Reflections of an Intern: Olivia Johnston

Careers advisors at school and university have always emphasised the importance of having relevant work experience. So, when faced with a 3-month long summer after my first year at university, I thought it’d be best to find an internship in an area I planned to have my career in. Within my degree I specialise in marketing, but as an academic subject you tend to learn about marketing theories and so in reality I had very little experience of actually ‘doing’ marketing. However, all this changed when I started working at Show+Tell.

Over the 8 weeks I spent at Show+Tell I experienced so much of digital marketing. From social media, to blog writing, from SEO and PPC to website analysis. I would write down every time I learnt something new, so I worked out that throughout my time there I gained a total of 25 new skills. I think this demonstrates how Show+Tell put the effort to provide real-life experience of working in a digital marketing agency, not doing hypothetical work or simple admin tasks. For me this was invaluable as not only did it mean I gained more skills and experience, but it also helped me make decisions on where I want to take my career.

My work wasn’t confined to the office either. In fact, on my very first day I was in a client meeting tasting a variety of vegan lattes. I also attended several client meetings, which allowed me to see how the different stages of projects and how they developed.

Working at Show+Tell has also made me so much more confident in my own abilities. I feel I’m now able to tackle new tasks such as putting together a marketing proposal or setting up direct emails. I wouldn’t describe it as ‘being thrown in the deep end’ though, as I always felt comfortable to ask questions when I wasn’t sure and Charlie, Aimee and the team were always more than happy to help and offer as much advice as they could.

After my internship I felt that for the first time I had skills and knowledge that differentiated me to my peers and I enjoyed explaining to people what I learned at work. I genuinely looked forward to go to work each morning and was proud of the work I achieved.

The idea of leaving university and having to get a job fills most students with dread, but the working over the summer has actually made me excited for my career prospects. I couldn’t recommend gaining experience at an agency like Show+Tell enough.