A Different Path To Internship
As I have mentioned in previous blog entries, my path to the DSG internship was a little different than other interns. While all of the previous DSG interns majored in Marketing, I am a Psychology major who added a minor in Digital Marketing midway through my college career. As a result, the other interns had taken a broad curriculum of Marketing classes prior to starting their internship. However, I had completed just six Marketing classes.
This makes me something of a curiosity among the marketing professionals at DSG. I am often asked some version of the question: “What was behind your decision to add digital marketing to your study of psychology? In today’s blog, I would like to share my thoughts on that topic.
Psychology to Marketing
Freshman year I declared my major in Psychology because I was intrigued by the human mind. Originally, when I chose Psychology, I saw myself entering a field such as clinical psychology and becoming a therapist. As I started, I was not aware of the connection that psychology has to almost every aspect of an individual’s life.
As I advanced further into my studies in Psychology, I began taking classes that expanded my view of the field beyond clinical applications. One class specifically combined the elements of business and psychology. This class piqued my interest in entering the business world and showed me that learning about human behavior is a valuable skill in a wide range of business fields including marketing, human resources, and more.
This is when I decided in the spring semester of my Sophomore year to add the Digital Marketing minor in order to combine this new passion of mine with an older one.
Truth be told, when I started my DSG internship, I thought my lack of marketing classwork would be a disadvantage I would have to work hard to compensate for. On the other hand, I also saw it as a great opportunity to lean in and use the real-world experience to accelerate my knowledge of marketing.
Unique Perspective
Ironically, now at the halfway point of the internship, I believe my eclectic educational background is actually more of a strength than a weakness.
I have been able to see the many ways my courses in both psychology and digital marketing have prepared me for success. Currently, I work with the DSG content team tasked with marketing efforts for the agency itself. My marketing classes have certainly provided a foundation for ideation, creation and execution of content. At the same time, my psychology classes have given me insight into the impact of words, images and tapping into emotions when creating a brand.
Although branding is generally thought of as a marketing concept, I realize it also has roots in psychological ideas. Giving your brand an identity allows you to connect with consumers to create a bond, sense of loyalty, and excitement around the business. This makes consumers feel valued and not simply another sale.
Overall, deciding to combine both fields has provided me with a unique perspective. Now, I find with every task I am assigned in the office, I attempt to dive deeper to see if I can relate my psychology knowledge to our marketing efforts. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from the marketing professionals around me and intertwine these two passions.