When I first joined Her Campus as an Entertainment and Culture Intern, everything seemed so intimidating. But if there’s anything I learned from watching Disney Channel growing up, it’s that everything is not what it seems. This proved itself to be true almost immediately after being met with friendly faces — despite the remote setting — and instantly feeling a sense of community from a team I’ve only been a part of for a short amount of time! I realized that at Her Campus, even when sometimes feeling so small as an intern, everyone matters.
This really shined through when I got invited to do social media coverage for Her Campus and Generation Hired at the Ad Age Gen Z Career Forum in New York City. I had virtually no idea what this event even was at first, but once learning that it’s used to educate people my age about tips and tricks to bring into their careers, I didn’t hesitate to hop on board.
TBH, I had no idea what to expect. I was so nervous and had never met any of the Her Campus members prior, so how would I recognize them just from a Slack photo? I spent the whole weekend pondering and worrying, but once the day came, I realized that these were my community members and I had nothing to worry about — I just needed to trust in myself and have fun! My inherent dream of being the next Alix Earle manifested itself as I created social media content for the event and relished that mindset. Here’s how my day went.
7:00 A.M.: Wake up and get ready for the day
Idk if any of y’all have taken Lemme Sleep but they are NO JOKE. It made me fall into such a beautifully rested slumber that I *did not* want to leave my bed. However, I forced myself up, got ready, and chose my outfit for the day before leaving for my first class.
8:00 A.M.: Blank Street and First Class
This day called for caffeine more than anything, especially if I was going to be alive in my first class. After getting my Iced Daydream Matcha, I practically ran to class and sat through a lecture tapping my foot the whole time, eager to create content and channel my inner influencer.
9:15 a.m.: Break Until My Next Class
Seeing as though my second class didn’t start until 11:00 a.m., I spent this time looking up more info on the event, specifically drafting questions and noting things to lookout for. I also spent this time studying Allie’s profile picture on Slack just to make sure I’d be able to recognize her in the crowd once there.
11:00 a.m.: Second Class
This class dragged on the longest. My anticipation to get to the Ad Age Gen Z Career Forum and start connecting with others was taking over me. Despite the conspiracy theories I was learning about, my mind couldn’t help but think about the event and the nerves I was starting to feel regarding whether I’d do things right and if my ideas were good enough.
1:30 p.m.: Head to the Venue
I practically ran out of class, grabbed my pre-ordered Uber, and reviewed my notes and content schedule prior to arriving. This was my first moment. My intro video. Of course, it took me no less than 20 attempts to craft the “perfect” introduction video I didn’t absolutely hate but, hey, we got there in the end!
2:00 p.m.: Arrive at the Venue
Going to a new location and attempting to find it on the first try is no joke! I was circling the building trying to find the entrance or so that’s what I told myself instead of acknowledging that I was nervous. But once I found the entrance, everything fell into place. I got my badge and quickly realized that all my Slack studying paid off! I was able to find (and recognize) Allie and we chatted before I met Brittany, one of the Gen Z Career Forum panelists, and another fellow member of HR! We did some housekeeping and chatted over what the rest of the day would look like, including some personal sneak peeks into what we were giving away. P.S. Everything was fire.
2:30 p.m.: Prepare a table for Gen Z Participants
We quickly set up the table and I took to Instagram to tease some of the products we were giving away, including a value size of the Cera-Ve moisturizer (which has saved my life btw) and also a L’Oreal lip plumper which was my personal favorite. It was so hard to resist not taking the whole table home with me, but I was happy to see everyone enjoying all the products.
2:45 p.m.: Network with Other Students
I wanted to really utilize this event to connect with as many people as possible and I was able to do that so easily! I was surprised at how people were coming up to me first rather than vice versa, but meeting other Her Campus interns and Gen Zers alike made me feel more excited to be there.
3:15 p.m.: Panel
The main event was finally here! I had been wanting to listen to Brittany speak, along with other mentors in a similar position to her, about what they look for on resumes as well as their answers to our burning questions. Spoiler alert: They delivered! I was able to make some Instagram story content highlighting the biggest tips and takeaways I learned from the panel as well as refine my own resume based on their tips. Here’s a sneak peek of how I introduced the panel on Instagram (in case you missed it)
4:00 p.m.: Panel ends and Networking Continues
Despite the insights the panel speakers provided, this whole event really gave Gen Zers a way to connect not only with one another but also with industry professionals from which they hoped to learn. I used this time to talk to some Her Campus social media interns about their lives as content creators, thanks to the Her Campus communities (which I had no idea about prior BTW). It was so great to talk to them and bring the day to such a successful end.
4:15 p.m.: Create Content with Brittany
With Brittany as a panelist, I thought it would be fitting to record her reviewing an example resume — highlighting its strengths and how to stand out in a pile of other resumes! She gave great insight, and if there’s anything I learned from her, it’s that your resume should be a story of who you are.
4:30 p.m.: Clean and Take the Subway Home
It’s safe to say that despite all my initial nerves, the event was a HUGE success and I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to engage my social media interest. I met so many amazing people and got amazing swag that I’m currently wearing (thank you Her Campus for my new sweatshirt!).
5:00 p.m.: End the Great Day with some more greatness
Despite this already having been an amazing day, I decided what better way to end it than by indulging in some delicious dinner and The OC, all while repping my Her Campus sweatshirt (yep, I’m obsessed with it).
It’s safe to say that I feel like Alix Earle despite not literally being her. By some miracle, I overcame my nerves and discovered a newfound passion of mine — content creation. Though I’m not some TikTok sensation, the feeling that Her Campus gave me is more rewarding than any amount of actual followers I have or don’t have. Feeling #grateful.