When I found out that I had the position of PR intern for the upcoming summer at Birchbox, I was surprised to say the least. First of all, who would have thought that me of all people would have gotten the job? I had absolutely no idea what to expect and it was my first job that took place outside my hometown of Nashville, Tennesee. I saw all my jobs back in Nashville as real jobs, but there was something about heading to Birchbox in NYC that scared and intimidated me. I am a hard worker and I am always afraid of messing things up — and of course, I didn’t want to mess anything up at Birchbox.
Once I got to Birchbox and I was greeted by the incredibly welcoming and kind PR associates, I didn’t feel intimidated at all. In fact, from the very start at Birchbox, I was treated like I had been a part of the team for years; there was no “too cool for school” mentality and I feel so incredibly grateful to have worked for such an amazing and inspiring beauty brand. With that being said, I learned so many interesting tips and tricks that are applicable for school, work, and building a brand that I want to share. Here are some tips that I learned from working in the startup environment of Birchbox.
To any subscribers, Birchbox employees or my intern friends, LOBBL (lots of Birchbox love)!
1. Communicate/Touch base
This might seem like an obvious tip when it comes to working, but when given a task at my internship, my manager and I were always emailing, gmail chatting, and talking in person to bounce off ideas, questions, and thoughts. Once any task from putting together a press kit, to sending out a beauty product, to creating a pitch was completed, my manager and I would discuss and wrap things up in a weekly touch-base. If you are someone who has difficulty working with others, I high recommend using this same strategy that they use at Birchbox. Also, to make things fun, change up where and when you meet with a coworker or study partner. Go to a local coffee shop or have a lunch meeting. A change of scenery and variation helps to maximize your productivity.
2. Delegate tasks equally/continue to touch base
The more organized you are with delegating a particular task for a school assignment or work project, the easier it is to complete it in a timely manner. This summer, the marketing interns and I worked on pretty hefty projects together. Once again, we made sure to meet and communicate frequently, but one of the most important things that helped us complete our project smoothly was that no one was left behind. Everyone had the same amount of work and because of that, everyone was left grounded, and humble —absolutely no one slacked.
3. Respect everyone, no matter what level their position is
The most incredible part about my internship at Birchbox is that I got to do real things as an intern. I never once had to get coffee or do a task that I didn’t get something out of. To any leader or worker, it’s important that you respect everyone no matter what level or position they are and treat people how you want to be treated. Be humble, be kind, and be grateful, never entitled. Always say thank you.
4. Be Yourself
Birchbox as a company honors this through knowing that everyone has a level of expertise when it comes to makeup products and everyone has different products that they love and works for them. Use this concept metaphorically in your daily life. Some people may have knowledge of particular topics more than others, and that’s okay. There will always be someone more skilled or less skilled than you so work together and use everyone’s strengths to create something amazing.
5. Praise others for hard work
Birchbox is constantly praising their employees for all their hard work and everything that they do. If an employee has done something particularly noteworthy, they receive a small gnome statue as gnomes are humble yet hard workers! Be excited for the good fortune of your classmates and coworkers and constantly aspire to be the best you can be.
I hope these tips and tricks bring you the best success for this year!