At some companies, interns are the task rabbits; the paper filers; the coffee runners. At others, they’re scapegoats (we’re looking at you, HBO Max). But at Marketwake, they’re so much more than that. Our interns are valuable members of our team that help keep the marketing engine running—and it’s all thanks to a little program we call MarketwakeU.

MarketwakeU is Marketwake’s unique internship program designed to seamlessly blend real-world digital marketing experience, challenging educational lessons, and enjoying agency life. Interns add a huge value to the Marketwake team each year, and in turn, Marketwake ensures that the interns have the best experience possible and get as much client work as they can. Our paid interns can specialize in any of the services Marketwake offers: Account/Project Management, Copywriting, SEO, Social Media, Paid Media, Graphic Design, and more. 

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So, where are Marketwake’s former interns now? That’s an easy question to answer—a lot of them are sitting at their desks right now. Or going for a brain-break walk around the office building. Or grabbing team lunch at Sweetwater Brewing down the street. You get the idea. 

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A lot of the familiar faces our co-workers and clients have grown to know and love started at Marketwake as interns themselves. That’s what happens when interns are trusted with the responsibilities of a full-time team member, treated with respect as integral members of a team, uplifted in weekly wins, and invited to indulge in team celebrations. As a current intern myself writing this, I can certainly attest to this. 

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We sat down with several of Marketwake’s former interns (now Account Managers, Technical SEO Associates, Project Managers, etc.) to get a deeper look into just what makes MarketwakeU so rewarding. 

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Meet Marley

Marley started as an Account Management Intern in May of 2020, following her junior year of college. The most rewarding experience of Marley’s internship was the final intern presentation, where she pitched a new product offering for Marketwake to launch. According to Marley, despite feeling incredibly nervous, her only point of constructive feedback was on her “crazy hands” during the presentation. 

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Needless to say, Marley loved the way Marketwake framed feedback in a way that always made her feel like she was learning, and she continues to learn from Marketwake each day. One year after her internship, Marley graduated college and returned to Marketwake as an Associate Project Manager. Since becoming a vital member of the projects team, Marley has successfully led client presentations and conducted full website audits—tasks she never thought she would be able to do as an intern. She even had a “full circle” moment when she launched a website for a client she supported as an intern!  

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Meet Ross

Ross came to Marketwake in August of 2021 as an Account Management Intern. He especially loved attending his first Friday club as an intern, one of the best ways to truly feel integrated into the Marketwake culture. 

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“I didn’t realize a workplace could be this cool,” said Ross. “It’s a workplace where people are actually happy and get along so well with each other. Another thing, I wasn’t expecting to get so much trust placed on me so early on. I had the chance to take additional responsibility when my mentor went on PTO in December, allowing me to step into more client communication.” 

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As a result of trust and being given an environment to grow, Ross was able to fill out a much-needed role on the Marketwake team and now works as a Technical SEO Associate. 

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Meet Taylor

Taylor joined Marketwake as an Project Management Intern in January of 2021. Taylor said she took a leap of faith by joining the Marketwake team after making a career switch from being a national business development representative. 

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According to Taylor, “Getting my job offer here was a pivotal moment for me because I had worked so hard to prove myself.”

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Another pivotal moment for her was falling in love with project management and getting to work on a website migration project. Following her internship, Taylor helped productize and product manage Marketwake’s local listings optimization service, Momentum, before stepping into her role as an Associate Project Manager. She continues to lend support on website security and optimization as well and is so happy she took the leap of faith to make a switch to a team that celebrates her and makes coming to work each day truly a positive part of her life.

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Meet Griffin

Griffin started at Marketwake as a Social Media Intern in August of 2021 and a few months later pivoted to a Copywriting Intern. In both roles, Griffin was able to lend support to both social and copy deliverables. 

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“This was my first internship in an agency setting,” said Griffin. “The work can move quickly and unexpected roadblocks can pop up. Sometimes in these situations, people can get stressed and irritable. But at Marketwake, everyone has everyone’s back. People are understanding of others’ situations and workloads. They accommodate each other. I learned that this is something I’ll always value and look for in a workplace—and everyone should. This experience taught me that work life doesn’t supersede real life.” 

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Griffin is now an Associate Copywriter and credits Marketwake with reaffirming that he made the right choice in picking a career in digital marketing and for setting himself up on a trajectory for future success in his career. 

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Meet Anna Kate 

Anna Kate started at Marketwake in August of 2020 as an Account Management Intern. According to Anna Kate, the campaign she helped create for her final intern project left the most impact on her during her internship. 

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“I was always surprised and appreciative of the large responsibilities given to me,” said Anna Kate. “I always felt like there were people like Bin, our Marketing Director, in my corner giving me a lot of reassurance.” 

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Anna Kate chose to stay at Marketwake because even as someone in an entry-level role, she loved the responsibility entrusted to her and loved that her co-workers were so uplifting of her and the rest of the team. Anna Kate has been at Marketwake for a year and a half, ever since her internship, now as one of our wonderful Account Managers. She even recently earned a well-deserved promotion! 

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Meet Alex

Alex started his (first) internship with Marketwake in May of 2021 as an Account Management Intern, having just finished his freshman year of college. 

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“My most memorable experience was pitching and closing a social media campaign worth over $60,000,” said Alex. “The idea generation, building the campaign, and closing the deal proves that hard work actually pays off!” 

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Inspired by the industry experience he gained with Marketwake, Alex continued to apply the skills he learned from his internship to create his own start-up marketing consulting company. Oh, and did we mention he loved Marketwake’s company culture and digital marketing expertise so much that he returned a year later? Alex pivoted into a more technical role as an SEO Intern in June of 2022 to expand his skillset and soak up as much digital experience as possible. 

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Meet Courtney

Courtney joined Marketwake as a Design Intern in May of 2020. According to Courtney, the most memorable experience she had was participating in the company talent show the second week of her internship. “I really created a reputation for myself after that,” said Courtney. 

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“MarketwakeU gave me the real-world experience I always wanted but never got in school,” Courtney went on to say. “I was able to work on real projects with real clients, and everything was catered to my personal interests. It's like a mini marketing college (just as much fun, too!) I can't even put into words how life-changing of an experience it was, especially having graduated from art school where I knew nothing about marketing.”

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According to Courtney, Marketwake kick-started her career in a way she never thought possible. “Working with so many smart and talented people has made me strive to be the best designer and version of myself, not just professionally. Working for Marketwake has set a fire under me as we rally behind our clients and each other like no one else. I'm so grateful I found this hidden gem.”

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What, in Courtney’s words, made her want to stay at Marketwake after her internship? “The people, the culture, the work, the growth, the dogs, the trips, the parties, everything.”

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So why is Marketwake so great?

Now, for my perspective. I’ve been an intern at Marketwake now for two (incredibly fast-flying) months, dipping into both the Project Management and Copywriting teams. I can say firsthand that there are marketing whizzes here who live and breathe marketing strategy and creative geniuses who are truly artists and masters of their craft. The cool part about the internship is that the interns are given an opportunity to learn directly from each team at Marketwake—hence why so many of the MarketwakeU alumni started on different teams before settling into their specialties. 

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At Marketwake, no success is left uncelebrated, and no decision is made without a meaningful “why” behind it. This truly is, in my opinion, the best way to get experience in the industry—by working with a team that trusts interns with responsibilities that will help them grow. The internship is not designed to hold your hand every step of the way—skills like taking initiative and self-sufficiency are quickly learned here—but there will always be someone in your corner to ask questions and receive support and encouragement. Plus, the fact that the full-time team members share an infectious joy for each other and a passion for the work they do is an added bonus. :) 

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Who should apply to MarketwakeU?

MarketwakeU is for anyone looking for entry-level experience in the digital marketing industry with co-workers who know how to make work fun. Most interns are college-aged students or around that age looking to get an understanding of what it’s like to work at a fast-paced, creative digital agency. For those older, already graduated, or looking to make a career move, Marketwake now offers a Junior Associate program, a more specialized version of MarketwakeU. We love to hire our interns whenever possible, but at the end of the day, whether they return to MW for another internship, get hired, or move on to another role, it's our goal to make sure our interns have a fruitful experience. 

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If you’re interested in learning more about Marketwake’s internship program, feel free to email marketwakeu@marketwake.com for more information.