Digital Marketing Executive Review

GForces were highly focused on ensuring that I got what I wanted out of my placement year therefore were always asking me if I would like any more training or if I was happy with what I was doing and if not then they would change that for me. I started on the Account Support department but three months in I felt I would benefit more from a more Marketing based role as that is the route I would like to take in the future and it's also part of my University degree. I therefore asked my line manager if I could move to the Marketing department and within three weeks I had completely migrated over to the SEO team where I have been since.

On both departments I was made to feel very welcome and have made some life long friends. Most of who I worked with were really helpful and more importantly respectful of me being an intern. However despite this, I wasn't made to feel like an intern. During my first week my line manager organised a meal out with the team in order to welcome me on board which I thought was really thoughtful and kind of her.

The reason this is an 8 rather than a 10 is because as the placement went on and I became more confident and comfortable within my role, less guidance and support was needed although I would have liked to continue the monthly/bi-monthly catch up meetings to review how I was doing and what more I could do. Maybe that's just me being fussy though!

To begin with obviously as my knowledge was building my work load was fairly light but gradually I was given more responsibility. When on the Marketing team I was given more responsibilities but never did I feel like without some hard work that I couldn't get it all done. I always had things to do which was good as it pushed me.

I was given complete control over the Marketing planning, implementing and SEO for around 15 clients. My line manager was confident that I had the ability to do carry this responsibility. It was challenging to keep an eye on 15 different clients at once but once you get a system going I was glad I was trusted with it.

One area I struggled with before my placement would be formal writing. However constantly emailing clients and being a part of meeting have really developed those skills enabling me to take them on to any job I have in the future. Also, I have gained a large amount of knowledge on Digital Marketing, mainly SEO however I still learned about the other aspects of it. Digital Marketing is an area I would like to start my career in so these skills and knowledge learned at GForces will benefit me greatly when beginning my career.

Like all offices, you can tell when work loads are at their highest as people knuckle down and get on with the work but the majority of the time there's something going on, especially in the Marketing department. We are a close department and everyone gets on well however we do mix with other departments too. There is no "Them and Us" between departments unless there is a competitive event going on!

I can't fault the organisation of my work placement at GForces. I fit straight into the Account Support team in a role that was both meaningful and challenging. Then moving into the Marketing team I seamed to fit straight into a relevant role there as well. The transition over to Marketing couldn't have gone smoothly; as my responsibilities on Account Support were being reduced, I found myself slowly gaining more Marketing responsibilities until I was fully on the Marketing department and no longer an Account Support exec.

Throughout the first week of working there all the interns were on a heavy training schedule in order to pick up the basics as quickly as possible. However the real learning was done on the job. A hands on approach was taken to training. However, if I felt I needed more training on a certain task or piece of software I would ask and my line manager would arrange it as soon as possible. It was very much "you don't ask, you don't get". It is worth noting that in the quarterly reviews there was always an opportunity to ask for more training.

Highly appealing. GForces are industry leaders in Automotive Digital Solutions providing services for over half of the top 200 Motor Retailers across the UK. They are growing and expanding each and every year and have recently become an International Organisation with an office in Dubai. Although as mentioned above the perks aren't the greatest, I feel as the company grows larger and larger the benefits will start to creep in.

Having been the only one to come from Brunel University (they usually take on people from Kent University) I didn't know anyone meaning I had to get involved in the social scene in order to meet people. I found that the other interns from Kent Uni kept within themselves as they ate lunch together every day etc. however I was fully involved with my colleagues. Being a fairly young office, people are always on the look out for the next "GForces Night Out". Myself and a couple of colleagues are heading to the Boxing match at Wembley in May, followed by the NFL match at Wembley in September so yes, the social scene is really good.

Being near Bearsted, a fairly expensive village to live, we would go to the local pub for food on payday or if it's someone's birthday and the prices aren't cheap. Maidstone itself isn't expensive when socialising, there are a number of options on where to go so if you fancied a pricey night you could but if on the other hand you wanted something more cheap and cheerful that option was still available. I actually live at home with my parents as they live not far from the office therefore didn't endure the rent and living costs that other interns did.

Maidstone is a good night out providing you're with a good group of people. If you and two friends head out on a night out there chances are you're going to leave faily early. However a large group of you and you're guaranteed a good night as there are lots of little bars you can all go to then there are a few clubs you can end up in. The main issue with Maidstone is the people that go out there. Often it's the case of who can look the most masculine or who can pose the most depending on what club you go in rather than going out to have a good night but that's where being in a big group guarantees you a good night; because you don't notice anyone else around you!

Being a little bit out the way, you were limited as to what activities can be done although that didn't stop us trying. We went to Sittingbourne dog races one night which despite what you may first think, was actually a really fun evening and I came home £20 up just to add to the fun! We also played FootGolf when the weather got nicer and made that a monthly event with a small hint of competition involved.