LIFE
August 22, 2023
5 Mins to Read

POV: A summer interning at Major Tom

POV: A summer interning at Major Tom

Major Tom to ground control! While you might usually expect to spend your summers lounging by the beach, this year, we took a different approach. We spent our summer in space with Major Tom.

Hi! We’re Annette, Jerry, and Riley, Major Tom’s latest summer interns! 

Now that our internship is coming to a close, you can ask us all about setting up a campaign, managing a brand, or designing a character card from scratch — and we’ll have plenty to share. 

Whether we were shadowing the team or diving headfirst into paid media, SEO, social media marketing, content writing, creative design, or another one of Major Tom’s many areas of expertise, we’ve picked up a ton during our placement. But just as importantly, we’ll never forget all the good times we’ve had with our fellow Major Tommers. 

While onboarding feels like just yesterday, it’s time to take the next step in our journey through the world of marketing and UI. But if you’re debating your own journey into the industry, we can help give you a sense of what it’s like to start at Major Tom.

Here’s our final journal entry, covering everything you need to know from an eventful summer. As this chapter comes to a close, we invite you to relive the memories and discover the insights that have shaped us into stronger professionals.

Professional learning opportunities

Of course, the extra opportunities you’ll receive as an intern aren’t all about fun and games. This summer, we’ve also had the chance to develop our skills with extra-curricular opportunities for professional growth. 

These events and challenges fell outside of our day-to-day tasks, giving us an extra experience boost and making for some fun and challenging times:

Collision Conference 2023

The most memorable opportunity was when Major Tom announced they had tickets to Collision Conference 2023, hosted in Toronto. The conference had a wide range of speakers covering everything from advertising to entrepreneurship, mental health, and more. Riley had the chance to attend and spent a whole day with coworkers from Major Tom, learning everything he could while networking away at the conference. 

“I think this opportunity was very beneficial for me. I got to step out of my comfort zone and learn in a way I’ve never done before. I’m really glad it was available for interns." - Riley O'Grady

collision conference 2023

Certifications challenge

Major Tom also encouraged us to sharpen our skills and push our professional capabilities. In July, we participated in a challenge to complete several Google Ads and Microsoft Ads certifications. In exchange for completing certifications for search campaigns, display campaigns, analytics, and more, the media and analytics team at Major Tom was given a shot at one of several prizes. This challenge encouraged us to go above and beyond the topics covered by our work — providing staple paid media skills that became handy later in our internships and beyond.

Turning remote work into a tightly-knit team

Imagine being able to socialize and work from the comfort of home, all without sacrificing your mornings and your elbow room to a daily commute. 

Here at Major Tom, plenty of us have embraced the remote work lifestyle that comes with being a hybrid agency. But that doesn’t mean losing your opportunity to be part of a team. We remain seamlessly connected through our social Slack channels, donut dates, and weekly Tuesday Showcases:

Slack channels

During your first week, you’ll notice that you’ve been added to several Slack channels that have nothing to do with your clients. Some of our favourites had to be #petspetspets and #social_wellness_at_work. In #petspetspets, the stream of coworkers’ cute pet pictures added a bit of sweetness to every day. In #social_wellness_at_work, we joined personally curated meditation sessions to keep things in balance — also led by Kari!

These mini breaks from work are the perfect chance to bond with your teammates. Better yet, they offer up the chance to decompress during a busy day of work, meetings, and everything in between. Whatever social channels you land in, they’re a fantastic way to make and improve connections across the team.

petspetspets

Donut dates

Chances are that you've come across this before — but we have to mention the Donut app and its friendly Slackbot. Donut randomly pairs you with another person in the company, suggesting meeting times to connect and chat about anything and everything that isn’t work. These “donut dates” push you to connect with coworkers from different teams and were a way for us to quickly learn from others around the agency. It gave us a nudge to reach out past our immediate circle of coworkers and get the full intern experience, even working remotely. 

“The genuine willingness to engage and the wholehearted support for our learning from everyone at Major Tom far surpassed my expectations. The atmosphere is incredibly collaborative, with everyone readily available to chat and provide assistance wherever it’s needed. Major Tom truly embodies an 'all hands on deck' spirit." - Annette Wong

Tuesday showcases

A unique initiative that you probably haven’t encountered before is Major Tom’s “Tuesday Showcase”. At these weekly standups, anyone can share what they’re working on to bounce ideas off of each other. You might be looking for solutions, for feedback, or just to show off work that you’re proud of. Regardless of what we brought, Tuesday Showcases were always a safe space for us to share our new intern projects with the team and make our mark on the agency. 

Celebrations and socializing

At Major Tom, you’ll find that strategic and innovative projects are always in full swing, with something new around every corner. But one constant never changes — the fun! 

This summer, that came through in engaging monthly challenges, lively office happy hours, and an upcoming baseball game that promises to keep the thrill alive. Whether you're working remotely or enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of the office, Major Tom has something for everyone:

Wellness challenges

Scared of death by desk job? Don’t worry, our fellow Major Tommers have been actively nurturing their bodies, minds, and creativity all summer long. As part of Major Tom dot Calm, we’ve done everything from a wellness meditation challenge in May with Wise@Work, to a step challenge in July with StrideKick, to a Slack Haiku challenge in August. Riley emerged victorious in his bracket in the July step challenge, securing a $75 gift card, which he used to treat himself to a well-deserved reward.

Happy hours

For those working from Vancouver, there’s an additional perk — the chance to visit the Major Tom HQ.  Major Tom’s Office Manager, Kari, consistently provides delightful treats and memorable happy hours, adding warmth and camaraderie to the workplace. And when you need that extra boost of energy during the day, you can always rest assured that the pantry is well-stocked to keep you fueled and motivated.

Baseball games

While we've cherished every moment of summer fun, the events don’t stop there. We're thrilled to return in September, when both the Vancouver and Toronto teams will gear up for an exciting baseball game. Our Vancouver colleagues will be heading to a Nooner at the Nat, while the Toronto team will watch the Blue Jays face off with the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre. All in all, not a bad way to end the summer!

“The amount of care and thoughtfulness the whole agency has taken to ensure all three of us felt included in Major Tom's traditions is something that I will forever be thankful for.” - Jerry Cribbin

intern activity timeline

Turning a summer internship into future success

Our summer internships at Major Tom have been a perfect blend of professional growth and interpersonal development. The agency's supportive atmosphere made for a dynamic learning environment — and one where you’re always encouraged to push your limits.

We're grateful for the connections we've made through Slack, events, and client work, and we want to thank the company for this incredible experience. Major Tom's constant support and push for improvement have prepared us to achieve even greater things beyond this summer.

As we move forward, we're excited to build on these newfound skills. This is not a goodbye, but a 'see you later' as we take our summer learnings into our future endeavours.

Want to follow in our footsteps? Learn more about Major Tom’s virtual onboarding or snag some valuable tips from a previous group of interns.

Annette Wong, Marketing Intern

Embrace the unknown, for within it lies the doorway to discovery.

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