I’m a big believer in the idea that good things come in threes. It is the magic number. With that being said, here are three lessons that I will take away from my experience at Atomic Design and Consulting.

Brevity is the soul of wit. 

I am quite wordy in my personal blogs. I used to think thick paragraphs were a badge of honor, but now I know it’s more like running a marathon when you’re expecting a 5K: exhausting.

In the cultivated words of Sweet Brown, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

I am now a more concise writer.

I learned sometimes you have to break grammar rules to keep your character count under 140. It still kills me on the inside.

The secret tool everyone tells you about.

I learned how important it is to network. I am an extrovert. I’ve never met a stranger. Both of these things are really helpful, because as much as I have heard it over and over again: you are who you know. Period.

Networking is the “secret” tool that everyone tells you about. Do it and you are sure to experience upward mobility.

A little thick skin goes a long way.

Working at a design firm, your ideas will be adjusted or discarded. In the end it really isn’t personal. It is all about the clients.

When a golden nugget idea is brewing in your head, if it isn’t right for the client, it’s just a paper weight.

That doesn’t mean your amazing idea is a bad idea, it’s just bad for this particular client (but sometimes, your idea really is just a bad idea).

For the sake of brevity, I will close by saying I have enjoyed my time at Atomic DC. The people here are genuine and helped me tremendously in my internship experience.