3 Takeaways From My Time as a OneDigital Intern

This post is authored by Charlotte Carew, a summer intern for the OneDigital National Marketing team

I can remember running down the halls of the office each year on ‘Bring Your Child to Work Day’, drawing pictures for the employees to post on the walls of their cubicles.

I would peek inside conference rooms, not realizing that important meetings were probably taking place in that very moment. Fast forward 15 years, I never expected to be back at that same office – this time for my first internship experience.

When my dad initially suggested I work for OneDigital to explore the world of business, I expected it to be a pretty stereotypical internship. Cleaning up the databases, making copies, picking up lunch for the full-time employees.

It never crossed my mind that I would be a valued, contributing member of the National Marketing Team, preparing for and attending not one but two conferences in Atlanta, Georgia. I was given challenging, time-consuming projects that pushed me outside of my comfort zone and ultimately made this internship an invaluable experience.

I want to share 3 key insights that I gained while interning for OneDigital:

1. Appreciation for Company Culture

   As cliché as it may sound, the people in this office made coming to work every day – dare I say – fun. Whether it was morning coffee refills or afternoon pick-me-up pretzels, with each trip to the kitchen, I was greeted with smiles from colleagues who were genuinely interested in hearing about my college experience, family or day at work. Coworkers quickly became friends, and the office became more than just a place of work. The sense of community here is felt as soon as you walk through the door, and remains with you long after you leave.

2. Confidence

   I began the internship following my sophomore year of college, not yet knowing what I wanted to do with my life. Over the few months spent at OneDigital as a marketing intern, I was able to discover what I was capable of, and what I enjoyed doing. My projects ranged from evaluating the company’s request for proposal (RFP) process to designing in graphics in Photoshop, and everything in between. While I still don’t see a future for myself working with RFP’s, the experience gained through working in the different facets of marketing, coupled with the encouragement I received from my team members instilled a sense of confidence in my capabilities and where I’m headed to next.

3. Knowledge

   I can’t say enough how much I learned during my time at OneDigital. From gaining general knowledge of the marketing field, to finally understanding what exactly the company does (despite the fact that my dad has been in the business since before I was born), I learned something new each day. Most of my knowledge was not something I could have ever learned in the classroom. Having the “real life” work experience on this team helped me to realize that I do want to pursue a career in marketing, and I now feel that I have the necessary tools to do so.

I never thought I’d work at the same office that I would go to on days off from school and although some of the same employees were around then, my experience was completely different. I was challenged with tasks that, admittedly, I had no idea how to do. I had never worked in Photoshop, had never heard of an RFP and I dreaded working in Prezi.

What I quickly came to realize was that even though I didn’t know how to do something, I could figure it out. The reward that came from completing these projects was worth the hard work. I left with a renewed sense of pride and accomplishment.

As much as it pains me to admit, my dad was right. The internship at OneDigital gave me the opportunity to dive into real-world marketing experiences to see what a career in this field might look like. Not to mention the incredible team of marketing rock stars who have been so supportive, patient, and have made OneDigital a lively and entertaining place to work each day.