Learning, Adapting, and Succeeding: My 12-Week Internship at J2

An intern at J2 will learn three things: you will handle more than you think you can, how to classify your time, how to adapt to different opportunities. In my very short 12 weeks here, I have learned and accomplished completion of projects, blog posts, videos, and certifications I didn't know existed.

Here is a simplified version of what my internship program looked like:

• Week 1: Onboarding and Shadow office life
• Week 2: 1st Certification course
• Week 3: 2nd Certification Course
• Week 4: Implementing Learned Strategies
• Week 5: Vacation!
• Week 6: Advanced Content Strategies
• Week 7: Analytics and Performance Tracking
• Week 8: Real Project Assistance
• Week 9: Inbound Marketing Certification and Continued SEO/Content Strategies
• Week 10: Final Project Preparation/Intern Social Media Takeover
• Week 11: Final Project Preparation
• Week 12: Capstone Project Presentation and Wrap-Up

Certification Reflection

The internship started with two certifications from HubSpot Academy: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Content Marketing. Towards the end of the internship, I completed the Inbound Marketing Certification. Each one of these certifications prepared me for different parts of the internship. SEO prepared me for what they were expecting in the blogs. Content Marketing prepared me for the writing I would do for clients' brands. Inbound marketing made it more straightforward for me to incorporate language that would encourage loyal clients and engage relevant content for social media.

Blogs

The blogs were one of the main parts of this internship. They were a massive help in applying what I learned from my SEO certification course—how to incorporate keywords without sounding repetitive or robotic. I was also exposed to many writing and editing tools I did not know existed. Being able to write two to three blogs a week on whatever you want may sound a little intimidating, but once I was comfortable with the formatting and the kind of writing I was expected to do, it was so easy.
Writing every day for three weeks got tedious at times, but I would say to any future intern that you just have to make yourself do it because it will force you to practice. Being responsible for writing and editing these blogs felt intimidating when Bre told me what the internship expectations were, but there is always support when you need it. She was teaching me that I could write and edit the blogs by myself. I just had to trust in my talents.

Social Media Reflection

The social media takeover was not something that was planned for this internship. If you had asked me at the beginning of this, I would have said not to take over all of their socials because I have never posted anything on TikTok or Facebook. And my personal Instagram is mostly informal photo dumps! However, the more I got to know everyone in the office, the more I felt comfortable when Nadine, the Social Media Manager, came to me with the idea. I had the most fun doing this because it forced everyone in the office to break out of their routine to participate in fun videos. The TikToks, especially since they are more informal, were a fantastic team-building experience.
Nadine was an amazing mentor during the social media week. She let go of the reins and said “I am here to support you in any way you need, but I want your personality to come through as the creative director for these posts.” Let's not forget that this was a content internship, but I was expecting to only write. This shows how many opportunities and surprises came with this internship.

The Capstone

This Capstone project was the crowning glory of my internship. I was tasked with creating a comprehensive content strategy for a fake skincare brand called PureGlow. I could pick my brand archetypes, blog posts, and social media post ideas and build my target audience. As long as I met all the requirements, I could make this presentation anything I wanted.
At first, it was a lot to handle because I had started this at the same time I was doing the social media takeover, so here is where the compartmentalization really came into play. I chose to prioritize the social media content at work and dedicate time after my hours to work on the capstone project.
I was very proud of how it turned out because I got to implement everything I had learned and had been practicing throughout the last 12 weeks.

Overall reflection

I also think the way the whole internship was planned out was great. I started by getting the SEO and content marketing certifications. Then I did blog writing for a few weeks, then the inbound marketing certification, then the social media takeover, and then this capstone project. Doing it this way was helpful to me because I first learned what my Lead was looking for in the blog posts and how to make them suitable for SEO. Then I got to use that certification and practice doing a certain kind of writing until I was very comfortable with what I was doing. Then it was broken up a bit with the following certification. Writing the blogs for this project felt so easy because I knew exactly what I was doing.
I also never felt restricted from helping or asking for help from other teams. The office layout is so open that it really promotes a team-friendly environment. All the desks are in the center of the office, so it feels like you are really encouraged to collaborate with different teams anytime you need a new perspective.

Mentorship At J2

Bre was the best mentor I could have asked for. She is organized and thoughtful. Bre made this beautifully laid out program, almost like a syllabus. Each week was planned out with wiggle room in case opportunities popped up. I saw how much work she put into making this a valuable experience, not just for J2, so I could come away from this feeling like I did learn something. And I did! I learned so much from the content but also how to compartmentalize my time in an office setting and be a good leader. If you ever see Bre in any meeting, whether it's with a client or even with her coworkers, you will see how she commands the room. I hope to take some of that to wherever the next step is.

Thank you to everyone at J2. I had the best experience!