It was a huge success for me because the only experience I had with online marketing was publishing posts on Facebook. The first month was more like being lost in a forest– I was looking around, finding my way. I got buried by all those marketing terms, but slowly, step by step, I was getting hang of it, understanding how it all works in the real world of marketing.

My Experience

At the beginning, my “boss” Vilo showed me around in the big world of Google Analytics and Google AdWords (that’s what Google Ads was called back then). In addition, I was also managing websites where I was publishing new articles, correcting “404 errors” and optimizing content and headings. Once I was ready to swim on my own, I was in charge of optimizing websites for search engines, managing PPC campaigns in AdWords and Analytics, copywriting and many other small tasks that were assigned to me.

Looking Back

My journey at CoolStránky, after 9 months, is coming to an end. My last job is to interview myself :). In the following lines I’ll try to summarize my internship at CoolStránky and tell my point of view on the decisions you need to consider when deciding to work as an intern 

• As an intern, you can get practical experience and abilities directly from the field.
  One of the many things I’ve realized is that you need to be more versatile, because things are more complex in real life than in school. On the other hand, they make a lot more sense. As a student, you have a lot going on. You need to learn how to make use of your time efficiently, divide it wisely between work, school, family and friends, while also having some time for yourself. My internship wasn’t just about completing assignments I was given. I could also come up with my own ideas, implement them and see how they work.
   
• You also receive a verification of completion of your internship.
  But you shouldn’t be looking for an internship just because of some stamp on a paper. My goal was to work in a marketing agency and test my skills in the real world. And luckily, I’ve achieved my goal! The paper with the stamp was just a bonus, cherry on the cake. Personally, it was more important I could get a job I wanted. 
   
• The intern gets valuable insights, achieves important skills that help him/her decide in which way he/she should go.
  As a search engine optimizer you acquire a lot of knowledge from different fields, since we need to read such a big amount of content on the web we could become experts in those fields as well :). You need to be more responsible and believe in yourself. You need to stop relying on someone else to fix your work for you. That’s how you get more and more independent and skillful. I had to rely on myself and my skills which wasn’t that easy at the beginning. I was used to for somebody constantly looking over my shoulder and warning me about my mistakes. That’s why I had to work on expressing myself better, writing meaningful reports and submitting detailed assignments. Your work has an impact on others in the team – your colleagues need to understand your outputs. 
   
• You can choose your position and maybe even your dream job.
  When I first decided I want to pursue my dream of being a marketer, I had a lot of misconceptions. I thought I will be involved in advertising campaigns that will be running both online and offline. I didn’t realize that advertising and marketing were much broader terms. That’s why I focused on managing PPC campaigns and later tried out the unknown paths of copywriting. The worst part is that I’m still not convinced which marketing path suits me the most. Well, all I can do is wait and see, maybe it will choose me :).

Work Environment at Coolstránky

I started working at CoolStránky, when there were only four tables in the office and two full-time employees. Now, there’s eight of us sitting in here and we’ve also moved to a new place. One thing did not change, though. I’m still the only girl member of the team. That’s why I often gave them lectures about interesting topics. Since I was in charge of a women’s underwear website, my colleagues regularly got insights into interesting things from the “women’s world”. I even got a pink mug! :) The atmosphere in the office is casual and really friendly. The colleagues are more than willing to help and explain anything you need. And it’s not just about work all the time – we also talk about other interesting topics.
 
If you’re new to marketing and want to gain valuable experience, I can recommend signing up for an internship at CoolStránky. Under the professional supervision of my “boss” and mentor Vilo, I had the chance to discover the unknown places of the marketing world. This internship pushed me further in life and gave me the chance to develop myself. It was a very pleasant experience. So, if you’re looking for an internship, but still hesitate, don’t worry. The first steps are always the hardest. Just send the email and see what happens.