Final Thoughts- My place in this industry
So this is it, but not really…
My internship period is officially over here at Red Lips Media (RLM), however, in case you missed it, I have already transitioned into my position as their newest marketing assistant! This has meant finishing off this placement has sort of become a non-moment for me. No big goodbyes and moments of reflection, in fact, I’m not sure if anyone at RLM even knows this is technically my last day as an intern.
It’s crazy to think that the ending of this internship has actually become the start of my career and I’m so excited and honestly relieved to have already found a position that I can truly see myself in post-graduation.
When I was searching for placements for this internship, my biggest goal was to get experience in an agency setting. Having already gained experience in an in-house communications role, I wanted to use this opportunity to explore different pathways from my degree to hopefully help me find my place in this industry for when I graduate.
Especially with a seamless transition into a paid role, it would be all too easy to blow over this internship in my mind, so I want to ensure I use this blog to truly reflect on what I gained from this placement and how it has changed the expectations I had for my career.
Of course, in typical Type-A fashion, the best way to do this is through a pros and cons list of working at a marketing agency.
PRO: A diverse range of clients, getting to stick your toes into a variety of industries and gain a broad range of experience.
CON: This means working with some clients you love, but very possibly clients you don’t know much about or have very little interest in. Unfortunately, commercial linen rental is not one of my passions…
Figure 1. DrSquath, Life Soap GIF 2020, GIF. Reproduced from: Giphy.
PRO: A never-ending to-do list- there is always stuff to be working on or planning. I truly never ran out of work.
CON: A never-ending to-do list- there feels like a mountain of tasks always on the horizon and sometimes I felt I couldn’t put everything I wanted into a task, just because I wasn’t able to invest that much time into it. Agency work truly is the epitome of “so much to do, so little time”.
Figure 2. MeufParis, To Do List Work GIF, 2020, GIF. Reproduced from: Giphy.
PRO: Working with a team of eager and creative professionals who are truly pushing on the edge of innovation and hungry to grow. I truly felt uplifted working with this team and I am excited to have the capability to be pushing the boundaries of current marketing and PR for our clients.
CON: Once again, it’s hard to be passionate and innovative about commercial linen rental…
Figure 3. NailedIt, Jacques Torres Innovation GIF 2018, GIF. Reproduced from: Giphy.
Now some of these definitely aren’t agency-specific, but I do feel like this rounds out my experience here well.
Agency has been hard and fast, exciting and dynamic, and I think for right now, with the thrill of entering the professional workplace, this is exactly what I need. It is helping me to define what I enjoy and what I don’t enjoy, while giving me a base level of knowledge in all aspects of this work. Working at RLM has been an invaluable experience and a major building block in my career that I am so keen to continue to develop upon.
At the end of the day I am still not sure what the right direction for me is, but at least for now I am very happy to be finding my way in the industry and taking on everything agency work can throw at me!
References:
DrSquatch. 2020. “Life Soap GIF” Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/DrSquatchSoapCo-variety-is-the-spice-of-life-varietyisthespiceoflife-YudIjqT4Z8JRxktik0.
MeufParis. 2020. “To Do List Work GIF” Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/MeufParis-work-meuf-meufparis-HYYbdk46gUzrgWi1Iz.
NailedIt. 2018. “Jacques Torres Innovation GIF” Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/nailedIt-nailed-it-netflix-nicole-byers-mkMaunQTzZnPY9PWxK.
Moving On Up!
So after being at my internship for a few months now I am very excited to say that I am moving on up! I have officially been asked to increase my days from two to four, and move into a paid marketing assistant position!
Figure 1. MikeandJackson, Moving On GIF 2019, GIF. Reproduced from: Tenor.
This is honestly all I could have hoped to gain from this internship and I’m excited to continue to get some real-world experience under my belt as I move into my final semester at uni.
Getting this news definitely came as a bit of shock, with weeks of imposter syndrome and constantly worrying that I was working too slow, or that my work wasn’t up to standard. Turns out no feedback is good feedback here and I must be doing something right! It’s extremely fulfilling to know that the work I have been doing has made some kind of mark and I am so excited to be considered one of the team here.
This change has also meant more responsibility and autonomy. A good thing, but definitely a scary thing. I have been officially assigned a list of monthly tasks, including monthly social media content, EDM’s and research tasks, that although I have already been doing, are now truly my responsibility to manage and complete on time. I’m looking forward to having a consistent list of jobs, that I can organise myself, and not have to be constantly told what to do, but most of all I am already excited to make a very pretty excel spreadsheet to track my tasks!
With this change, of course, comes new pressures. Suddenly I’m being paid for my work?? Not that I wasn’t already giving my all, but now it definitely feels like I have to make sure my work is worth the money they’re paying me! I am in direct contact with clients and even presenting in meetings.
But wait, I’ve saved the best till last…I get my own desk! Officially upgraded from the intern table to my own desk and computer, oh, and did I mention my own company email address and official signature! It’s funny how these small things become so exciting- a true representation of me becoming part of the team. I know in 5 years’ time I’ll be looking back thinking how silly it is to get so excited over these things!
Figure 2. My Desk (Photo by Author)
I am so, so, excited to be moving into this position, but mostly to be part of such a supportive and lovely team of girls who I know will work to help me succeed. Only one week to go in my official internship period…let’s see how it goes!
References
MikeandJackson. 2019. “Moving On GIF” Tenor. https://tenor.com/view/moving-on-up-jefferson-george-gif-14786249.
Seeing Social Media Differently
Undertaking this internship, I was extremely excited to see how it could transform my professional life, but something that really surprised me was the impact it had on my out-of-work life too.
Interning at a digital marketing agency, a huge part of our work deals with social media. Creating and sourcing content, planning campaigns, coming up with strategies and staying on top of the trends. With a huge rise in short-form video content across all platforms, stemming from the boom of TikTok we’ve seen in the past few years, all of a sudden my job was literally scrolling through TikTok for hours??? What a life.
Figure 1. Talk Stoop, Living The Life Win GIF By Talk Stoop. 2019, GIF. Reproduced from: Giphy.
Of course, it’s not as mindless as it seems. With each new trending sound or concept, my mind is racing with how we can make it fit for our client and what audience it would appeal to most- something that is shockingly hard when you’re trying to connect the dots between a viral TikTok dance and a hair loss treatment company for example.
But this kind of trend analysis doesn’t necessarily clock off at 5pm. I very quickly found myself scrolling through TikTok on my train ride home and still thinking the same things, saving trending sounds, noting down video concepts, or shots we should film. But honestly, I feel like when it comes to social media that’s how it happens!
To truly understand the platforms you’re posting on, you of course need to be using them. And the more you’re on them, and engaging with them, the more you will understand their audience, their algorithm and their trends.
It feels very similar to how a film student would feel when watching movies, or an English student when reading books. It’s not that it’s a bad thing, in fact, I definitely feel more engaged now when I use social media, transforming from passive to active, and thinking more critically about the things I’m seeing.
This experience has also reinforced the truly dynamic nature of a PR or marketing career and how important it will be to continue to change and grow as trends and platforms also change. Consistently watching, learning and adapting.
Figure 2. CBS, Grow Sheldon Cooper GIF By CBS. 2021, GIF. Reproduced from: Giphy.
It’s exciting to be a part of an industry that is always looking to evolve and innovate, and I can tell going forward, it will certainly keep me on my toes!
References
CBS. 2021. “Grow Sheldon Cooper GIF By CBS” Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/cbs-young-sheldon-eDMLfS4NrKdyCTNTsz.
Talk Stoop. 2019. “Living The Life Win GIF By Talk Stoop” Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/nbc-nessa-talk-stoop-BoWpNhO0hOjfqjFoNW.
Intern Out Of Water: Dealing with self-doubt
After having some time to settle into my internship experience, I’m excited to begin this blog and share my journey as an intern at a digital marketing agency! My name is Nikki Coleman, I have been completing my internship at Red Lips Media…oh, and I feel completely out of my depth!
I know this feeling of self-doubt and imposter syndrome is extremely common when entering a new position or field, especially as a lowly intern entering the big corporate world, but it has still been a huge challenge to overcome and something that I am struggling to shake.
It’s crazy how after studying this degree for four years, and having a ‘day job’ in a communications role, I still felt like a fish out of water as I entered this agency experience! My biggest task… find out if I actually have no idea what I’m doing, or if it is all a mental game- I think you can guess the answer.
Figure 1. The Office, Angry Season 4 GIF By The Office. 2020, GIF. Reproduced from: Giphy.
Imposter syndrome is an internal experience where an individual believes they are not as competent as others perceive them to be (Cuncic 2021). In my day-to-day interning, I have experienced waves of persistent self-doubt and anxiety about the tasks I’m working on, stressing over if I’m doing things right or working fast enough. I often found these thoughts consume my brain and actually make it harder for me to work efficiently, constantly second-guessing my choices and being scared to ask for help.
But guess what?
That’s what internships are FOR.
Something I luckily realised early on, and I encourage anyone else in this position to remember, is that I am just an intern. My employment is in reality an agreement of education and they hired me knowing that I wouldn’t know everything or be the best at everything.
Again for the people in the back-
They know you don’t know everything!
Recognising this has been so important and I have already found myself being more open to ask for help and voice when I don’t know how to do something. Communicating my concerns has been key, and in fact, I have been finding that my supervisors and colleagues are even more excited when I haven’t done something before because it gives them a chance to share their knowledge and see me grow.
It’s been something that has been hard to get my head around, and honestly something that I will probably experience time after time as my career develops. But I am already grateful to have learnt that it is okay to not be the best at something or to have to ask for help, and that is truly how you grow.
I am excited to own the fact that I am an intern and truly take this opportunity to accept that I still have so much more to learn.
Let’s see how this goes!
Figure 2. SNL, Adam Driver Snl GIF By Saturday Night Live. 2020, GIF. Reproduced from: Giphy.
– Nikki
References:
Cuncic, Arlin. 2021. “What Is Imposter Syndrome?”. Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469#:~:text=Impostor%20syndrome%20(IS)%20refers%20to,perfectionism%20and%20the%20social%20context.
The Office. 2020. “Angry Season 4 GIF By The Office.” Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/theoffice-nUgrnG8NY4iI0WQb8j.
SNL. 2020. “Adam Driver Snl GIF By Saturday Night Live.” Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/snl-saturday-night-live-season-45-cPTN0ZR4Zp95dTlqZh.