Experiencing the perks of a Virtual Internship.

With more than half of the internship already completed, it is an understatement to say that ‘time has flown by’. From the moment I started as a Digital Marketing Intern with Device Authority, I have been made to feel as a valued member of the team. Although the on-site internship has remained virtual due to the pandemic, it has been a positive experience to connect with my friendly and supportive colleagues digitally via Teams. Working remotely has required of me to adapt to a quick pace where priorities may change throughout the day. Practicing my ability to work independently with a proactive approach has been key for me to make the transition from university to my internship successful. By joining weekly catch-up meetings, I have also had the opportunity to meet with the entire team of international staff members across the globe and gain an insight to the structure of the company. In this way, I have been able to experience the perks of a virtual internship which has been very rewarding.

Interning at Device Authority is my first experience within the tech industry, and I could not have joined at a more exciting time. With an upcoming product release this autumn and a website renewal to go along with it, I have immediately been given the opportunity to work on projects of significant commercial value. As a global leader within security solutions for IoT, Device Authority deals with complex information which needs to be communicated effectively. Working closely with the marketing manager, I have gained full insight to the marketing strategies and the use of visual communication within the company. Despite facing a great amount of new terminology initially, I have found it a very beneficial experience to learn about the expanding world IoT from my co-workers while gaining skills in how to visualise it.

The projects I have been working on have focused on raising brand awareness by assisting with the visual communication aspect of marketing. My first key achievement has been the creation of an icon library; a set of branded icons that covers the various topics that the company deals with. By accessing the graphic guidelines of the company, I used my skills within iconography to design new icons to fit the brand. The icon library has provided a helpful tool for the team to create effective and engaging presentations that strengthens the brand identity. After receiving positive feedback from the team along with new proposals for icons, it has become an on-going project that will continue throughout the internship. As Device Authority is updating their website, one of my first tasks was to provide constructive criticism and provide proposals for improvement of the user interface. The proposals were shared with the web agency and has served as a basis for the renewal. I felt a great sense of reward when I was informed that the icon library also will be featured in the new design of the website. This project has expanded my ability to work in a systematic way and optimise my workflow to increase my efficiency.

During these five weeks I have expanded my skills within marketing graphics, which has been my second key achievement. As a part of the upcoming webinar this autumn, I have gained insight to the marketing strategy and campaign creation for the event. I have been instrumental in creating the visual marketing material including headers and graphics for the website, email marketing and across all social media channels to go live in September. Building on the skills gained in the previous projects, I was able to create a versatile graphics template which I could adapt to different purposes. This allowed me to realise my self-growth within time management and task prioritisation.

With five more weeks of the internship to go, I am now entering an exciting project that I have been looking forward to start. For an upcoming product launch this autumn, I will be creating a promotional animation that will be featured on Device Authority’s website as well as posted on all social media channels. It is a big responsibility and I am grateful for the trust and support that the team has given me. This gives me the opportunity to sharpen my skills in motion graphics and combine them with the marketing skills that I have gained so far.

If you are studying a creative degree like myself, I would encourage you to apply to the Saltire Scholar Programme. Becoming a Saltire Scholar is an amazing opportunity to push your boundaries and apply your skills within a new context. As a Communication Design student in a digital marketing role, my internship has proven that my course has provided me with transferable skills which allows me to work in a wide range of industries. Although I am only halfway-through my internship, I already feel empowered from gaining insight to the amount of career paths available upon graduating.

Written by: Abigail Allen, Glasgow School of Art, Digital Marketing Intern, Device Authority, Reading. (Virtual)
Abigail Allen