Trading in Tech for Fashion
In your 20s, moving is a constant. Or at least for me, it feels that way. Last summer, I lived in Palo Alto California and interned in the Silicon Valley. While I’m not a tech nerd, I worked for a large tech company and assisted them with event marketing for their annual user conference. Corporate life had its many perks. Fridges stocked with every kind of soda, cases, and cases of peanut m&ms and even a ping pong room. I basically felt like I was right out of that show Silicon Valley. Marketing for this company and user conference was like a game of buzz words that I frankly did not understand. Some of my favorites include “iCloud Infrastructure”, “CRM” and “Big Data”. To be honest, I’m pretty sure even the qualified IT department didn’t quite understand the real context to the tech fluff either. From a marketing perspective (the small perspective that I do have) jazzing up tech is hard and lacks the creativity that marketing should entail.
That’s why this summer, I traded in tech for fashion and Palo Alto for Los Angeles. In Palo Alto, I had the security of living with my best friend, which may seem small but really does make the difference when you’re new. Moving to LA, I had little to no connections so my living situation wasn’t as easy at first. I found a craigslist ad for three 30-year-old men looking for a roommate and took it when I finally found a place that wasn’t a shack or over $1500 to sleep on someone’s futon. That in itself was a leap of faith. Fortunately, my roommates turned out to be totally normal and not serial killers.
Working as a marketing intern in fashion has been an adjustment as well. I am one of two interns and the microscope is on my work, to say the least. Working with a hands-on CEO has pushed my work, however. Plus, I am finally able to use my creative juices and make marketing strategies that don’t involve the word “innovation.” There is less security in working for a company of three, rather than being one of a couple hundreds of interns for a company of 50,000+. Maybe there is less prestige in working for a small company compared to a corporation in the Silicon Valley, but I’ve learned more now about myself and my work than ever. Uncertainty and change can scare a lot of people from moving or taking a new job. I personally find a thrill in it all.