And you thought this day would never come

And you thought this day would never come

By Meghan O’Hara, Internship Program Coordinator (@meghan_ohara)

A report was recently released in which Matthew Robson, a 15-year-old Morgan Stanley intern, provides insight on the teenage consumption of media. This report garnered a great deal of attention, being described as “one of the clearest and most thought provoking insights,” generating more feedback than the team’s usual reports.

But while the media loved it, the report also received less than flattering feedback. Some readers didn’t see what was so groundbreaking about the thoughts of a 15-year-old. Others thought that the only reason it created a frenzy was because it had the Morgan Stanley logo all over it. No matter, it definitely caused quite a stir.

So what can you, as an intern, learn from Robson?

While you may be ‘just an intern,’ you do have a lot to offer your employer. Why else would you have been hired? Robson caught the attention of many senior executives by describing his friends’ online behavior. While his document also received backlash, people paid attention to what he had to say.

As a college student, chances are, you spend a great deal of your time on social media sites. Does your manager have a Facebook page or LinkedIn profile? Perhaps you could discuss the benefits in creating one. Find the areas in which you excel and demonstrate that to your employer. You bring a new perspective to the table. Do not be afraid to speak up and share your knowledge. Gone are the days where no one listens to the youth. We are now living in an era where a 15-year-old’s thoughts are front page news.