An internship? Help! You set off looking for a good placement without much hope, because let's be honest: there aren't many. But what if I told you that you could land in a food-loving, young and dynamic team? Read all about my experience at #SocialHippo. 👇🏼
SOS: looking for a placement
February 2023: the start of a new course. One building on my marketing degree. Not a lot of confidence after a bad study choice in September, but plenty of drive to pick up extra knowledge in the field of a Digital Content Creator.
Who would have thought that a few weeks later I'd be searching for a placement to round off my postgraduate. And not just any placement. As a student, the last thing you want is a company that sees you as free labour they can hand all the rubbish jobs to. You hope to find a business that not only believes in you, but where the team atmosphere is genuinely good too. And take it from me: if the atmosphere isn't right, you won't feel right either. 🥴
After hours of searching on Google and LinkedIn I came across the Social Hippo website. What does a Gen Z-er do straight away? Check the socials, obviously. Funny TikToks, fun team photos and… other interns. Jackpot! A company that likes having interns around and clearly supports them through their journey. I decided to send in my application and — sure enough — that same day I was asked to come in.
Keeping my eyes on the prize
Off I went, after a few days of thinking about what to wear and what they'd ask me. Black trousers? A dress? Oh hell no. I decided to just go as myself. A nice white blouse, jeans, white sneakers and my newest blazer. Smart, but still casual. Because who invented the principle of turning up looking like the biggest square ever?
After a half-hour drive, Waze told me I'd arrived. No space left in the parking bays, so I parked alongside the building. Full of courage I stepped out. But where on earth is the entrance? Ah, there on the side. A moment of doubt. Do I ring the bell and wait? No — ring and go for it. With a firm step I headed up the stairs. Who am I kidding? Those stairs were a trial in themselves.
Once upstairs I walked towards the desks. Jamy, one of the Hippos, came to greet me warmly and walked me to a meeting room. As I passed the desk islands I caught a whole lot of odd looks (yes, Britt and Lean, from you 😂). The interns sitting there were probably thinking: "Who's that then?" But I've forgiven them since and we've had a good laugh about it.
So there I was in the meeting room. Far too warm in here, or is it just me? Luckily I'd been given a fresh glass of water and Judy didn't keep me waiting long. We immediately had a lovely chat about me, the company, which tasks I'd get and the team. The click was there, and yes — my placement was in the bag. I was introduced to the team straight away: "This is Silke. She's joining us in a few weeks for an internship as Digital Content Creator." A few "how nice, welcome"s and smiling faces. Britt and Lean with the same expression again. 😆 But I could laugh about it, because I'd probably have looked the same way. In the end I drove off feeling good, excited to start this new adventure.
Diving into the job
With plenty of appetite I started my first day at Social Hippo on 19 April. A day full of testing the water, getting to know people and trying things out. All the Hippos, permanent or intern, turned out to be enthusiastic and lovely teammates, one by one.
After a tour and a meeting where everyone introduced themselves, I was immediately given the task of writing copy for a few posts. That let me get to know how the company works, how the programs work and some of the clients. And we were off. Before long I had my "own" clients to work for. Phebe, Lindsay and Jamy, the three Content Creators, each gave me a short briefing on a couple of their clients and then handed me responsibility for them. Making attractive visuals, writing catchy copy… and meeting their expectations. That's what the coming weeks had in store for me. ⌨️
From challenge to opportunity
Week after week, day after day, I got to grow, evolve and get better. Every word of feedback and every revision was a chance to learn, to write better and to get deeper inside the client's head. Of course some clients sit very close to my own world. Think anything to do with food or beauty. But clients like cardiologists or political parties sometimes caused an #error in my head. The satisfaction you get when they tell you they're very happy with the monthly plan is indescribable after the hours of work you've put in. And when something is rejected? You become more flexible and learn to adapt even better to the unique needs of every brand. Although working with clients was sometimes challenging and came with ups and downs, it helped me grow as a professional.
Alongside making posts, reels, stories and TikToks, I helped my fellow interns make packshots… and eat the products afterwards. 🍬 I helped take team photos and even had the honour (ahem) of appearing in the company TikToks. Which went viral, by the way… TikTok famous who? 😎
It became clear pretty quickly that I felt more like a team member than an intern, and that the other interns and I were genuinely seen that way too. I got the chance to join the content team's weekly Teams meeting, the practical meetings when someone went on leave, and I was even allowed to temporarily take over all of that person's clients. If that doesn't encourage you to give it 100%!
The ultimate highs
The highlights of my internship included the "monthly breakfast" and the "apero XXL", where we came together as a team to strengthen our bond, get to know each other better and continue our food-related lunch conversations.
I also got the chance to give a Hippo Academy myself. These workshops run every two weeks and are given by someone from the team. It was a great opportunity to share my knowledge and tell the other Hippos more about creating a 'seamless carousel' in Photoshop.
But what made me feel like a real #contentcreator more than anything? Being allowed to sit in on intake conversations with new clients, and then taking them on entirely by myself. After a few weekly one-to-ones with Judy it was clear I was ready. It was a great experience to be so closely involved; it boosted my confidence and encouraged me to take my creativity to a higher level.
So, yes?
My internship at Social Hippo was a journey full of growth, satisfaction and discovery. From finding a placement online to the great feeling of recognition and appreciation within the team. Every post, every assignment contributed not only to my professional development but to my personal development too. I'm enormously grateful for the opportunities and the support I was given, and I look back on this period with a lot of pleasure — the monster orders at the local chip shop and the random conversation topics at the table included. And the Hippos themselves? I won't be forgetting them any time soon.
