It’s crazy to think how my professional career began. I was meant to go to an airline head office but ended up at an ad agency where I met the general manager. I tried my luck and asked for an internship, which I landed, which then led to a full-time position as an Account Executive. In this position, I regularly met with clients to help design multiple forms of media to meet their advertising needs. Whether it be print broadcast or digital, I aided clients with the best possible, attention-grabbing advertising strategies that make them memorable while garnering new customers.
When I moved to Canada in November 2017, I hoped to find a place where I could play a similar role. I ended up networking with Vikram Shivahare during a pickup soccer game amongst friends and learnt about what he did at Element IQ (EIQ), a digital marketing agency in Burnaby, BC. As luck would have it, EIQ was looking for recruits.
[elementor-template id="11471"]
After two rounds of interviews, I was fortunate enough to be offered a 3-month internship with an account management role similar to my last job.
Day 1 - Monday, March 12
This was more like a “Day 0.” I am joined by two other interns; Kevin: Web Developer and Greg: Graphic Design. Together, we are introduced to the workplace and the communication apps used on a day-to-day basis. The last part was a bit over-whelming as there are a lot of apps/programs that we use. Each app is used for a specific form of communication. I’m sure with time I will get the hang of it. I also got to know the guys better over lunch (Courtesy: Sam).
Day 2 - Tuesday, March 13
Every morning we do a huddle at 9:08am for 15 minutes.
Huddle: A team meeting where we lay down the agenda for the day. It is done in the following order.
- Wins: Achievements in your job/personal life.
- Blockers: Items that are keeping you from completing your tasks that need to be shared with the team.
- Big Rocks: A very brief overview of the items you are working on, and if you need any collaboration on anything.
- Chatter: Items that are not task specific that need to be shared with the team.
- Share: An inspirational or motivational quote or message.
My Big Rock: I’m provided with reading material, a study guide for online marketing, to better understand different facets of the business.
Day 3 - Wednesday, March 14
First remote day. This is the first time I’ve worked from home.
- Win: Learning how to use Zoom for the remote huddle.
- Blocker: Staying focussed and not getting distracted working from home. Here are some helpful tips if you're new to the whole remote thing.
- Big rock: 14 chapters of guide to online marketing.
Day 4 - Thursday, March 15
It’s a party! (Well, kinda.)
EIQ works out of Spacekraft by CMPNY, a co-working space located in Burnaby. However, on this particular day, we were headed to CMPNY Coquitlam as it is celebrating it’s 1 year anniversary. This space is ridiculous and totally worth the long commute!
- We get briefed on the list of clients by Joseph and Lincoln, along with Element IQ history and company culture.
- I get to talk to Sam one-on-one and get a better understanding of what I’ll be doing in the coming weeks.
- Finished a few chapters of the guide. (So much reading!)
Once we are done with work, the party begins. The games begin, drinks start flowing, the sandwiches start... sandwiching? It's been a fun day of learning and socializing.
Day 5 - Friday, March 16
Second remote day. Kinda late for the huddle.
- Blocker: Need to figure out how to get Zoom started at the right time.
- Big Rock: Spent the day reading the guide and familiarizing myself with major EIQ clients.
Conclusion
My first week at EIQ has been interesting. Although it seemed like the work I would be doing is similar to my last job, there are differences. Clients do not hound you like they do with a traditional agency. There’s a clear understanding of workflow and deadlines are not random.
I'm still getting familiar with the clients and the process. In the meantime, I’m learning all the different aspects of a digital marketing agency, which is great as it will help me understand how each of them works and help me serve clients better in the future.
Learn more about ElementIQ's Internship Program
