One of my favorite movies of all-time is The Devil Wears Prada (or simply DWP as the real fans call it). It’s a cinematic masterpiece about the cut-throat world of the fashion industry, and what it looks like to find yourself through hardships. 

Anne Hathaway stars as an entry-level journalist at a fashion magazine, believing she’ll be a writer. Instead, she ends up as the horribly-treated office errand girl, being assigned awful tasks to complete, and getting made fun of in the process.

Although an amazing movie, its plot instilled a scary reality in my mind: the professional world is a living nightmare. Watching it as a high school student conditioned me to believe that entering the working force would lead to a waste of precious time, and end with a lack of professional skills.

Looking back, it seems ridiculous that I imagined a DWP nightmare, rather than the awesomeness I experienced when entering the professional environment. 

From copywriting, event planning, and content creating, to prank wars, ping pong tournaments, and an endless supply of Oreos, Awesome Inc is a one-of-a-kind environment weaving together work and play. 

It wasn’t just the Oreos that made my time at Awesome Inc awesome. My supervisors listened when I told them my interests of writing and podcasts, leading to growth in both areas. Now I’m writing newsletters and creating podcasts!

It was more than a great opportunity to learn valuable skills from professionals, though. Whether it was through wisdom and advice, a listening ear, or insanely good pranks, every person I met in this community genuinely instilled value into my life.

As my time at Awesome Inc nears its end, I’m grateful to have learned so much from this entrepreneurial tech space. But I’m even more grateful for the opportunity to work and learn from an amazing team, so here are three of the most valuable lessons I’ll be taking with me: 

Ask for Help 

Whether you’re the head honcho or an intern like me, it's important to know when to ask for help. Take time to figure it out yourself prior to asking, but no matter who you are, or what you are doing, people are willing to help in any way they can!

Do your work smarter, not harder!

Efficiency will improve your workflow like nothing else; here are a few of my favorite keyboard shortcuts:

• Command+K = hyperlink 
• Command+C = copy 
• Command+V = paste
• Command+B = bold 

We only get so much time, make sure to use it wisely (Even if it’s just a simple keyboard shortcut)!

Be Yourself, You’re Awesome

Awesome Inc has 4 Core Values, and my favorite is be: You. Each team member at Awesome Inc values the uniqueness in each of us, and has taught me to value the different aspects of myself. 

Each of us is supposed to stand out, so stand tall!

I gained more than skill sets to add to my resume throughout my internship, never getting made fun of for not knowing the difference between blue and ceruleum blue (or in Awesome Inc’s case, the difference between red and C12029 - Awesome Inc red). 

I will never stop singing praise of Awesome Inc, the work they do, and the community within, because it's nothing short of awesome!