From co-op to Head of Marketing: 9 things I learned from my first co-op experience

I’m about to close my laptop and say goodbye to my first co-op ever. 

As part of my last week, my mentor Sarah Bedrick, our genius VP of Marketing at Compt, encouraged me to reflect on everything I’ve learned over the past six months. 

I joined the company with little experience in Marketing, but fast forward to today, and I feel like a different person. 

I write these words in the hopes that they might help others who are about to embark on their first marketing co-op or internship program. They might even help employers who are looking to make their intern’s experience more meaningful.

If I could tell myself some things before starting my Marketing co-op, here are the nine most important things I would say:

1. You will be always a student

There wasn't one day where I didn't have to search a "how to..." query. You are not expected to know how every little Marketing thing works, but rather have the ability and attitude to find out how to do something.

One of the best things that helped me to understand more about the Marketing field was by doing constant research. Find out what motivates you most about this field, why you are part of it, and ask the Marketing team for their suggestions on the latest articles or newsletters you should subscribe to.

Don't overwhelm yourself with information, but feel free to do your own research and learn about the latest practices about the things that are most interesting to you. This will be pay dividends in the future when you are able to bring fresh ideas to the table and can contribute meaningfully to brainstorm sessions.

(One of our great software engineers, Andrew Innocent, remembered the time I mentioned that I wanted to write my own line of code into our software, so he took time off his day on Tuesday to teach me the basics and I pushed my first commit to GitHub (Wooo!))

2. Set aspirational goals & enjoy the journey

Even though I thought my first co-op would be at a big corporation, my interview with Compt changed everything completely. I was instantly eager to learn more about entrepreneurship and the vibrant startup ecosystem in Boston.

During my second round of interviews at Compt, Sarah told that she was planning to leave for three months during my co-op period for her maternity leave; and that she would need me to step up as Head of Marketing if I were to accept the role. Before, I thought my goals were aspirational, this level of responsibility and opportunity was a whole other level. Little did I know that this experience would create one of the most meaningful periods of my life. 

From on-page and off-page SEO strategies to events marketing to co-marketing campaigns, I got to ideate, plan, and execute various marketing tactics that had an immense impact on the organization. 

I was actively looking to learn the best practices to create and promote content, but also the best strategies to build resilience, self-awareness, and empathy.

Hopefully, your manager will do a good job of keeping you on track with the goals that you set at the beginning of your internship. However, it never hurts have the chance during the day, comes back to them and try to tie in your day-to-day activities to the whole picture. That way, you will be able to identify if you are on track to achieving the learning goals that you set for yourself at the beginning.

Goals can change, and that is perfectly okay as well. As long as each goal is contributing to the person and professional that you want to be, you will be on the right path.

As you strive toward your goals, remember to enjoy the journey as it is just as important as the goal. Here’s one of my favorite quotes that kept me focused and motivated: “Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for will you never go higher thank you think.”

(The Compt team at our booth at PerksCon; where I had the opportunity to ideate, plan, and execute our brand presence strategy, with the result of capturing 140+ leads of event attendees).

3. You can bring energy

There will be days where you will not feel your best. When the Boston weather may be getting to you, or you may not feel like the happiest person. And that's okay. However, it's great to always bring light and spirit to the office when you have the ability to do so.

The best way to get yourself and the team out of the routine is by telling a funny story, asking someone about their day, or ask what they are currently working on. Be comfortable bringing your young, energized self to the office. 

And don’t be afraid to show that you care about others either. Some of the best ways I got to connect with our team was by genuinely being interested in their professional and personal projects.

(Team at Compt after our VP of Sales, Saad Munir, closed his first deal!)

4. Be comfortable with giving and receiving feedback

One of the best things about the team at Compt is their commitment to giving and receiving feedback. At any company, I highly recommend asking feedback when possible, and giving it back (always in a respectful manner) as well. 

Whether it's a monthly retro presentation, a Lunch & Learn, or a panel, most people appreciate when you are committed to helping them grow. So don’t be afraid to ask for feedback as well. Plus, receiving feedback has been one of the best ways for me to understand where my strengths and weaknesses lie – this has been one of the best parts of working at Compt. And a skill that I will carry with me in the future.

(Our VP of Marketing, Sarah Bedrick, giving a podcast at Lola.com’s office -- she asked me for feedback right after it ended!)

5. Know your leadership style + internal & external motivators

You are probably aware that some people love their internships, and others don't love it as much. The best strategy to prepare for either of these two scenarios is to be aware of what motivates you on both an internal and external level. 

Some examples of external motivations can be things such as compensation, appreciation, promotions, program completions, etc. While examples of internal motivations can be things like inspiration from working with very knowledgable people, being motivated to be expanding your knowledge about a specific field, finding happiness in your day-to-day activities because you believe in the company's purpose, etc...

Make sure you are constantly learning about yourself, and what motivates you. That way, you can carry a positive attitude throughout your internship where you rely on self-motivation.

(Delivering handbags from Compt to Dress for Success Boston, an organization focused on providing women resources to feel comfortable during job interviews. Extremely happy and connected with my internal motivations!)

6. Discover the 'why'

Be able to think of high-level, big-picture goals from this internship. This will help you stay motivated and eager to create new materials and suggest new projects. If you are able to connect with the team, the company's purpose, and the product's mission, then you will have a way to stay focused and continue to work hard.

(Sarah went over my initial internship goals and realized I wanted to learn more about UI/UX and design-thinking. So she brought industry expert Kunal Bhatia into our office so we could learn about design-thinking frameworks, conduct exercises, and ways in which this framework can be applied to future projects.)

7. Create a vision for yourself

Write it down. What do you want to achieve from this experience? How will it help you? How will success look like after you complete this chapter? Are you looking forward to the extraordinary experience of working full-time for a startup while still in college? Or are you more excited about the relationships you will get to build and the Marketing knowledge you will gain? Is your vision getting more knowledge on building a sustainable Marketing machine for a startup and see it grow? Or is it learning how to track metrics and define success for Marketing campaigns?

Determine what success will look like and brainstorm ways in which you will achieve it.

8. Stay in touch with those you met.

Internships and co-ops are a great way to start figuring out what career path you want to take, and the type of person you want to become. 

If you did your job right, you found people who were committed to seeing you succeed. Just because your internship is over, it doesn’t mean you should say goodbye to your former colleagues. Keep in contact with them whether it’s through email, LinkedIn messages, or scheduling convos over coffee or lunch. I know I will.

(On our team-outing we were able to go bowling! And yes, our software engineer Andrew played it smooth to try to let me win...and yet he still won.)

9. And lastly, don’t forget to have fun.

-----

My bag is packed, my inbox is cleared, my co-op goals checklist is fulfilled, and I’m ready to go into the next chapter of my life as I continue to pursue my degree at Northeastern University as a Junior.

Onward and upward,

Fernanda Lopez (Marketing Co-op, Compt).