Life as an Intern in igloocompany

Hey there! My name is Megan, and I am a proud ex-igloohomie who had the privilege of interning in their Marketing department from the summer of May to October 2021. I am extremely honoured to have worked with such a talented, supportive and synergetic team, even though the bulk of my internship experience was conducted through a 13.3” screen, thanks to our delightful friend COVID-19.

Why I chose to intern at igloocompany

Despite hailing from a sociology background, I’ve always loved the fast-paced, ambiguous nature of the tech industry, which was a breath of fresh air after a semester of mind-boggling theoretical readings. I was also eager to dip my toes into the startup industry, as I wanted to have the opportunity to learn more and create a larger impact on the organization.

igloocompany encompassed the perfect amalgamation of all that I desired for an internship - here was a company that had proven itself to be a force to be reckoned with in the startup world, and possessed a fiery amount of passion for innovation that strongly resonated with me. But if I’m being honest, what really sealed the deal for me was when I saw a string of LinkedIn posts for iglooWellness week, featuring the C-suites sharing about their favourite ways to distress. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be in a company led by such a fun-loving, energetic assemble of leaders who genuinely cared about the wellbeing of their employees? Also, not gonna lie, the posts sent me into gales of laughter.

Said string of lovable Linkedin posts, you may check more of them out here.

On to the interviews!

Though I was not armed with a list of credentials and internships under my belt, I was offered the opportunity to submit a simple portfolio of all the things that I had done in my previous internship. Subsequently, I was interviewed by Zann, the marketing director of igloocompany.

I had been to countless interviews, but Zann was the first interviewer who asked me not only what I could do for the company, but what the company could do for me. From day 1, Zann was sincere in wanting to help me get the most out of my internship experience, which spoke volumes that this was a company that really cared about its people.

Becoming an official igloohomie 

On my first day, I was cheerfully greeted by Joyce, the talent partner, who gave the interns a crash course on the company’s organization, various departments as well as a short history lesson on its humble beginnings. From the get-go, there was no moment where I felt lost or confused. Zann had arranged for me to individually speak with each member of the team to gain a deeper insight into the different facets of marketing. 

Mandatory photo by the igloohome sign to officiate my igloohomie status!

There was Kai Lin, the youngest member of the team, who instantly made me feel comfortable with her bubbly nature. Kai Lin became my de-facto work buddy, and patiently guided me through the onboarding process and answered every single unintelligent question I had (and there were many). There was Jamie, bespectacled and always exuding a rather calm presence, whose job scope mainly focused on the partnerships and lead generation. There was Cherry, who like the fruit itself, is explosive with energy and extremely flavourful. Cherry mainly heads igloocompany’s branding, content and as her Slack’s status succinctly puts it,” Whatever Zann wants me to do.” There was Dom, guardian of the igloohome website, who despite my extreme confusion, was able to steadily walk me through it so that now, I at least know what “Cookies and Bots'' mean (kinda). Finally, there was Zann, who despite her scarily packed schedule, took the time to personally brief me on her expectations and my responsibilities. 

By the end of the onboarding process, I knew exactly who and where to go for advice, how to use the various tools such as Slack and Gdrive and the intricacies behind the marketing team. Within a mere 3 days, I was fully supplied with the necessary tools to take my projects head-on.

The Internship Journey

I went to the office a grand total of 3 times before the heightened alert regulations forced us back into work from home measures. The digital nature of my internship meant that there was an even greater need to effectively communicate with my team. But no matter - the tasks delegated to me were clearly articulated and I was well equipped with every resource I needed to carry it out. Whenever I was in a befuddled state, the team was extremely forthcoming and ready to hop on a call with me.

Sharing my ideas with the team!

Over the next few months, I expanded my skill sets through a wide array of tasks. They include:

• Extensive competitor and industry research

• Analyzing current social media channels and app services

• Repurposing blog posts into other digital assets

• Crafting a diverse array of long-form articles for lead generation purposes

• Proposing and pitching strategies for improvement

• Formatting and compiling collaterals

The team has always made me feel comfortable with speaking my mind and were open to my suggestions. When I made the occasional blunder, nobody berated me and instead offered meaningful suggestions on how to improve each piece of work. Once, deep into the mini lockdown and at the height of Cavin Fever, Zann went out of her way to deliver me a Starbucks care package, consisting of a giant chocolate shake and a rather obese cookie. It was such a genuine and thoughtful gesture, and it made me feel so fortunate to be under her mentorship.

Me before I gobbled everything in one sitting.

Finding a home in igloocompany

Looking back, I’ve gained so much knowledge about the smart access industry as well as about Marketing as a whole. The culture of igloocompany has been nothing short of inclusive and vibrant, and I’ve always felt that my contributions as an intern were highly valued. To all future interns, while these views may only reflect the stance of one former marketing intern, I promise you that it is an experience that you would not regret :)