Working Remote as a College Student in Digital Marketing

Late last summer, I started ramping up my LinkedIn game. After completing some Google and HubSpot certifications, I wanted to connect with other thought leaders in the digital marketing world, particularly ones who were local. From there, I interacted with some of these individuals’ content regularly. One day, Ben Donahower reached out to me, and we soon met for coffee to hash out the details of a possible internship at his HubSpot agency. 

Image caption: Ben's first message to me on LinkedIn.

We met and created a list of overlapping topics that I could work on in my time at No Bounds Digital. All mutual, challenging, and attainable topics that would benefit us both. In my time there as their Digital Marketing Intern, I focused on three projects:

1. Established search engine optimization (SEO) pillar pages on the HubSpot platform.
2. Created and coordinated a flighted campaign within HubSpot.
3. Coordinated the About Us page update to introduce the agency’s team to potential clients.

I also received HubSpot’s Marketing Software certification, which cemented my knowledge of HubSpot tools for the above projects. Being able to put my skills to the test and have projects backing up what I have learned makes me feel empowered to continue.

To break into the world of digital marketing interning with an agency felt right to me. No Bounds focuses solely on HubSpot, journey-based advertising, and reputation management. An exciting aspect of No Bounds to me was that they are 100% remote. It meant that I can work at my own pace and on my own timeline. I did have some mild reservations as to how substantial a remote internship could be. After starting though, I realized how privileged I was to have coworkers across the world to lean on for advice… or cat pictures! It was also freeing to work at my own pace. It left me with more time to travel, attend conferences in other cities, and spend time doing other things that I love. It wasn’t all chaos though. I met with Ben on a weekly Zoom call to discuss my work from the past week. I also used Twist to keep up with what my coworkers were doing, and Todoist to keep track of my tasks. 

I strongly believe gaining experience beyond the classroom will better prepare people for the workplace. At the time, I was powering through free online certifications, watching videos on YouTube, and looking for the thought leaders in digital marketing. I wanted a chance to be able to prove that I am capable of applying what I’ve learned in the classroom and elsewhere. Previously, I have taken many online classes to supplement my university education from business calculus to science courses with no issues. This internship was also a way to prove to myself that I am able to work on my own and still produce quality work. It is amazing to think that we can collaborate in real-time thousands of miles away from one another. I never would have thought 10 years ago that we would be able to solely conduct business online without it being a scam. 

If I were to be asked a year ago, agency-side, or corporate I would have probably looked at the person asking me that as if they had three heads and ran for the hills to corporate. After working in a corporate office and now at an agency, I feel that my digital marketing skills will be honed better starting off at an agency. This ensures that I have a supportive group of individuals who are knowledgeable in the same areas that I am mentoring me along the way. Even though I am stepping into a business world with many unknowns during a pandemic, I feel more comfortable having this experience. I plan to continue my exploration of digital marketing in the realm of search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and content writing.