Boston Intern Survival Guide

1. When choosing a seat on the MBTA commuter rail, fight your laziness and walk to the front cabin and pick a seat near the exit. (Yes,the smell from the bathroom lingers, but you get off faster and beat the crowd.)

2. When leaving South Station, stay left while passing through crosswalks on Summer Street. (Beats crowds that are crossing to Atlantic.) Run around the blind man with the walking stick you see every morning on Winter Street, he doesn't mind.

3. Upon entering the office building, have your wallet in hand to take out pass. Continue to keep it out, you will need it to get in the office on the second floor because no one is there at 8:15am.

4. Take off Uggs, put on your high heels you have stashed in your drawer - question yourself, if you put on deodorant. Use restroom now, or get coffee etc. No one likes to see an intern getting up from their seats every 30 minutes.

5. Say hello and good morning to everyone you see. Smile and say their name.

6. Answer emails pronto! Always be professional; Address their name, and always sign yours.Be careful you never CC a client on an internal email- (lesson learned).

7. ASK QUESTIONS, ASK QUESTIONS, ASK QUESTIONS. If you don't understand, ask, and you will learn. PROBLEM SOLVED.

8. Don't ask dumb questions . Yes I understand this conflicts with #8, but before asking for help, BE RESOURCEFUL. Did you completely read the task? Is there an example in the T-Drive? And, honestly think- how can I get this done? If it means researching, finding a number and calling someone from Kansas, DO IT. Results speak for themselves.

19. Be particular about how many emails you send. People are busy- make sure you have all the information you need before involving someone else and wasting their time with confusion and follow up emails.

10. Be professional. You haven't earned weekend story time yet. You are there for a reason. BUT, don't be a robot, social skills are key in PR and know when it's appropriate to talk about non work related things. "Excited about the Pat's?" in a Boston office, they will go all day long with a response.

11. Bring a notebook and pen whenever you leave your desk. (Not including bathroom breaks.. well I don't know, maybe).

12. Ask for deadlines. You haven't learned how much time certain projects require. Ask, and you will learn how to prioritize accordingly.

13. Bring snacks. If you don't eat and drink water, you are useless by 3.pm. Replace two snacks with fruit or vegetables. If you don't think a bag of Chex Mix and Kashi Bars won't catch up to you after sitting for eight hours? You're wrong.

14. Speak up during client meetings. Know your boundaries, but show you are attentive, and there for a reason. You are on their payroll, show you are valuable.

15. Go above and beyond. You might not have been asked to do a task, but if you noticed a writer from Forbes is writing on the exact topic your client is positioning itself on, flag it to the team. Don't just send a link, explain what you found and why it relates. Get involved with other aspects in the office, or ask how you can learn more.

16. Never leave right at the time you are allowed to. ( Besides, if you did, you would be waiting at South Station for 20 minutes standing up anyways).

17. Leave your shoes at your desk. Say good bye to everyone you walk by.

18. Arrive at South Station between 5:29pm - 5:31pm which will be the exact time the display board will reveal what track T.F. Green Airport is on. (Usually, 9,8, or 5 ). Walk fast and beat the flock of cattle. also #1 applies.

19. Go home, eat, don't binge! Floss teeth. Get as much sleep as you can. Wake up.

20. Repeat #1-19, but this time do it better.

A Collection of Quotes, Sayings, and Nonsense

If I may quote my favorite Business book,"Networking is not a passive sport. You need to get to the people you want to meet, and it takes planning and work and overcoming inertia."

An idea I've been living by since I've read it. And now, as Carol from New Directions said, "Things are finally getting sticky." A phrase, that right off the bat may seem like an undesirable feeling but makes perfect sense. After six months of introductions, sending an email here or giving a business card to someone there... my network is starting to truly develop.

After a "Black-Hole" day... (as my former roommate calls it. A day where you're feeling particularly "unemployed-ish" and you grieve over the death of your college days)...

I decided it was time to revisit my contacts. Writing, "Hi remember me again" email after another and leading them all with Khiara's personal favorite, " what about this weather?" I finally had a break through. For the sake of "not counting my chickens before they hatch," (I couldn't tell you who came up with that one but everyone knows it) I will be vague about the details. However, I will say this much.

• I had an interview. (I possibly had a booger in my nose for at least half of it but other than that, it went AMAZING)
• It's A PR agency located in Boston (Check, Check)
• I absolutely love the place and the people (I think they liked me too)
• And I think I have a shot

"Only time will tell." (Again, I couldn't tell you who thought of that one either....)

Gone App H APP Y

Going back to the Boston Conference, FutureM ...panel members, consisting of representatives from start-ups and agencies (such as CampusLive, Mullen and Digitas ) were read the following statement by the the monitor...

" Most brands need a mobile app,"

Responses varied throughout the panel. Some argued- depends on the brand (like any other tactic when marketing). Some said, yes - if it's a brand that provides a utility or service. And some said - essential, when done accurately; giving the case and point of Gerber, the baby food company, and how they turned their app into a valuable tool providing new moms helpful hints/facts about pregnancy and nursing...

My stance? Well after getting my Transform fixed, (a less sophisticated Droid, but nevertheless a smartphone) I asked myself why I'm not using this phone to it's full potential? My everyday app use consisted, of course, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and sometimes I dabbled with Words with Friends. So, I added a couple apps (Ok, maybe more than a couple). During the past week while on vacation, I...

Checked my status of my flight/ checked in on my Southwest app, all before entering the airport

Transferred money from my savings to checkings with my Bank of America app before paying my over-priced bar tab

Wrote a blog post with my blogger app after visiting the Hollywood sign in LA

Confirmed requests on my LinkedIn app

Received a deal at a very nice restaurant in Newport Beach with my Groupon app

Directed my boyfriend to the John Wayne Airport with my Google Maps app (why he doesn't know how to get there after living there over a year? Beyond me).

Granted, a lot of those are for utility, and indeed were SO Helpful. I don't know why I wasted so much time waiting for the Internet to load before (wow that sounded spoiled). But seriously. The apps in that sense, have won me over. Now to think if brands that I'm head- over- heels for had apps ...

Say Khiara could open up an Alex and Ani app and get an automatic listing for whats new, deals, digital coupons, maybe a game to create your own pendant and have it created for her? Or if DSW, a shoe store, had an app that I could browse in seconds to find that shoe (the one you know exactly what it looks like in your mind and look everywhere till you find the one that fits the criteria ) and could order it, or find what location has it.

APPS give you what you're looking for. Faster, easier, and for free. Brands are on the verge of something entirely groundbreaking here, and it's with APPS.