I can say I experienced this during my internship at GREY Africa, which confirmed my belief that there is definitely something compelling about advertising.

As a millennial, I am always seeking experiences that go beyond doing business for clients because I believe there has to be a bigger purpose tied to the work that one does. I can say I experienced this during my internship at GREY Africa, which confirmed my belief that there is definitely something compelling about advertising.

In 2014, I moved to New York to begin my undergraduate studies where I learned many lessons, but the one that stood out for me was that New York is undoubtedly the cathedral of commerce.

This winter holiday I was excited to come back home to South Africa, following a sensory overhaul based on my time in the city that never sleeps for an internship in advertising.

Upon my return, I shared the story about an American tradition called the Super Bowl with my mother. In my attempt to explain what the Super Bowl is to my mom I said, “It’s like the Soweto Derby (Orlando Pirates vs Kaiser Chiefs) football match of the United States of America. However, the major difference is that in America more than 100 million fans look forward to a multitude of brands launching multimillion dollar advertising campaigns at different time slots during the match – it is the most expensive time to flight an advertisement and brands battle it out for the top spots. It is also perhaps the only time when adverts are given more attention than the sport itself.”

There is something to be said about the valuable lessons one can take away from interning in the business of advertising. For the past three months I have been a support intern for various Business Unit directors and account managers. I have also shadowed Grey Africa’s managing director, Paul Jackson.

From my first week, I was integrated into working with different internal departments, where I worked on current ad campaigns and pitched intern-driven projects. GREY is a mid-size agency, where I found value in having to engage with, and directly chat to, some of the industry’s most talented people whenever I needed guidance or a helping hand.

One of the most important lessons I took away was something that the GREY group globally prides itself in - its network. I realised early on that because the industry does not offer traditional graduate programmes, I had to treat my internship as an extended interview in order to achieve success during my stint at the agency.

I’ve learned that networking in business meetings proves invaluable as they automatically help to form you own business network. The advertising industry has a habit of referring to people by the accounts they work on. The quality of the work you present and how much work you can take builds on your profile as an intern.

I learnt more about myself during collaborative sessions during intern-driven projects which I did when I was working independently. There is a strong company culture of trust and transparency with clients and fellow colleagues, which I will take with me throughout my career. Other interns will agree with me when I say everyone took a keen interest in our professional development.

We were also offered the opportunity to participate in various internal learning sessions and courses which included taking up a certified Digital Project Management class. We also attended monthly ‘Greytness Matters’ meetings where colleagues share some of the exciting projects they have worked on. If senior management takes time out to listen to your pitch – well, that says a lot. I developed relationships with other interns too which I maintain to this day and hope to continue after my tenure at GREY has ended.

What is unique about GREY Africa is the diversity of the people that you interact with and I appreciated that my work as an intern added some level of value to the African continent. I was also given the opportunity to meet with some senior GREY EMEA staff, which included interacting with GREY EMEA’s chief creative officer, Jon Williams.

Another major and important lesson for me was maintaining focus. This is a major facet in advertising and one that may not traditionally be associated with the craft as people only see the finished product and therefore are not fully aware of the amount of time, effort and creative ability that goes into the creative process. Speaking about the thinking behind focus, the Australian-British Strategist Lynton Crosby says that failing to focus is a bit like going to a doctor who takes your temperature each day and reports its fluctuating rhythm.

For example, it’s 38 degrees Celsius, then it’s 40 degrees Celsius, then it’s 39 and finally 41. The diagnosis given does not provide one with reasons for the root cause of the problem - what’s causing the temperature changes. Focus means finding out what’s going on and what is causing the temperature changes. I found that’s what is especially significant in advertising, especially for our generation. From ensuring the correct messaging in an ad campaign to selecting the correct channels and estimating the right budget.

Advertising is compelling and my tenure at GREY has shown me a new found respect for a craft that goes into what many may simply dismiss as a ploy to purchase. The advertising industry is too often filled with negative connotations that take away from the intricate process required to produce advertising that has a positive and meaningful impactful on its audience.

About Goodman Lepota

Goodman Lepota is a graduate of the African Leadership Academy in South Africa. He was also a student entrepreneur-in-residence at Silicon Valley’s top entrepreneurship program in California at Draper University. He is currently a MasterCard Foundation Scholar and majors in Business Marketing and minors in Government in New York, USA at Marist College. He joined the GREY Africa Internship Program from May to August 2015.

For more information on GREY Africa, visit the GREY website. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.