Patrick – getting into digital marketing

We chatted to Master of Communications and Media Studies student, Patrick Roden. Patrick interned at digital marketing company Digital Next, where he had the opportunity to learn new technologies and put communication theories into practice. He is now working part-time for Digital Next whilst he finishes his studies.

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How did you choose Monash and the Masters of Communications and Media Studies?

I had a look at other universities in Australia, Monash was the best one listed on every website I looked at. The course seemed really interesting, and the internship experience is emphasised, and that was the main reason I chose the course.

And why did you decide to do an internship?

I know the importance of having work experience – there’s a lot of competition for jobs when you graduate and it’s useful to have that extra hands-on work experience.

That’s experience that goes on your CV, and it’s actually enjoyable, because you’re the one that picks the internship, so you pick what you want to do. It was really good to explore how different places operate and how they work.

Why did you choose an internship at Digital Next?

I thought I wanted to work in digital marketing, but I wanted to be sure. Digital Next is a marketing agency and they specialise in digital marketing work like SEO and PPC, as well as other design, marketing and public relations work.

I did interview at a few other places but Digital Next appealed to me because they’re a smaller company, so I knew I’d get more exposure to different parts of their work. At a bigger company you’re often asked for your specialisation area and that’s where you do your internship, but at Digital Next I was able to try different things and learn more skills.

What was an average day like during your internship?

I did a lot of different stuff: I got to learn how to use a lot of tools including Google Analytics and Adwords. I also helped with developing strategies and writing adverts online, and I did some market research for clients as well.

What was the most challenging thing about your internship?

It was sometimes a challenge keeping up with the work – they would give you a lot to do, but I was supported and I could ask for guidance or help at anytime.

The other challenge was developing the confidence to do tasks. Sometimes you find a task daunting, but the thing to do is just crack on and do it!

What did you enjoy the most?

Everything! I enjoyed the fact that when I finished each day, I had more experience than I’d gone in with. It definitely helped me decide what I want to do after my degree – I do still want to work in digital marketing.

What other experiences stand out for you at Monash?

I’m doing some ambassador work for the University. Our tutors here actively encourage students to get involved in this, so I’ve been helping with talking to prospective students about the program.

I’m also researching Indigenous film representation in Australia. I really enjoyed studying history in my undergraduate degree, so I thought combining media and history would be great, and I’ve been looking at how stereotypes and discrimination have been reflected in films and how that’s changed over the years.