Finding the Right Internship
The B413 program at George Brown College is a great program to gain the skills and knowledge you need to work in the digital marketing space, thanks to the wonderful instructors and professors we have. However, the search for an internship can be quite stressful as a student. While finding the time for final assignments, projects, presentations, interviews, and trying to have a social life, it can become quite chaotic and complicated to balance yourself, especially at the end of the semester. Thankfully, we had the pleasure of meeting with Danielle Humilde and Stephanie Lee, who are previous students of the B413 program, to shed light on their journey in the marketing industry and how they got to where they are now.
As many of my fellow classmates can probably relate, we have about one month left of school for this program. This also means that we have one month left to find an internship or job that fits into what we are looking for. I’ve had this conversation with many of my classmates, and for most of us, this is our last step in our education before we join the workforce. It’s a bittersweet moment, because we are excited to be graduating and to officially be Digital Marketers, but are also stressed with finding not only the right job, but the right company we want to work with. In my own personal journey to finding a position for my work term, my schedule has been flooded with interviews in between classes, before and after work, and really any spare time we have.
After meeting Danielle and Stephanie, there are four tips I recommend for anyone finding an internship or a new job.
Tip #1: Make Connections & Freelance
Right now, it is crunch time. In the past few months, I’ve been interviewing with several companies and have been questioned a lot about my experience in digital marketing. It was eye opening to hear from both Danielle and Stephanie about how they freelanced to build up their portfolio and experience to get them to where they are today. It stood out to me that many of us students in this program can freelance to kickstart our journeys into the digital marketing field and to build our portfolio and experience. It was super interesting to hear about Stephanie’s journey on how networking is the key towards advancing in your career. Networking is often a term people throw around, however I completely agree with her. In my own experience, I’ve gotten jobs through connections and those positions ended up being one of the most rewarding and interesting jobs I’ve had. Not only does networking help you in your career, but creating new connections with people anywhere in life makes life more fulfilling.
Tip #2: You are your greatest asset that you can market - Danielle Humilde
What I’ve struggled most with is finding a company that values the knowledge and experience I have to bring to the table. Although this feels overwhelming, it was encouraging to hear from Danielle and Stephanie and the progress they’ve both made in their careers. What really stood out to me was Danielle saying “You are your greatest asset that you can market”. It really reminded me that if we do not believe in ourselves, who will? It’s so important to take a chance on yourself, be confident, and be open to new opportunities. You are truly your own brand. As future Digital Marketers, we have been taught through this program that we will be making marketing plans, sales pitches, and doing a lot of presentations where we will have to not only be comfortable, but participate in public speaking like its a sixth sense. Whether that be a new position in a new company, or enrolling in a course you don’t know much about, life is about taking risks and change. However, it's important to keep in mind that a job or a title at work does not define your life. You are in charge of your own success, and only you can determine what you want to prioritize in life. It’s never too late to try new things in life, because change is constant. It’s okay to change your mind no matter where you are in life, whether it be about a job, person, thought or feeling.
Tip #3: Be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
After hearing the advice Danielle and Stephanie had to offer coupled with my own experience finding a work position, one thing I’ve learned is that you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Progress comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone and thinking outside of the box. You have to become familiar with putting yourself out there and advocating for yourself to not only advance in your career, but to also refine your own communication skills. Growth is found outside of your comfort zone. Throughout all the interviews I've had, the presentations I've done in class, I believe that it has truly pushed me outside of my comfort zone and I can now confidently say that I am familiar with speaking about myself, my ideas, and I'm confident in the skills and knowledge I have to offer.
Tip #4: Rejection is Redirection
Danielle and Stephanie’s experience in the B413 Digital Media Marketing program at George Brown College was really insightful and reassuring that we will get to where we need to be in life. Hearing about their journey that led to their current positions really reinforced that everything happens for a reason. If you get rejected from a job you applied for, just know that it is redirecting you towards a job that is a better fit for you. Rejection is not the end of the world, it’s part of the process towards better. Especially during this time in our lives, it’s so vital to keep in mind that when one door closes, another one opens. It was so encouraging to hear that previous students of this program have been successful in their job hunt and are now working in fields and companies that they enjoy being part of. It gives me hope in finding the right work opportunity for me. I will definitely take the advice given along with me, I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for me!
Connect with me on LinkedIn to keep up with my journey to finding the right internship!
All links: https://linktr.ee/ariellehuang
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