My first marketing gig was a little different than what I’d pictured. As half of a two-person marketing team for a small company, my boss and I implemented the marketing strategy from top to bottom, giving me exposure to website creation, analytics, social media, design, content creation and more within my eleven-month internship.
Today at LEWIS, I’m exposed to several different clients in a variety of industries and work on unique campaigns for each. Working for an agency is a little bit like I’d imagined so many years ago, but it’s also so much more. Now with almost a year of agency experience behind me, I can compare and contrast my internships in two different environments.
Clients
The most obvious difference between agency and in-house work is servicing several clients instead of just one company. Time management becomes a key skill when working for an agency. Not only do I juggle work between different projects, I also manage multiple clients in a variety of different industries. Each client has its own unique voice, making it important for me to be able to switch from a serious tone to a more playful one instantly.
Planning
Although a few curveballs are always inevitable, when working in-house I could more easily anticipate my to-dos each day. No matter how much preparation I put into my schedule at a marketing agency, my day will never go completely according to plan, and last-minute client requests or meetings are simply part of the job. The excitement of this fast paced, ever-changing agency environment drives my creativity and project management skills to another level.
Opportunity
Being part of a small marketing team meant I was a wearer of many hats, working on a number of programs sporadically. Working for a small company gave me exposure to many different parts of the marketing process, but on many occasions I had to learn on the fly. At an agency, I hone in on certain abilities to provide stronger niche skills to clients. I enjoy the opportunity to work with colleagues who are experts in their field and are always willing to share their knowledge.
Collaboration
Collaboration and communication are important in both small and large teams, in creative agencies and companies. For my internship at the small company, my boss and I synced up daily about progress on our latest projects and any new developments, always keeping one another in the loop. At an agency, I work with dozens of people each day – a mix of clients, coworkers and other third parties. The teams I am part of here at LEWIS work together closely and keep open communication with one another and clients on a daily basis to keep projects moving successfully.
Having experience working in both agency and in-house settings gives me a broader perspective of what a career in marketing can be. Both environments taught me new skill sets and exposed me to different industries, companies and people. I look forward to the many more adventures that life at LEWIS has in store for me in 2019 in my new role as a Digital Marketing Specialist.
Interested in an internship at LEWIS? See our current opportunities.
