My Internship Experience at Northern

Before I started my internship at Northern, I thought interning meant doing coffee runs, filing paperwork, and supporting full-time employees as they work with clients. I thought that the value of interning was getting your foot in the door of an industry you are interested in. I did not realize that I would be getting so much meaningful experience so soon after my internship experience began. Interning at Northern for the past two weeks has completely opened my eyes to how empowering, enlightening, and encouraging internships can be. I already feel like I am an important part of Northern’s team.

Two Weeks in the North

I have been working at Northern as a Digital Marketing Intern for the past two weeks alongside five other interns who specialize in project management, interactive design, and web development. Most of us heard about the position through current employees, and had already known about the internship program’s positive reputation. I first applied for the position after speaking to a friend who had a great experience working with the company, and loved the exciting, active culture the company promotes.

"Interning at Northern for the past two weeks has completely opened my eyes to how empowering, enlightening, and encouraging internships can be."

You get the best of both worlds working at Northern. I am able to form meaningful relationships with coworkers in an environment that encourages communication and teamwork, while working with world-renowned clients like Rexall, Oxford Learning Centres, and Tentree. As a student with limited professional marketing experience, tackling bigger projects like proposing strategies to build a brand’s web presence seemed quite daunting at first. However, the office is so close knit and supportive that there is no shortage of people eager to mentor and cheer you on. Even the internship pod is a fun, collaborative space. Despite our varying roles, our work often overlaps. More often than not, someone will be sharing new tips, tools, and knowledge with others, whether it is showing them a shortcut on Excel, or critiquing a design.

A major reason interns feel so comfortable with each other is because of the orientation experience, and the smooth transition we have moving toward more notable projects. For two days, we learned about the different phases of the internship program, who we would report to, and how Northern’s departments work together. We finished the program talking about what goals we had for our internship, and what kind of experience we were after. Over the course of the past two weeks, we have moved from small-scale internal tasks to collaborating with employees on client projects. This progression has been very rewarding to experience. The mentorship program has allowed me to feel simultaneously supported and independent. I have the freedom to make the projects I am working on my own by writing proposals and suggesting ideas to employees, but I still have the support of a team to help guide me through these projects.

I truly look forward to the next three months of my internship. The Northern office already feels like home, and I am astounded about how much I have learned in the past two weeks. I am excited about receiving more hands-on experience in digital marketing, and working on projects in an industry that I am genuinely fascinated about. At the same time, I am excited to experience the company culture, and participate in holiday parties, company-wide team building activities, NCares volunteering, and other fun corporate events during my time with the company. I am really excited for the months ahead, where I’ll be working with a team of dedicated, and supportive individuals who want me to succeed.

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