula.  

            Another step to fitting in is to keep some pop culture references at the ready. When in doubt, pull a quip about Ke$ha out.  But don’t forget these people are in the know about all kinds of interesting things, from viral YouTube videos to current political affairs – and how they apply to the industry. You have to be on your game to keep up.  

           

            Hip (and environmentally conscious) people ride their bikes to work. There is one elevator at i.d.e.a. That means you might just run into this dilemma: do you let the bike go first into the elevator and risk being squished into the sliver of space between the bike and the elevator doors or do you run ahead to get into the elevator first? Answer: take the stairs. After eating all the candy at Melina’s desk, you know you could use the exercise.   

            Lastly, people here smile a lot. No fake-smiles. The real kind, the kind that reach the eyes. Don’t try to fake it. If you do, people here are like sharks. They’ll smell the fake smile on you from a mile away. My advice: find a real reason to smile. 

So what did we learn? The culture at i.d.e.a. is not for the weak. Participate, keep up to date on the world and know your team. The world today revolves around networking and making yourself adaptable to all different kinds of outlets, social media sites and industries. The key to your own success might just be hinged on the people you meet here. Make the time count, make yourself memorable and remember to have fun. Fun people recognize the quality in others.

It’s not high school anymore. This time fitting in is for keeps. 

Cheers from the intern corral, 

                 Jenni Macc 

                 PR intern