Professionally Refreshed: My Experience as an Intern

While this summer has gone by fast, it feels like there was a lot that I learned within such a short period of time. Some things were expected, but others were not. Regardless, I feel as though there was not a moment wasted when it came to my professional development.

I was prepared to take a deep dive into a lot of the data and marketing strategies. I was aware of what went into different SEO strategies but was not aware of how even the smallest tweaks and edits could affect a site, and ultimately, a business. Once I looked at different analytical websites and plugins, I saw a lot more important data that went beyond just what’s on the site. At first, it was both fascinating and a little overwhelming.

It’s easy to get lost in a lot of data. When so much is presented to you, it’s hard to know where to start with it all. With some guidance, I was introduced to different perspectives to analyze different data sets and websites. Eventually, you start to see patterns in certain types of data and it gives you a better idea as to where you should focus your attention. After spending enough time with the sites and analytical tools, you get a clearer idea of what works best. Throughout my time working with these companies, this became my experience.

There’s a lesson that stuck with me throughout different SEO lectures and projects: often, a site’s data ends up leading you more than you can lead it. By working on different projects and getting more familiar with different companies, this was further driven home. I received a lot of valuable insight into the digital marketing strategy for different companies. I also gained insight into the strategies for different industries. This ties back into my mention of seeing data patterns. Seeing them gives you a better understanding as to how businesses and industries work.

Marketing and the Bigger Picture

It was fascinating getting to see how other areas of marketing can come together to develop a strategy in line with a business’s goals. When you understand what a company’s business goals are, it better informs your digital marketing strategy. It gives it some direction and everyone is able to understand, and focus their efforts on, a common goal. It was eye-opening to see how different strategies and techniques can work for different businesses based on the nature of their industry. Moving quickly from working with one business to the next put a lot of that into perspective.

Improvements in my Professional Development

With all of this, there were times where I felt some challenge in my tasks. Challenged in a way that could bring a person to have to think differently than ever. I had to learn how to do things better than I was used to doing so in class. I also had to be able to shift gears when it came to dealing with different businesses quickly. Keeping multiple businesses in mind and moving from one to another so quickly seemed like a lot to deal with, but I got used to it quicker than I thought I would.

Wrap Up

Throughout my summer at Marketing Refresh, I was presented with a lot more than I expected. Before starting this internship, I expected to gain more perspective on SEO and digital marketing as a whole. I ended up doing those while also gaining more insight into the nature of different businesses and their industries. All of this helped me to further develop as a marketing professional.

Overall, it was great getting to take what I learned in my classes and use that as a foundation to build on with what I learned here at Marketing Refresh. It was a productive summer that went by pretty quickly, and I am grateful for the opportunity.