Nicole Dykeman was an intern at SEMGeeks and worked with the SEO and Social Media teams. She is attending Hofstra University. See her thoughts on her SEMGeeks expereince below!
I wasn’t exactly sure what I should expect when I walked through the doors of the Semgeeks office. This was my first internship, so naturally, I was nervous. I didn’t know much about marketing. I still have yet to take a class in the subject. Essentially, I was walking in blind, with very limited knowledge of marketing terms and strategies. Plus, I’ve heard a few internship horror stories throughout my life of people sent on coffee runs, assigned mindless tasks, or not quite welcomed into the workplace.
My experience at Semgeeks involved none of these things. The open office space was open and welcoming, and so were the team members. I didn’t dread days in the office; I looked forward to them. I learned something new every day, and my daily tasks were anything but dull. There are always new clients, new blog posts, new tweets and Instagram posts to be shared, in all kinds of industries. From day one, I was thrown into a whirlwind of both new and ongoing projects. I got hands on with websites and apps I hadn’t used before, learning through trial and error with just enough guidance from my supervisors. One after the other, every blog and social media post I wrote was crafted with more confidence than before. As the weeks went on, the information began to sink in. SEO, keywords, PPC–these were all things that I had never even heard of before June. Now, I know more about how they work and how I can incorporate them into my writing.
And I wasn’t just sitting at a computer for three months. I quickly realized that Semgeeks is a company where my creativity could thrive. From sitting in on meetings with the rest of the team to helping to plan and promote the 2018 New Jersey Digital Marketing Conference, I was up and about and communicating with other departments and team members. I learned about more than just email and social media marketing; I learned about event planning, scheduling, and communication. I was free to ask questions and make suggestions, and there was always someone willing to help.
Though I am sad to leave Semgeeks, I am also excited to return to Hofstra, armed with all of my newfound skills. I know I will use them frequently as I write blog posts for our English Society website and draft up promotional materials and emails for our literary journal mailing list. The knowledge I have gained over the last three months will benefit me both inside and outside the classroom over the next three years.
As I continue my college career, I will look back on my time at Semgeeks fondly, knowing that I am lucky to have a strong marketing foundation to carry forward into the workforce, whichever direction I decide to go. Semgeeks has definitely set a standard–my hopes will be high as I pursue future internship and job opportunities. It was a pleasure working with such a wonderful team of people and I am grateful for all that I have learned and experienced during my time here.
