Lunch with the CEO

Today we had the pleasure of sitting down for lunch with the CEO of LS, Mark. This entry will recap our conversations as I point out a few pieces of advice and knowledge that will stick with me long after I leave this internship.

In the beginning of the conversation, Mark stated that it is important for interns to use everything to their advantage, and do anything we can do to stand out. With that being said, in order to do something to stand out and be successful, one must do something that is relevant to the job or company that they are applying for. I know that coming out of this summer experience at Liggett, all of the interns and I have a leg up on our competition and hopefully we will all use the knowledge we have gained to stand out from the crowd.

Mark also mentioned a good point when he said that the friendly competition between entry-level job seekers in this business also happens within the business itself. Agencies strive to differentiate from one another and they do so by specializing in a certain niche, following trends and watching current issues within the industry.

We also talked about the most important traits in a new hire, or in an employee in general, which are honesty and integrity. I truly believe that in order for anyone to be successful in his or her professional, or personal, lives, it’s important to have a strong sense of integrity. As an intern, learning what potential employers or higher-level executives will be looking for in new hires is extremely beneficial.

For me, one of the best parts of this lunch was hearing how passionate Mark is about his work, this company and the industry in general. When asked what the most rewarding part of his job is, he mentioned that despite all of the challenges, getting up and going to work each morning with a great group of people and being able to make decisions each and every day that will impact the business, is something he wouldn’t trade for the world.

Just like there are many different environments in college, there are many different cultures at agencies. By working at Liggett I have had the opportunity to grasp the kind of culture that is this company, and so far I have realized it is one of warm, intelligent, hard-working individuals – working in this type of atmosphere makes our internship that much more enjoyable.