Starting your first Marketing job is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. It feels like just yesterday I walked into the office that I had worked in for 3 years (before being moved to another part of the office), nervous and unsure of what to expect for the road ahead. But stress not, I am here to help you with 7 tips to help you ace your Marketing internship
1. Do Your Prep Work Before Your Internship
Before you officially start your internship, make sure you know more about the company and the product. I wrote a post here on 5 tips for new Digital Marketers. This early prep helps you to see the brand the way an outside audience would (as opposed to getting info from your internship and then viewing the brand through the lens of your internship.
2. Get Ready to Work Incredibly Hard
Marketing seems like a glamourous career to most but to those who actually work in Marketing, they’ve seen all the little details that go into campaigns. Be prepared to work hard at random things. Great campaigns don’t get happen- they’re made by people who did whatever they needed to in order to get things done. Some unusual and not fun Marketing tasks I’ve seen are: waiting by an elevator for the entire day in order to brand all elevators with decals for a branding event, packing gift bags for 2000 guests, stringing a 100M piece of string with paper hearts (the person involved in this had to draw the hearts, cut the hearts and then string them up). If you’re already losing interest, this might not be the career for you.
3. Be Open to Learning Everything
You won’t be an intern forever. Take this opportunity to ask your colleagues questions about their field and why they do the things they do. Another great tip is to ask them for what resources they used. When I started my Marketing internship I found a really skilled Marketer who did lots of different things. I was in awe of him. When I got up the courage to ask him how he knew what he knew, he introduced me to Skillshare. My mind was blown! So go ahead and use this opportunity as best as you can.
4. Get to Know Your Creative Team
By this I mean, find the people with the really creative roles- your video team, graphic designer, etc. These people have the really fun-seeming jobs but by getting to know them you’re able to see all the ins and outs of a Creative campaign. (You’ll also probably pick up some tips for your own social media content).
5. Feel Free to Contribute Ideas
DO contribute your ideas whenever you have any. You might be intimidated because you’re new but because you’re new you bring in a fresh perspective which is a great advantage in Marketing.
6. Remember The Only Constant is Change
Get used to having things change last-minute. This is one of my pet peeves but in Marketing you need to be ready for campaign changes and able to pivot immediately. Whether it’s an event that is cancelled or has a theme change or a trend that no longer works for your brand, always have a plan B (or C).
7. Network
Whether it’s in your Marketing team or with other teams, use this internship to network with other people. You’d be surprised at what you can learn from your Project Management team or Data Analysts. Another perk of this is if Marketing isn’t for you, you’d have made contacts in another field that might be a better fit for you.
Success in Marketing is more than a paycheck or a glamourous grind. Real Marketing success lies in the constant learning, the ability to adapt and innovate. A Marketing internship is a magical time. Learn from it and kick ass every step of the way.