On the 11th of June, 2020 I applied for the role of Social Media Management Intern in the global team of Signify (formerly known as Philips Lighting) in Eindhoven. I noticed the position advertised earlier in the year and hoped to apply but since I was still carrying out my thesis I had to wait. Luckily for me, the position was re-posted early June and I altered my CV accordingly and sent it. Initially, I was not optimistic as I noticed I was one of 177 other applicants but on June 30th I had an interview with the head of social media at Signify and on August 3rd I started the internship.
On beginning my internship I was under the impression I would be dealing a lot with the everyday processes of social media. I thought I would be posting content, carrying out copywriting and communicating with consumers, but I am really happy it was so much more than that. I had the opportunity to utilise the world’s leading customer experience management platform Sprinklr on which I created reports and developed data-driven strategies for the marketing teams of Signify all over the world. I also had the opportunity to work closely on upcoming campaigns, one of which was a recent successful launch of UV-C Lighting, lighting which can disinfect surfaces and kill the Covid-19 virus.
Although the internship was carried out predominantly from home, I learned a lot more than I anticipated. If I were to begin the process again, however, there are a few strategies/tips I would apply to make sure I am as productive as possible and get the most out of my internship from the very beginning.
1. Ask questions and be honest!
In the first week or two of my internship, I found myself completely unsure as to what was expected of me and what I was supposed to be doing. Beginning a job in a company, especially a large organisation, there is a certain level of assumption. My team, unknowingly assumed that I knew simple things, like how the software they use works, how to use Microsoft Teams and how many tasks were expected of me per week, to name a few. Although there are many tasks which you can figure out yourself, sometimes asking questions is the best way to get to the bottom of something, even if it feels ‘stupid’ to ask. In the second week of my internship, I organised a meeting with my supervisor as I didn’t feel as though I knew what my role as an intern was and what was expected of me and that meeting brought me so much clarity and motivation which I would not have gotten if I didn’t ask.
2. Get a journal/diary/planner
As my competence within the team grew, so did my task list. Although I was enjoying getting tasks, the more they built up, the more I forgot. After realising I left a few tasks undone or late I decided to buy a journal in order to organise myself and it worked a lot better than I had expected. Writing tasks out helped to solidify them in my mind and I had some mental clarity when everything was on paper, I didn’t have to constantly worry that I may have forgotten to do something.
Overall I really enjoyed the Internship, I have learned so much more than I anticipated and through working at Signify I feel more competent and ready to start a full-time position after I graduate. In Signify’s social media team, you work in a small team of friendly helpful colleagues who are always available to help and answer questions of any nature. I have learned so much about social media and data collection and even the effects of different lighting. Considering everything I have learned and the experiences I have gotten, I would definitely recommend this internship.