Hi, I’m Martha, MadAddie Marketing’s newest employee. I’m working here as a copywriter and researcher for the summer, since I go back to college in late August.

I’d describe my job here at MadAddie as one step above an internship. I’m absolutely receiving training as I go, but that has more to do with MadAddie’s general workplace culture than any specific job title.

I was surprised that, when we’re all in a room together, the staff here is smaller than any class I’ve taken at my small liberal arts college. I was also surprised by the high level of collaboration. When employees aren’t working from home, they’re sitting around a table, talking about the company’s various projects.

There’s definitely more flexibility than I imagined. I’m sometimes able to do work from home or from a cafe, which I definitely didn’t anticipate going in. Everything is online, and the main purpose of “going to work” is seeing and working with everyone. I’ve definitely had to adjust the way I work, since I’m living at home for the summer and my sisters are coming and going and watching TV and bringing friends over.

I’ve had to learn new things quickly. Just last week, I was asked to transcribe a recorded phone interview and turn it into an article. The closest thing I’d ever done to that was ask people a few questions for my high school newspaper to incorporate into an article, and I didn’t even do that much. I was expected to figure out something I’d never done for MadAddie before, and to do it well. As soon as I figured out how I could do it, I was really excited. I know that I’ll keep getting new challenges like that, and I’ll have to figure them out. I’m glad I’m being held to that standard.

I think my favorite thing about MadAddie is the people. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming. They’re all pretty funny too. Honestly, that’s what makes this job so different from a summer internship at a huge company, or at one with many separate sections. I've even gotten to work directly with clients! I’m getting to know nearly everyone personally, and I’m being “mentored,” in a way, by multiple people at the company. At a huge company, I might get lost in a sea of interns, or only get to know people in a specific department. Thanks to MadAddie, I’m building professional relationships with people in many parts of an industry that interests me, and if that isn’t the point of a summer job, then I don’t know what is.