It’s no secret job hunting can be challenging, especially for those new to the workforce. If this is you, you’re reading this because you’re wondering, are marketing internships worth it in 2021?
Sometimes it seems as though every available position requires experience, but where do you get this experience in the first place? Internships are a great way to get a taste of the real world and better understand the industry you want to work in.
As an intern myself, I’ve put together a list of the top 6 benefits of an internship and tried to give you a sneak peek of what being a marketing intern on the Gold Coast actually looks like.
Here’s my take on why marketing internships are absolutely worth it in 2021.
About Me — Sajith Meepe
Before I get into the ins and outs of marketing internships, let me give you a brief explanation of who I am, and how I came to intern at Localsearch – Digital Marketing Service on the Gold Coast.
I’m currently in my final year of university, studying psychological science and business, majoring in marketing. On a personal level, I’m very much a people-oriented person and I enjoy spending my time away from study with friends and family outdoors and being active. The freedom of the outdoors is definitely my holy grail of relaxation.
On a more professional level, I’m someone who loves to keep busy and be engaged with the work I’m doing. I like to find a balance between the comfort of methodical and logical thinking, with the freedom and excitement of creative thinking.
These elements of who I am are the main factors which drew me into marketing — the freedom of thinking, balanced with logical and methodical processes. I found marketing to be a sector of business where you can really let the creative juices flow and come up with your own take on how you want to communicate a message.
So, why a marketing internship? Being an undergraduate marketing major in my final year, I came to a bit of a confronting realisation I didn’t have a whole heap of practical experience under my belt. I realised while some of the assignments sparked my interest, I had no idea what it’s like to work in marketing. So, I figured an internship would be the perfect way for me to learn the skills they don’t teach you in class.
Applying for an internship in 2021 is actually not as much of a daunting procedure as you may think. I applied through Griffith University where I was able to select a handful of preferences from a variety of different organisations. I was lucky enough to be offered an interview with my top preference so I made sure I did some preparation. Before the interview, I went over my resumé, did some mock interview questions and bought some new business clothes.
Fortunately, the interview went well and I was lucky enough to land my first internship at the head office of one of the country’s leading digital marketing services on the Gold Coast, Localsearch.
Top 6 Benefits of a Marketing Internship in 2021
1. Career clarity.
For many people, choosing a career path is not an easy process and can take years, even after studying. One of the most valuable benefits an internship offers is clarity in your professional career path. Once you get a taste of what it’s like to actually work in the marketing field, it can really give you a better idea on whether or not it’s for you.
If you find it’s what you were looking for, then that can be a massive step for you to get your foot in the door of the marketing world. If you find out it’s not then that’s just as important to know.
Nevertheless, being such a diverse sector of business, a marketing internship will give you invaluable experience in the industry and help you figure out what areas of marketing speak to you the most. The things you learn from an internship below are also so valuable in almost any other industry.
2. Job opportunities.
One of the most beneficial things about a marketing internship is the job opportunities it can bring. You may be fortunate enough to do so well during your time as an intern, the company offers you a job, or you may even be able to put your new found networking skills to use to secure employment elsewhere.
Many businesses love offering internship opportunities as it’s a useful way for them to really get to know their potential employees. This means if you do end up interning for a company, ensure you use it as an opportunity to showcase your skills and show them why you’re the perfect fit for a job!
Working in a corporate environment, you’re going to be surrounded by many professionals. You’ll be working alongside people with years of experience and a world of knowledge. Take advantage of this by taking some time to introduce yourself and chat with them. You never know when having industry leaders on your contact list will come in handy.
Even if you don’t end up working for the company you intern with, your co-workers are more than likely to know companies that would suit you, or pass you onto job opportunities that you may be a perfect fit for.
It’s always a huge advantage to have an experienced professional as a referee on your resume and could be what lands you the job you’ve been looking for.
4. Enhance your resumé.
If you don’t have much relevant work experience yet, you might find yourself trying to spin every job you’ve had to make it relevant to whatever position you’re applying for. A marketing internship can make the job hunt a lot easier for you in 2021. Having relevant work experience on your resumé makes it so much easier to match your CV to a job description and can make you stand out to recruiters.
Many job listings you’ll find often have a requirement saying something like, “Must have previous experience”. Having an internship under your belt means you qualify for a much wider range of jobs, and puts yourself in a better position to get it too! Employers will see you as someone who doesn’t need as much training, which means they’ll see you as someone who will be easier for them to integrate into their business.
5. Boost your confidence.
Another reason a marketing internship is worth it in 2021 is the boost of confidence it’ll give you. Going from the classroom to the workforce can seem pretty intimidating to most of us. That’s why an internship is the perfect way to get some real-life experience and remind you you’ve got what it takes.
Being able to apply your skills in a practical setting can really help you feel competent in your work. Whether it be writing blogs, creating designs or even just working alongside your colleagues, a hands-on approach gives you a level of confidence that you can’t get in the classroom.
There are going to be times when you nail a task first, and other times where you’ll need a bit of help, but all of these experiences will make you feel ready for tackling the workforce. Remember, you’re just starting your career. Even those who have been building their careers for decades learn something new everyday — a habit known to make successful people.
6. Develop your skills.
When you work as a marketing intern, you’ll get plenty of practice doing a wide variety of jobs. With your supervisors there to help you, you’ll develop these skills pretty quickly.
When you finish a job, your supervisors will usually go through it with you and give you feedback to make sure it’s up to the standards they expect. This is going to be one of the most valuable benefits of your marketing internship.
The pointers they give you and the feedback you get is a great example of the learning experience that you simply can’t get in the classroom. Any advice you can get from pros with years of experience is going to help you refine your skills really quickly. Before you know it, you’ll feel capable enough to tackle tasks on your own.
What a Marketing Intern Does
So, although the benefits sound great, what does a marketing intern in 2021 actually do? Throughout your internship, you’ll take on a variety of tasks. There’s always plenty to do and your supervisors want to make sure you get the learning experience you were after.
While every internship is different, here are some of the tasks I’ve worked on during my time at Localsearch.
Writing blogs.
One of the first skills I was taught during my marketing internship was how to write a blog. Although you’d think it might be a simple enough job to do, there’s actually a lot of strategy and thinking behind what goes into a blog.
I was surprised at how much thought goes into the style of headings used, the use of keywords and other tricks to improve the search engine optimisation of a webpage. There’s even science behind the phrases you should and shouldn’t use in a blog to avoid sparking the wrong part of the brain!
Writing blogs has also indirectly taught me skills I didn’t even expect to learn. Image optimisation and search engine optimisation were words and concepts I had never even heard before starting here, but are now skills that I can add to my resumé.
Writing blogs has also helped me fine tune my writing and language skills. When you know your work is going to be posted on a website with thousands of views a day, it adds a little incentive to really proofread and refine your work.
Pinterest pins.
Pinterest pins are usually used to promote the blogs on different platforms. Creating them let me get a little bit more creative and can be a nice way to break up the other tasks of the day.
There’s also more thought to the process in piecing a pinterest board together than I initially thought too. There’s psychology behind what colours you should use for certain topics to attract certain crowds.
This part of my marketing internship has really helped me with experimenting and getting comfortable with a trial and error approach. Sometimes you’ll get a perfect layout the first time, other times you have to cycle through 20 fonts to make sure your title looks right. That being said, it’s a satisfying feeling to work through a bunch of different design ideas to finally be happy with your finished product.
Ghosting experts.
Every now and then (if you’re lucky), your supervisors will let you sit in on projects they’re working on or you’ll be invited to attend meetings. This is a great way to get some exposure to the elements of the marketing world that you may not be ready to work on just yet.
Being able to just sit and watch the digital marketing pros at work is a great eye opener. You get to (almost) be a part of the higher order happening of the company and get a real insight into what it’s like to be a marketing professional.
I’ve been lucky enough to listen to my supervisors record their podcast with special guests and see what goes on behind the scenes — all the prep, the struggles of editing and the excitement of launching the podcast from the get-go. I’ve even been fortunate enough to sit in on their team meetings and see them talk through their plans, recap their progress and work through any concerns they have. It’s definitely one of the highlights of my marketing internship, and getting that experience really makes it feel worth it.
Progress check-ins.
My supervisors and I typically organise to have an informal meeting every few weeks just to have a progress check, give me any feedback and to allow me to raise anything if I need to. These meetings are quite typical to have not only with interns, but for managers to check-in on their employees as well so it’s good to know how to get the most out of them.
Being able to take constructive feedback and using it to improve your work is a skill in itself, so having these meetings really helps me get the most out of my internship. Most importantly, meetings — formal and informal — help you strengthen your relationship with your supervisors and your co-workers.
At the end of the day, the people you meet are going to be some of the most important and memorable parts you’ll take away from your time as an intern. Just goes to show why a marketing internship is really worth it in 2021!
Looking for a marketing internship on the Gold Coast at Localsearch?
Localsearch works with leading universities on the Gold Coast, but is always accepting expressions of interest for internships on the Gold Coast. Email your applications through to creative@localsearch.com.au.