Life After Grad: Working at a Web Agency

I became interested in studying digital marketing after Dr Simone Kurtzke lectured to my undergraduate class on the subject. During this lecture we received an overview of the subject informing us of the digital skills shortage and job opportunities. This is also when I found out about the MSc Digital Marketing Course at RGU.

Following this lecture, I chose to write my undergraduate dissertation on a digital marketing topic in order to gain further knowledge. This meant I was able to speak with Dr Kurtzke again and discuss the MSc course with her. I had my heart set on applying after this.

I decided I wanted to gain some experience in industry prior to applying for the MSc to get a feel for it. When thinking about where I was going to send emails to ask for work experience, working in-house never crossed my mind. It was mainly working at a web agency that appealed to me.

I liked the idea of working for numerous brands on several projects at once, as it implies that no two days would ever be the same. At this point this was all I knew about agency life.

What Working at a Web Agency Taught Me

I reached out to several companies, including web agency Red Evolution, who took me under their wing. I worked there one day a week for six months and learnt a huge amount about online marketing and working at an agency. They taught me about on-page SEO, PPC, content writing and blogging. I was able to work on projects for several clients at once too, alongside many experts within the agency! When working at Red Evolution, I thoroughly enjoyed the work, culture and pace of working in an agency. It was my first real taste of the agency environment and I thought it was great! Additionally, when working somewhere where there are often dogs in the office, how is it possible not to enjoy going to work?!

Aspects of agency life that I enjoyed:

• The opportunity for learning and development. You can discover what you’re good at and what you enjoy working on as agency life brings a variety of clients and tasks. These opportunities are enhanced by the wealth of experience of your colleagues. You will be able to learn so much from them.
• Everyone in an agency will have different skills and ideas. You’ll be able to bounce ideas off your colleagues and will never find yourself stuck for inspiration.
• The social environment. Working within an agency means you get to work with like-minded people who think and work in the same way as you. This allows for nerdy conversations about all things digital, new and old that we all secretly enjoy!
• Seeing results from your work. Whether you’re working on a project you’re solely responsible for, or playing a smaller role in a larger picture you’re able to see the results of your work. This might also include more personal successes. When working in an agency you will often be working with smaller businesses, for which a large increase in online traffic may help improve their overall business and in turn affect their employees positively. Talk about being a small piece in a big satisfying puzzle!
• The opportunity to work on a diverse portfolio. Working at Red Evolution meant I was able to work with several companies at once and experience many different industries. One day I’d be working on a small start-up and another, on a larger accountancy firm, both requiring a totally different mindset and marketing strategy. I had to put myself in the clients’ shoes in order to relate to their needs.

Returning to University and Life After Grad for Me

So you might be wondering… after having such a great time working at a web agency, why did I return to university? Well I simply just felt I wasn’t done with my studies. I love studying and sinking my teeth into academic projects. Additionally, I already was set on doing the course prior to starting the job. Dr Kurtzke had made it sound so exciting and so did my research on The Digital Scot.

Therefore, the experience I gained working at Red Evolution – combined with my studies – has opened up many doors to me. My positive experience has certainly set me up for a potential career in a agency. If like me, you’re someone who enjoys variety in your work, I’d recommend embracing agency life.

If you’re in digital marketing, did your work experience influence the career you’re in today? Feel free to leave a comment down below.