UNLOCKED knocked on my door at the right time | Petya, ALT Intern

Petya, ALT Intern

And there it was - done!

I had just finished my Bachelor’s degree in Digital Marketing with flying colours, and I knew I wanted to expand my skill set, maybe study for a Master’s degree, but…I definitely knew I wasn’t ready to jump into a job just yet. Why? 

I was unsure of myself. “Was my university knowledge enough?” “What if I start a job and don’t meet the expectations, embarrass myself?” “What if I can’t even find a job?”

Those thoughts were keeping me up at night, stressing about my future, but I knew one thing I was sure of - I wanted to work in marketing, especially in an agency.

How It All Started

Then, out of the blue, I received an email from my university. Ugh, what now? A reminder of a road closure? A notice about an unscheduled outage? But no, not this time.

It was an announcement of a summer internship opportunity in partnership with marketing agencies in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

UNLOCKED knocked on my door at the right time. It felt like the perfect chance for a recent graduate like me to enhance my skills and explore the industry. 

Still, I was living in Aberdeen and was unsure of how I would manage to travel, work, and afford all of it. I had doubts until the very last moment and eventually applied…an hour before the deadline. “The internship is paid—you’ll manage.” “Glasgow’s just three hours away—it’s fine.” 

And you know what? I did manage, and it was more than fine. It was absolutely AMAZING!

I Did It

I got accepted into my top-choice agency, ALT, and I am so glad I applied even though I almost let the opportunity slip away. 

I was immediately welcomed into the team, introduced to colleagues and clients, and even received gifts from both UNLOCKED and ALT, and it made me feel like I’d come to the right place.

Welcome packs from UNLOCKED and ALT teams

My internship supervisor, Euan, planned everything out for the next eight weeks of my internship, exposing me to different digital marketing channels and providing the resources I needed to thrive in my role.

My doubts started to fade away as my team supported and encouraged me every step of the way. I realised I had the knowledge and skills, but this internship was my chance to refine and enhance them. I was so lucky to be surrounded by a team of fantastic professionals and experts in their fields, and I was here to learn from them and kickstart my career in digital marketing.

Petya with ALT team

I prepared email campaigns and templates for clients, enhanced my skills in on-page and technical SEO, created content calendars and assets for organic social media channels, and set up paid ads on social media. Also, the team introduced me to most of our clients, and I got to experience firsthand what it is like to be in a client meeting, discussing strategy, campaign budgets and all those things you don’t get to do in university.

It’s Just the Beginning

Two months later, I can proudly say that I achieved what I came here to do, thanks to the UNLOCKED Internship Programme. I learned a lot of new knowledge, enhanced my skills in a variety of digital marketing channels, met lots of fantastic people, and most importantly - I now approach all of my work with confidence. The doubts are gone! I know I can achieve whatever I set my mind to.

And the best part? I've been offered a permanent contract with ALT, and I can't wait to continue building my career in digital marketing alongside industry professionals.