I don’t know where the time has gone, but my internship has come to a close. These last few months have been quite the adventure and I’ve learned so much about myself, both professionally and personally. I’m so thankful to the Marketing Works team for coming along side of me, patiently showing me the ropes and constantly pushing me to grow. I walked into this internship with a goal of getting my hands dirty and gaining real word experiences. I was so eager to see what this whole agency life was all about, and I can say that I have more than accomplished that goal!
Today, I want to share some of my experiences and three specific lessons I have learned:
- Language. The first thing that comes to mind is learning that marketing is so much more than just an industry and the “Mad Men” references people tend to throw around. Rather, marketing is a language. In school I learned an abundance of fascinating information and if you ever need to know about the history and psychology behind a communication theory, I’m your girl. However, this did not fully prepare me for life in the “real world.” I remember walking into my first Monday morning meeting and thinking, “wait a minute, what did they say?” Today, I feel more comfortable with the marketing language, social media, building a spreadsheet and taking care of daily detail-oriented tasks that were once intimidating to me. Conversations have become much more natural to me and marketing terms and best practices have become more like second nature.
- Confidence and initiative. The second core lesson I’ve learned is confidence and taking initiative in my professional life. When I tell people about this internship, I like to say I’m making a professional investment. I’m not only learning a great deal about the marketing industry and the nitty-gritty details that happen every day, but I’m gaining insight about myself in a professional setting. I remember my first interview. Sandy (our President) told me “Google is your best friend!” She couldn’t have been more right. I’ve learned to take the initiative to find out answers for myself. I’m confident I can manage multiple projects, prioritize my time and even find solutions when instructions are more open. Although it was intimidating at first, being thrown into the daily tasks and being trusted with projects has helped me find my own confidence.
- Working with a team. Finally, working with a team. Growing up I never really did sports or student counsel so I never got that team experience. Looking back, I always felt like I missed out on something really cool. Here at Marketing Works I’ve been able to experience being on a team — what it’s like to have people depend on you to get your work done and to be present in the moment with them. Your work is not just your own anymore, rather, you have people depending on you to arrive on time, be on task, be honest and accountable for your work and even provide insight and ideas. It’s been very rewarding and I’m so thankful I have finally had the opportunity to experience all the great things working on a team has to offer.
If I were to give one piece of advice to future interns, I would encourage you to boldly take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. There is a reason for everything you do here at Marketing Works. Every task is meant to take you to the next step and develop new skill sets. Whether you’re supporting a team member, attending client meetings or executing a strategy through research, you’re being set up for success. Embrace every moment, make the best of each situation and enjoy the adventure. Thank you Marketing Works for a wonderful three months!