On June 3, 2019, I began a 10-week journey at SEMGeeks, a digital marketing agency based in Belmar, NJ. On August 7, 2019, that journey officially ended. Over the course of ten weeks, I interned with the Marketing Department in the company, specifically with the SEO (search engine optimization) team. On my first day when I walked into the office, I immediately knew that the overall work environment would be very unique and comfortable for me. Whenever people imagine their future working within a 9 to 5 office job, they’ll instantly conjure up images of employees confined within tiny cubicles stuck completing menial and mundane tasks while dealing with an obnoxious boss with virtually no personality. If this sounds familiar, that’s because I basically summarized the plot of Mike Judge’s classic 1999 cult film “Office Space.” Luckily, my experience at SEMGeeks was entirely void of any similarities with the movie.
Throughout my time working at SEMGeeks, I assisted the SEO team with their client-related projects. A majority of my time there consisted of editing blog content that would be posted on websites owned by their clients. Although it might have felt redundant and tedious after a while, I slowly began to realize the importance of content marketing and how website blogs are one of the most well-known SEO practices adopted by businesses looking to increase their search ranking positions. Other projects focused on uploading blogs through content management systems such as WordPress and also researching keywords for a client using Google’s Keyword Planner Tool within Google Ads. I also spent a considerable amount of time learning more about the concept of search engine optimization, as I possessed little information beforehand. I’m happy to report that through all of the knowledge accumulated has allowed me to expand my understanding of digital marketing, which is my primary focus of study in college.
In terms of working at the office, the one thing that I enjoyed the most about coming in and working was the staff. What I found to be interesting is that almost the entire makeup of the staff at SEMGeeks were people who either recently graduated university or spent a couple of years after graduating with their bachelor’s before working at the company. It felt refreshing working with individuals who were closely around my age. What’s also interesting is that most digital marketing agencies these days are staffed with young employees who belong in the millennial age range. I also enjoyed the fact that the CEO of SEMGeeks was very approachable and nice from the very first day. Most interns would be afraid of talking with the top dog of any company, which is why I like working within a smaller environment where you can have that interaction.
What I enjoy about internships is that it allows me to expose myself into different areas of marketing to see where I would like to focus on form my career. I can happily say that I was able to figure out what I would like to do within the realm of digital marketing. It was a goal that I originally set before I began working at SEMGeeks, and I am glad that I have been able to fulfill that goal during my time at the company. As I head into my senior year at Rider University, I realize that the search for a full-time entry-level position will soon commence. Although my time has SEMGeeks is officially over, my experience as an SEO intern is something that I will definitely remember and utilize as I progress throughout my career.
