I Was A New York Creative Intern: Justine Lopez, Janine Just Inc.

Justine Lopez received an Associate’s Degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications from Fashion Institute of Technology. She was hired at Janine Just Inc. as an Account Executive in May 2012, and will soon be attending Southern New Hampshire University’s online classes for Public Relations. Justine’s main plan is “to continue to work, learn, and excel in everything [she] do[es] in life.” We were inspired by Justine’s confident go-to attitude, and the fact that she acquired a job simply by asking for it.

How many internships have you had, and where?
I’ve had a few: My first two internships were during the summer of my Freshmen year. I was a social media intern at ChicTiq and at The Blaq Group. Then during the Fall semester of my Sophomore year, The Blaq Group asked me re-join their team as their social media intern.

What’s the coolest thing that has happened to you as a result of an internship?
The coolest thing that has happened to me as a result of an internship is, of course, getting a job. I saw my former supervisor at an event and found out that she had started her own business. I asked her if I could work for her and she said, “Of course!” That was amazing.

Did you ever do anything over the top to get an internship?
This isn’t over the top, but I think this is good advice for landing an internship especially if you’re doing group interviews: potential candidates should wear something other than black. When I went for an interview I wore a blue and white striped blazer that was also professional (no fashion blazers!). I was the only one, in a room filled of about 100 students, who did not wear black. This helped me to stand out and be spotted. If you want to impress and be remembered, definitely wear something different. Keep in mind: Your outfit will get you noticed, but the way you answer and ask questions in your interview will help you land the internship.

What’s your favorite part of your current job?
My favorite part is being able to work at an event by myself and head my own team during. Recently, our company had two events on the same day, one in Philadelphia, the other in NYC. My colleague went to Philly, and I stayed in NYC to help the Intern Queen team with their event. Even though my colleague was nervous about leaving me alone, I was excited that she trusted me to work the event. I definitely did the best I could at the event and am proud of the turn out. When I’m given an opportunity like that, I push to do my best so that she (my boss) can know that I am both dependable and independent.

It’s 3 pm on a Tuesday afternoon. What are you doing?
Most likely I’m working and eating a snack to keep me energized through the rest of the work day.

If you could intern anywhere now, where would you intern?
I would intern at E! News. I love watching E! News and have always wanted to intern or work for them–even if it meant moving for the summer for an internship!

What would you put in an Intern Survival Kit?
I would include some essentials:
• A smart phone – it’s important to have a smart phone handy, just in case the internship needs to contact you for something important or for something that needs to be answered immediately, or for on-the-go research.
• Pen and notebook – here, you can put all your notes, answer to your questions, agenda, etc down so that you’re not constantly asking the same question to your supervisor.
• The right dress code – it’s very important that you know what the dress code is for your internship. It shows that the internship is important to you and that you’re a professional. Plus, not dressing to the dress code makes you look bad and will have a negative impact on people’s perception of you.
• I would also put some traits in as well: responsibility, dedication, passion and always taking the initiative. Great traits like these will help you shine in the internship and your supervisors will be happy to have you as an intern.

Knowing what you know now, what is one thing you would have done differently as an intern?
I would have been more noticeable and shined more. I know that I have a great work ethic and most people I work with know it too. But it’s important to have everyone know that I have great work ethic. Also if I was more sociable, I’d learn more and get opportunities to do other things during the internships. Of course, I don’t mean brag about being an amazing intern. Even just a “Hello, good morning” or some short small talk every day would’ve helped me feel more comfortable with people in the office and would’ve helped me further with networking.

Do you have questions for Justine about standing out as an intern or her experience working within her field? Ask away in the comments below. Also check out the other posts in our “I Was a NY Creative Intern” series.