Beginning life as an intern
Okay Google, what is marketing?
Marketing takes many forms – its versatility is one of the things that interests me most. It’s not as rigid as HR or as linear as finance. It’s a space where you can really let your creativity and imagination run riot, as long as you keep your target audience in mind.
Master’s in marketing management was very digitally oriented, from social media to photo and video content. There was no standalone module for copywriting but through research and reading around the subject you’re in constant contact with it. Copywriting is one of the building blocks of marketing, and it’s where Crocstar truly shines.
After I completed my Master’s I spent the following months wading through job postings looking for something that really jumped out at me. Competition for positions is tough and it’s very easy to end up in a company that isn’t the right fit. I already had security with a full-time job so I wasn’t in a rush to just join the first company that offered me another one. However, I was itching to really express myself creatively.
How’s your little internship going?
There has always been a preconception that internships involve shadowing staff and making cups of tea. Gladly, this isn’t true. Although the team do go through an awful lot of tea. I was thrown right in working on existing projects and allowed to share my own opinions and execute them. In the space of two weeks I’d built two websites: one for Crocstar and another for an existing client. I lent a hand in the refinement of the company’s social media platforms as well as podcast they hope to release in the coming months.
Being so involved, rather than feeling like a substitute waiting on the sidelines, I've been given real work to do. This has provided me with a wealth of experience in a short space of time.
Jack of all trades, master of…
Blowing my own trumpet, I’d consider myself a well-rounded marketing graduate. The biggest take-away from my time at uni was the importance of independent study, developing your own learning as much as you can. I’d say 60% of what I learnt didn’t come from a university lecture. Web design and development, Google Analytics, social media management and video editing – these are all things a one-hour lecture couldn’t teach.
The team at Crocstar brought a handful of interns onboard because we possessed a certain set of skills they needed. I’ve put my web design skills to good use.
I need to express myself creatively regularly. I find my mind wandering off and coming up with new concepts and ideas for things all the time. I've always been creative – through dance, making clothes and now designing websites and pitch video ideas.
In closing
With this being my second internship, I can happily say this experience has been the more enjoyable of the two. I’ve developed my skills under great management and amazing staff and it puts me in a good position for whatever comes next.
There is so much more to learn and the ability to write copy at a commercial level is a string I’d very much like to add to my bow. I’d like to thank Crocstar for the opportunity and I hope to continue to develop further.