From intern to Digital Marketing Consultant

June 3, 2022 | Fran Wens

Blog

Meet Thalisia

Thalisia is one of our Digital Marketing Consultants. As a 24 year old she is one of the youngest on the team. Before starting her career with us, she studied marketing and afterwards specialized in the digital landscape. It was during this period that she first joined us as a Digital Marketing Trainee.

She is passionate about wining and dining with friends and family and is not averse to a relaxing Netflix and chill night with her loved ones.

Read on to learn how she experienced her internship with us.

Intern at The Reference

How did you start your search for an internship?

"Over the course of my education we got an entire list of possible internship companies where there have been successful internships in the past. I wanted to learn as much as possible in terms of performance marketing. So, based on that criterium I had some agencies in mind who were easy to reach as well as offering lots of learning opportunities."

"I chose The Reference because of my interest in advertising, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and their expertise. Not to mention their interesting client base and the easy accessibility by train. After an initial interview, I was convinced that this would be the place I would learn the most."

How did you experience this period with us?

"Two words: educational, but challenging."

"I was only working for a couple of weeks, when a certain virus decided that I had to continue my internship from home. This was definitely a challenging factor. Luckily The Reference countered this challenge with occasional online afterwork drinks."

"However, despite the difficult situation I learned so much and got to do things that I'm sure other internship companies would never leave to their interns."

What did your range of tasks look like and how does it differ with your duties as an employee?

"I had a very extensive range of responsibilities. From writing new ad copy to field research for a discovery track, executing CRO analysis and so much more."

"In relation to my duties now, the only difference is the direct contact with clients. I am now their first point of contact. "

The Reference is a cozy gang of people with lots of knowledge and experience where there is always room for a good party.

Thalisia Van Houts, Digital Marketing Consultant

What was the highlight of your internship?

"It's hard to choose just one, but I think presenting my CRO-analysis to the client was definitely a great experience."

"In this case I had direct contact with the client and I was responsible for presenting everything in a clear, concise way. I really liked the fact that I got immediate feedback from the client as well."

"With this project I also learned to communicate data and other information in a way that is understandable to the client. The focus lies on a concise conclusion followed by clear action points."

What are three things you learned from this experience?

"Do not stick to the short-term. Look for long-term solutions to achieve your goals and combine them to make the biggest impact."
"Go nuts, think outside the box. Don't limit yourself to what you think is possible, because you might be surprised what can be realized when faced with a problem."
"Support your findings with data and visualize your solutions to make your insights and ideas understandable to your audience as well."

Employee at The Reference

What were decisive factors to start your digital marketing career with us?

"To be honest when they asked me to stay, I didn't hesitate for a minute. I learned so much during my internship and I knew that I had still a great learning path ahead of me. The fact that they gave me the freedom to follow this path and keep developing myself, convinced me."

"Nowadays you'll notice that the expectations especially for juniors are very high in this sector. The Reference knew my strenghts and weaknesses and they knew what to expect from me, this reassured me in making the right decision."

What do you prefer - Home office or at the office?

"Honestly, I prefer the best of both worlds. An equal split between working from home and in the office seems ideal to me."

"When you are working from home, you can work longer hours and you are less distracted during focus hours. It's also easier to combine with your personal life when you have to run an errand for example."

"On the other hand working at the office is also great. You can have some small talk with colleagues, have lunch together and even stick around for afterwork drinks. I also really appreciate the real life meetings compared to the online meetings."

What do you think about our Ghent office?

"The location is perfect. Easy to reach with fun little restaurants nearby for lunch or afterwork drinks. I also really enjoy my morning strolls to the office. It's very soothing to walk alongside the water from the train station to the office."

Would you recommend an internship at The Reference?

"Yes! I would definitely recommend it as you get a lot of opportunities and freedom to figure out where your qualities lie. On top of that, they are always looking for great talent and are eager to hire juniors when there is room."

Finally, what would you like to tell our future interns?

"Don't be afraid to ask questions. During an internship, it's perfectly normal that not everything is immediately clear. Just keep asking questions, all your colleagues would be happy to help."

Join our team

Are you also excited to learn from the best and get lots of opportunities and responsibilities? Don't hesitate and apply now to join this team as a Digital Marketing Trainee.