One of the secrets to a good career these days is on the ground experience, which usually opens up opportunities to talk to experts in your field about real-world problems affecting the workplace. While education is a vital component of marketing, it is experience with a company that will really solidify what you learn.
In this expert careers advice article from The Guardian newspaper, for example, the advice is swift and sound: start at the bottom, and you can work your way up to a successful career. And the best way to get that basic learning experience for many is through an internship.
So here are just a few tips toward making your marketing internship the best it can be.
Go Where You Can Observe Problems Being Solved
Being an intern can sometimes be a process that can get sidetracked by the work you’re assigned. Since the tough jobs will be given out to higher-level executives and other workers, interns often get the more banal tasks: photo-copying, billing, etc. However, you’ll want to establish up front that you’re at the company to experience problems they face first-hand, so that you can use that knowledge later in your career. Think of it as a way of going from the hypothetical to the practical: if you’ve been reading about cases in books, it’s going to be very different to see the company-client relationship as it works in real-life.
Be Prepared to Work for Free, But See if Some Payment Can be Made
While you’re thankfully choosing a career with very high wages, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, internships are notorious for their low or even nonexistent pay. And “free labor” is one of the benefits to companies about internships–that there is little risk: they train new workers, but don’t have to invest the capital to do so. But sometimes negotiating even a small amount of payment can be a positive thing. Even with a minimal paycheck, you can make sure you’re eating healthily and making rent. While you may not be living like a king, it’s easier than wondering where your next meal is coming from when you’re dealing with the stress of a new assignment and pulling long hours.
Make Connections in the Industry
Remember that an internship is a great way not just to gain experience, but to get to know people in your desired line of work. So remember to be yourself, and always present your best manners to people. Make a good impression — who knows, the person you’re talking to during a coffee break could be a potential coworker, or even a future client. So plant the seeds of a good reputation now.
So if you’re considering a career in the dynamic and exciting field of marketing, know that getting an internship and enjoying the work experience you’ll get doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Make sure you’re able to take care of yourself, and don’t step on any toes, and with a bit of hard work you might find a company you love working with and an industry you want to dedicate your life to.
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