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My Experience as a Marketing Intern
Jul 23, 2019
Lessons Learned From My First "Real" Job
Working as an intern has the connotation of doing the “dirty work” in the office. You know - getting coffee, answering phone calls, filing paperwork for days. Simply put, you don’t always get the experience that will actually further your career. However, there are internships out there that give you more to manage than the bottom of the trough. Lucky for me - I got the chance to land one of these opportunities.
Working as an intern for Sisu, I was told that I would be given real experiences and duties that not many interns usually get. However, what I didn’t know was that I would learn far more than just “the job.” With this, I am here to provide a bit of insight into my experience as a marketing intern.
Specifically, here are the three biggest takeaways from being an intern:
Work Experience
As I mentioned, not every intern learns about “the job” in front of them. Instead, you just get to see the work environment. From my own experience, I was fully invested in “the job” - learning everything I needed to know within a real work environment. I am a college student and don’t get me wrong - I have learned a great deal in class. However, you will never fully develop until you are thrown into a proper work environment and get real hands-on experience.
For example, I was given a project and the necessary guidance to complete the project. You know, just like an actual employee - crazy right? For instance, I had deadlines to meet, clients to speak to, and tasks to be executed. In addition, I had to develop my own insights in the marketing world
- along with learning different programs and procedures.
And of course, there were endless acronyms that I still don’t fully understand. To name a few - SOP, SEO,
CRM, KPI, ROI
- and there are a few billion more that I left out…
Outside of assigned projects, there were plenty of tedious tasks during my internship. Not quite getting coffee or making copies (but close). However, these tasks gave me an appreciation for the importance of details - especially seeing how these tasks apply to a real-world company.
Ultimately, this was an eye-opening experience on many levels. First, my only prior reference point for the “working world” was group research projects on make-believe companies. Conversely, this internship was real - and at times, a little bit scary. That said, I feel like I have a head start on being a successful employee in my field by learning these real-world skills. From start to finish, I was given resources to build my portfolio for the future. Clearly, this isn’t something everyone can say after an internship.
Communication and Confidence
In addition to learning about real-world marketing, I learned just as much about being a quality employee and team member.
As a college student, I am well aware that I am at the bottom of the food chain. Ultimately, being an intern means having to work under people. For people my age, it can be challenging to understand that you are (sometimes) the least knowledgeable person in these situations. That said, I learned that you have to balance listening and learning vs. sharing your ideas and asking questions.
Starting out, I was very timid about speaking up or asking how to do something. Thankfully, I started to come out of my shell - and also got some great advice
from my boss. In short, she told me that having a voice and being able to contribute to conversations is the key to getting ahead.
Most importantly, I learned that this is much better than just wondering to myself about what needs to be done. Furthermore, I found that my lack of confidence was coming from my lack of knowledge about specific topics. But, as I learned - it’s important to remember that the point of an internship is to learn. As an intern, you cannot go into the experience and think you will know everything. Instead, you need to leave room for growth.
In summary - I learned the importance of asking questions, collaboration,
and learning as you go. This is the best way to appreciate the full working experience. While knowledge of the job is essential, you also need to determine your professional surroundings. Simply put, you need to learn about your co-workers just as much as assigned projects.
Personal Growth
In the beginning, I was unsure of myself and my future - which is typical for college kids. For example, there’s a tendency of wanting to do more - but also being nervous about going outside your comfort zone. For me, working with skillful/educated mentors during my internship provided me with a bridge from youth (present state) to adulthood (what’s to come). By working with mentors, you’re able to identify things you do well and where there’s room to improve. Most importantly, you have time to make adjustments and learn along the way.
For example, I was assigned tasks that I hadn’t managed before - such as having calls with clients on my own or using unfamiliar resources for the first time. Each of these “tests” pushed me out of my comfort zone - which provided me with invaluable work experience. Believe me - throwing myself into the unknown was scary. However, this process taught me lessons that I can apply in my professional and personal life.
In the end, there are highs and lows in every job. However, the lessons learned along the way will always help you grow as a person. All in all, I can say that my internship experience will continue to shape me into a better person and professional. Also, I experienced more growth in the past two months than most people get in all four years at college.
Furthermore, I know that many people do not have the best experience with their internships because their personal efforts are not reflected in what the company is producing. With this in mind, my advice is to find a mentor who is willing to invest in you and your future. However - don’t forget to do the same for yourself!
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