My name is Khalil Alleyne, and I am an ambitious 21 years old looking to thrive in the exciting world of digital marketing. I recently had the privilege of interning at Croud over a six month period, with my role covering a wide range of responsibilities along the way. This is my personal account of my experience in Croud's internship program.
Why I applied
My decision to apply for the role stemmed from my desire to complete a placement year as part of my degree at the University of Leeds. Croud immediately stood out to me, as the business aligned with my professional and personal objectives. The agency's start-up origins, which are well-known for fostering great work environments, was also a great plus. With Croud, I set my sights on learning the mechanics of a modern marketing agency.
My experience
I became a member of the warm and wonderful team at Croud in August, and spent my first month as part of the SEO team with Sumayyah as my line manager, who diligently guided me through various tasks. I was also fortunate enough to be able to work closely with Meg, who plays a key role in the editorial content side of the SEO team - an experience I thoroughly enjoyed. One of my favourite tasks was writing blog posts and SEO-optimised content, which helped me understand the importance of keywords, user intent, and how to craft messages that resonate with specific audiences. No two days at Croud are the same, which has been one of the most exciting aspects of the internship. A typical week might involve working with both the content and paid search teams, which gave me more exposure to different aspects of the business.
I also spent a month in the Marketing team, where I worked closely with Becky as my line manager. Being part of this team has been a great experience, one that has been very hands-on and pushed me out of my comfort zone.
My final rotation was in the Client Leadership team, with Caroline as my line manager. This month pushed me to understand the intricacies involved in meeting the needs of clients, as well as how to sharpen my strategy & planning skills through tasks like creative content ideation for Aston Martin, audience insights research and benchmarking competitor performance to help create new objectives and growth targets for clients.
Choosing my final rotation
For my final three months I joined the Sales team where I worked closely with Sacha - the variety in this role was extremely enjoyable and I felt really supported in my approach to learning. I was able to learn about both inbound and outbound processes to acquire New Business, contributed toward strategies to stimulate revenue growth, and devised aspirational client lists set in order of prioritisation according to a number of factors.
I would also like to give a special mention to Tim, for providing me with exposure to the inner workings of the pitch process. I was given the opportunity to conduct over 40 interviews of key members regularly involved in the pitch process, in order to create bios to be used as introductions for prospective clients. I was also able to be a part of a pitch team for a client, boosting my confidence in understanding the process, and making a meaningful impact.
Challenges and growth
Of course, with new responsibilities came some challenges. For example, learning the intricacies of multiple tools simultaneously was initially overwhelming, but I quickly realised that asking questions and leaning on my team for support was crucial. I am grateful to have been introduced to multiple platforms such as SEMrush, Google Trends and Google Analytics, all of which are valuable tools in strengthening my business acumen and general skillset. I found these tasks to be particularly rewarding and also enjoyed the process.
Croud mentorship
Throughout my time, I was paired with Rachel as my mentor, whose regular support was invaluable to me. Sessions would consist of psychometric tests, which are then used to help identify my personal strengths and how to best use these at Croud. The sense of direction this has given me has filled me with confidence, made me feel understood and also taught me the importance of effective communication amongst colleagues.
Is an internship the right path for you?
As I am writing this, I am well underway as a member of the Sales team for the remainder of my time here at Croud. I would like to thank everyone who has shown support throughout my journey for making it a great experience up until this point!
To anyone who is unsure whether or not an internship is a route they should take - my time at Croud has made me a strong advocate for this internship program. The mountains of knowledge and experience I’ve gained as an intern has been invaluable. Keep being thorough in your search process and be open-minded to potential opportunities that may arise.
