When I first joined White Rabbit Foundry as a Marketing Intern, I thought I had a good understanding of what working in marketing would involve. I expected to be creating social media content, writing captions, coming up with ideas and helping to keep things organised. I knew that social media was an important part of how businesses communicate, but I hadn’t really thought about everything involved in managing a digital channel effectively.
Over time, my role has changed quite significantly. I’ve gone from learning the basics of marketing to managing White Rabbit Foundry’s digital channels, working on social media for a real client and taking on projects that have required much more than simply creating content. I’ve developed skills in research, administration, written communication, content writing, planning, project organisation and digital strategy, alongside the more creative side of social media.
A lot of that development has come from working closely with White Rabbit Foundry’s Director, and having the opportunity to learn through doing. I’ve been given responsibility, encouraged to ask questions and challenged to think about the reasoning behind what I’m producing rather than simply completing the task in front of me.
That has changed the way I think about marketing.
Understanding digital channel management
One of the biggest things I’ve learnt is that social media management is much more than creating and publishing posts.
At White Rabbit Foundry, I work across LinkedIn, Substack and our WhatsApp Channel, and each of those channels serves a slightly different purpose. LinkedIn gives us a space to talk about technology, AI, data, digital transformation and the work we’re doing. Substack allows us to explore those ideas in more depth, while WhatsApp is much more immediate, conversational and informal.
Learning how to manage those channels has taught me that you can’t simply create one piece of content and publish it everywhere in the same way. The overall message and brand should remain consistent, but the way you communicate needs to reflect the platform and the audience.
That means thinking carefully about tone of voice, format, timing and purpose. It also means understanding what we want someone to take away from a piece of content and why it is worth sharing in the first place.
Learning how to plan and create
Behind every social media post is usually a lot more work than people see.
I’ve learnt how important planning and organisation are to managing digital channels effectively. I’ve created content calendars, organised campaign ideas, planned communications and worked across multiple projects at the same time. Using Microsoft Office applications has become a regular part of my role, from creating presentations and outreach materials to organising information and keeping track of content and deadlines.
I’ve also developed much stronger administrative and project organisation skills as a result. Marketing involves a surprising amount of coordination, and I’ve learnt how important it is to keep things structured when you’re managing several channels or projects at once.
Alongside the planning, I’ve developed the practical skills needed to turn those ideas into content. I’ve used Canva to create social media graphics and other marketing materials, and I’ve become much more comfortable thinking about how visual design can support a message rather than simply make something look good.
This has also helped me develop my content writing and written communication skills. Whether I’m writing a short social post, a longer Substack article, outreach messaging or presentation content, I’ve had to learn how to adapt my writing depending on the audience and the purpose.
I’ve also developed stronger research skills. Before writing or creating something, I often need to understand the subject first by learning how to find useful information, work out what is relevant and then turn it into something understandable has become an important part of my day-to-day work.
Learning through real client work
One of the most valuable parts of my experience at White Rabbit Foundry has been working on Streetly, an eco-friendly, zero-emissions delivery service in Willesden Green.
Managing Streetly’s social media across Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn has allowed me to apply what I’ve learnt at White Rabbit Foundry to a very different type of business. Instead of communicating mainly around technology and digital transformation, I’m thinking about local communities, independent businesses and the everyday reasons someone might use a delivery service.
That has meant creating content around local vendors, seasonal occasions, promotions and the wider story behind Streetly, while adapting the content for different audiences and platforms.
It’s also taught me a lot about client work. I have had to understand a different brand, learn its audience, take feedback and make sure that the content reflects what the client is trying to achieve.
Most importantly, working on Streetly has helped me understand that good social media isn’t simply about promoting something. It’s about finding the story behind it and giving people a reason to care.
The skills I didn’t expect to develop
When I started my internship, I expected to learn about social media and marketing. I didn’t realise just how many different skills would become part of the job (as I’ve mentioned above). But perhaps one of the biggest lessons has been understanding how connected all these skills are.
Being able to write well helps with social media.
Research helps you create better content.
Organisation helps you manage campaigns.
Understanding the audience helps you choose the right message.
And knowing how to use the tools makes it possible to turn an idea into something people can see and engage with.
Growing into the role
When I think about the difference between starting as a Marketing Intern and working now as a Marketing Associate, I don’t think the biggest change is my job title. It’s the way I approach the work.
When I first joined, I was mainly focused on learning how to complete individual tasks. Now, I’m much more comfortable taking a step back and thinking about the bigger picture. I can manage channels with more confidence, contribute ideas, create content from scratch and understand more clearly how each piece of work fits into a wider objective. This has made me more comfortable with not knowing everything.
Marketing is constantly changing, particularly in digital channels. Platforms change, audiences change and the tools we use keep evolving. I’ve learnt that I don’t need to have every answer immediately. I need to be willing to research, ask questions, try something, listen to feedback and improve it.
That’s probably the most valuable thing I’ve gained from my time at White Rabbit Foundry. I’ve learnt a lot of practical skills, but I’ve also developed the confidence to take on things I haven’t done before. My journey hasn’t been about suddenly becoming an expert. It’s been about learning through real work, taking on more responsibility and becoming more confident in my ability to figure things out. And I’m still learning.
Loving this story Sofia! 🤩