It's tradition!

Traditions are important. Although, we don't like to fall into the trap of we've-always-done-it-this-way thinking, the LS internship program does have a number of traditions. And this year two of our favorites happened to fall on consecutive days. Last night we hosted our annual Intern Party and today is Ham Day!

The Intern Party celebrates the achievements our interns have made over the course of the summer. We invite their families to the agency so they can tour the space and see some of the fruits of their labor. This is also when the interns unveil their T-shirt design. (I'll let one of them tell you all about it next week.) As always, we had a grand time getting to know our interns' parents and once again want to thank them for lending us their children for the summer.

As for Ham Day, here's the story:

Ham Day was founded at Liggett Stashower in 2002. An organization that I volunteered for would reward its helpers at Christmas and Easter with a ham. My dog and I could not devour an entire ham, so I brought it into the office to share. Co-workers would provide in bread, cheese, condiments, chips and we’d have a noontime feast!

There are typically two Ham Days a year – Summer Ham Day & Winter Ham Day. We use the summer installment as a forum for our interns to present their book reports to the agency – another LS tradition.

So there’s your history lesson for the day. Here’s your homework:

1. Learn about your employer’s (or prospective employer’s) traditions. It’s a great way to figure out what the culture is like – and whether or not you’re a good fit.

2. If your organization doesn’t have any traditions, start one. It doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. It could be a softball team or a sundae bar. How could they not hire the intern that came up with the idea for the annual one-legged yodel-off? Just be sure it's fun, inclusive and doesn't get in the way of doing what you get paid to do.

If you’re interested in the books our interns read this year, here are the links:

Ben - Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation by Sally Hogshead

Sasha - The Design of Future Things by Don Norman

Katie - Build a Brand in 30 Days by Simon Middleton

Rachelle - Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web by Brian Solis

Mark Szczepanik

Director of Brand Voice