Why marketing internships are important to complete

The “Work experience paradox” as I’ve named it, is a problem that plagues every Uni student, but luckily in the world of 2022 we have a saviour. The internship.

So, what is an Internship you ask? Well, an internship is defined as ‘the position of a student or trainee who works in an organisation, sometimes without pay, to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification’

In this short blog, I’ll be going through the top reasons as to why the highly coveted marketing internship, is so important to get into and to complete.

1. Experience

We’ve all been there; we’re trying to get a job and our resume just doesn’t cut it. No one wants to hire you without having any real-world experience. The marketing industry in particular is cut-throat; every company is looking to hire the cream of the crop and sure that could be you but without first getting a chance to learn the basics It’s an uphill battle trying to prove you’re a marketing whiz to future employers.

That’s where the Internship comes in, internships provide a unique experience to gain in-depth, on-the-job knowledge. They’re normally short-term commitments, ranging from 3-6 months but provide the skills that will make you a star at your next marketing job. From the foundational skills, such as market research all the way to preparing pitches and running campaigns, Internships provide an opportunity for every future marketer to succeed and build confidence in themselves and their knowledge. The best part is, when you finally do decide to end the gap year early and find a job, your prospective employers will love seeing a completed internship on your resume and will more than likely draw their attention when compared with someone who doesn’t have an internship under their belt.

2. Networking

We’ve all heard the saying “its not what you know, its who you know” – and while that’s not entirely correct, your network is super important in your journey to become a fully fledged marketer. Networking refers to “the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts”. It’s thought that in Australia, between 60 to 80 percent of jobs are secured via the hidden job market. That means it’s not on SEEK or LinkedIn, the only people that know about these jobs, are those that know about these jobs.

Once again, the internship can be your saving grace. Internships provide the opportunity to meet and mingle with professionals in your field. These are people that themselves have sophisticated social networks that you can use to help you in your job hunt and could put in a good word for you as a reference. Who knows, one day they might be the person you see sitting across from you when you enter the interview room.

3. Professional Development

We’re all constantly learning. One of the best things about being a marketing intern is getting the chance to work with people that know a lot more about the subject than you do. Being able to meet with managers and supervisors and go through your work and getting consistent feedback from an industry professional is a unique opportunity that is accessed by completing an internship. This enhances your self-awareness by highlighting your strengths and gives you the chance to work on your weaknesses with the guidance of those around you. Creating an environment where you can develop professionally and refine your skills is an opportunity that all new graduated should embrace before entering full-time work.

4. Get a career Trial

Remember how I mentioned earlier those internships are short term commitments?... Well, what better way to know if you ended up in the right field, than a short, simulated career. Internships provide you with a chance to dip your toes into the career pool without diving in headfirst. If in the worst case you’re not a fan, no worries. Lucky for you, you only committed a few weeks and not a lifetime.  This is also why its important to complete the whole Internship, because especially with marketing no 2 days are the same. One day you could be doing sitting behind a computer screen doing SEO and the next you could be in a board room pitching a new idea. Marketing covers so many niches, that the only way to know if this is the industry for you is by getting through the whole thing. Everyone’s different, you might not like sitting at a computer all day, but you may love presenting your ideas and getting creative. Internships offer a great insight into the day in the life of a career professional

Now that we know what internships are, and how important they can be for those looking to get experience or find a job. It is time to start looking for you next internship opportunity. When applying for full-time work, it is a highly competitive landscape, and it is crucial that you have unique experiences that demonstrates to employers you have gained skills through industry experience, which will also put you at an advantage against other applicants. It is important to note that it is an experience, and you cannot be too fussy when applying for internships. Embrace the experience and seeing it as a steppingstone in your career.

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