A digital marketing internship can do a lot for you. It’s one of the best ways to get hands-on experience at a marketing agency, and it can give you a taste of what life could be if you chose a career in digital marketing.
An internship can also lead you to find new passions in marketing, gain a wide network of professional contacts and, if you’re one of the awesome ones, it can even lead to a job.
But that’s only if you work it right.
Making the most of your time as a digital marketing intern requires a very particular set of skills.
Skills you might only otherwise acquire over a very long career. Skills that make you a dream candidate for digital marketing jobs.
We’ve got some insider tips to help you find a digital marketing internship, prep for the interview and help you get the most out of your experience.
First, let’s talk about…
Finding a digital marketing internship
Finding a digital marketing internship is a lot about who you know. Being familiar with someone at the agency you’re looking into can help you get a foot in the door.
Think through your contacts – friends, family, acquaintances, anyone you make small talk with regularly, etc. – to find out who has a job or works at a company that you find interesting. Then reach out to them and see what internship opportunities are available.
You truly never know where a good opportunity may be.
Go ahead, put out the vibe.
The Big Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to put out the vibe with your contacts. Make it known that you’re interested in a company or a position, and ask what internship opportunities are available.
You found an internship you’re into. Next up…
Preparing for your internship interview
Your odds of getting the job are remarkably higher if you don’t cry during the interview.
You don’t have to have a stellar resume in order to land an internship. Most digital marketing agencies realize that interns won’t have much (or any) experience.
We get it – you have to start somewhere.
Getting an internship relies less on your resume, and more on your attitude. You’re not expected to know everything or have all of the technical knowledge; you just have to be willing to learn.
You won’t be expected to know everything in your interview, but you will be expected to have an attitude of eagerness to learn and take on new tasks.
It’s also helpful if you know what you’d like to get out of an internship. Be ready to express what you’re interested in when it comes to the internship and company (a certain department, position or type of work).
Make it known what you want out of the experience, and what you think you can contribute.
As far as interview questions go, be prepared to have answers for the classics: “What’s your experience?” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
If you interview here at LaneTerralever, make sure you’re ready for some curveballs, which may include:
- “What’s your spirit animal?”
- “In the event of a zombie apocalypse, what three things would you grab from your home?”
- “Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?”
We usually ask weird interview questions to get to know your personality and test your ability to think on the spot.
The Big Takeaway: Be confident but also humble. Be honest about what you know and what you don’t know, and make it clear that you’re interested in learning and taking on new things.
Once you’ve nailed the interview and gotten the internship, it’s time to start…
Interning like a boss
Sorry, we don’t actually allow smoking indoors here anymore.
Want to be an unforgettable intern for the right reasons? One who lands a job and/or a glowing letter of recommendation?
To make the most of your time here, you’ve got to intern like a boss. Here’s how you do it:
Be prepared for real work. The best digital marketing internships will give you the opportunity to do real client work across multiple departments.
If you get an internship at LaneTerralever, you can expect to be involved in everything from web builds and creating social media posts to brainstorm sessions and business pitches. Wherever help is needed and if you’re interested, we’ll plug you into exciting, hands-on work.
One thing that will never be on your agenda: coffee runs. Or other typical intern work, for that matter.
Don’t be afraid to speak up. There’s a lot of fear that comes with an internship. Fear of not performing, or of making mistakes. That fear can keep prevent you from participating.
Your time here is as much about doing work as it is about learning when to speak up, ask questions and weigh in with your ideas.
You got the internship, so obviously, the people who hired you believe you bring something special to the table. Work past the fear, speak up and prove them right.
Take initiative and be bold. There’s often a lack of rhythm when you work at a digital marketing agency – sometimes you’re swamped, other days are quiet. In those quiet times, seek out something to work on.
Ask around the office if anyone has something you can help out with. Chances are you’ll find someone who needs help.
And if that person doesn’t have time to explain the task step-by-step, you might just have to figure it out yourself. In that scenario, do the absolute best you can. What you produce might have mistakes, but the person you’re helping will (usually) appreciate your initiative.
Try to fit in. Yes, you read that right. You’re going to be interacting with a diverse group of people. Try your hardest to mix it up with your team and folks from different departments across the company.
Ask someone to coffee for 10 or 15 minutes to get an idea of who they are and what they do. Find out what TV shows people are watching in the office and try a few episodes. Go to happy hour with your co-workers.
The more you fit in, the more you’ll learn about the company and other possible areas of interest and you’ll grow your network of professional contacts. And you might even make some friends along the way.
The Big Takeaway: You get out of an internship what you put into it. So take it seriously, put all of your intelligence and thoughtfulness into what you do and, most importantly, try to enjoy it.
