My Internship Experience
My name is Erica, and I’m currently studying Cinema & Media Studies and Economics with a concentration in Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. A marketing internship in Thailand appealed to me because of its fast-growing digital marketing landscape, and Bangkok is a city where local businesses, international brands, tourism and culture all come together. I thought it would be the ideal place to learn how marketing strategies differ across cultures while also experiencing life somewhere completely different from home.
Glow Digital stood out to me because it is a full-service digital marketing agency working with clients across a variety of industries. I liked the idea of being able to experience different areas of marketing rather than focusing on just one niche. The agency’s emphasis on data-driven strategy and creative problem-solving also matched what I wanted to learn.
Table of Contents
Starting an Internship Halfway Across the World
Moving halfway across the world by myself was a little intimidating, and I honestly had no idea what to expect before starting. I wondered how quickly I would adapt to a new workplace, whether I would fit into the team and how different the work culture would be. Outside of work, I was also nervous about navigating a new city and building a routine.
Thankfully, everyone was really welcoming, and those worries disappeared quickly.
From the beginning, everyone was very approachable and encouraged me to ask whatever questions popped into my head.
Getting Hands-On Agency Experience
During my internship, I had the opportunity to work on projects across different stages of the agency process.
I helped conduct competitor and market research for potential new clients, looking at areas such as their competitors’ services, pricing, positioning and social media content. That research was then used to help create marketing proposals with recommendations for how Glow Digital could support them.
I also helped create and manage advertising campaigns through Meta Business Suite for existing clients and summarised key campaign metrics and insights for presentation decks.
One of the things I enjoyed most was getting to experience multiple stages of agency work, from pitching new business to executing campaigns and evaluating their performance.
Before my internship, I mostly viewed digital marketing from the outside, through the content and campaigns consumers see every day. Working at an agency gave me a behind-the-scenes perspective and showed me how much strategy, research and collaboration goes into a campaign before it is ever launched.
I think my biggest learning experience was learning how to think more strategically.
Learning from the Team
This was my first experience working at a marketing agency, so I didn’t have much to compare it to, but I really enjoyed being part of a smaller team.
Because the team was close-knit, it was easy to ask questions and get feedback without a lot of barriers. I also liked how everyone was willing to step in and support one another when needed.
Bong and Farng, who I worked with as part of the social media team, had a particularly positive impact on my experience. They were always willing to explain not just what we were doing, but the reasoning behind it. They also trusted me to handle projects while providing guidance whenever I needed it.
Working with an international team helped me develop stronger cross-cultural communication skills too. I learned how to adapt my communication style, collaborate across different perspectives and better understand how culture influences the way people communicate and connect with brands.
Experiencing Life in Bangkok
Of course, an international internship is about more than what happens during working hours.
I loved the balance between having a professional routine during the week and exploring Bangkok afterwards.
One of my favourite parts was getting to work remotely from different cafés and community workspaces around the city. The unique architecture and design of these spaces always blew me away, and I’m glad I got to spend meaningful time in places I probably would never have experienced if I had only visited Bangkok on holiday.
There was always something new to explore and new food and desserts to try. Weekends were an opportunity to experience a different side of Thailand, whether that meant exploring Bangkok’s malls, night markets and temples or travelling further afield to places such as Chiang Mai and Krabi.
The team also helped me experience Bangkok beyond the typical tourist attractions by sharing restaurant recommendations, places to explore and advice about everyday life.
Reflecting on My Internship and Future Plans
Over the two months, I think my proudest achievement was simply how much I grew. I came into the experience with very little exposure to agency work, but by the end I felt confident contributing to client projects, thinking more strategically about marketing and collaborating with the team.
The experience hasn’t completely determined what I want to do after university, but it has given me a much better understanding of marketing as an industry and will definitely help guide my future career decisions.
For anyone considering an internship abroad, my advice would be to go for it and be open to every part of the experience.
Go into the internship ready to learn, ask questions and make the most of the work, while also enjoying the opportunity to live in a new country.
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