This week, I tested my own self-confidence. Often times one of the most nerve-wracking parts of being in a new environment is being able to be proactive about not only asking questions, but also giving your own input. Being in a new atmosphere, I found myself holding back in fear of doing something wrong, but overcame my own personal pressure in an effort to get things done efficiently.
My main task at hand this week was using AdMall for research on potential accounts. AdMall is a site that allows users to gather information such as market trends and sales reports while also getting several different statistics on how a certain company ranks and appears in the digital marketplace. Once I started researching my first lead, I soon realized how much information I had the opportunity to use. In an effort to stay organized and pull only the most useful statistics, I created an Excel spreadsheet to use as a template for each lead and began recording the stats for each business.
The part of this task that I found the most difficult was allowing myself to draw conclusions and trust that what I was saying was not only helpful, but that it wasn’t just some crazy correlation or idea that I was thinking. I eventually got a little surge of confidence and took advantage while I could, jotting down my ideas regarding different parts of their digital portfolio and sent it over to the account manager. I cannot say that I was completely confident in what I had written, but I had decided the worst possible outcome would be that I was not completely on track, and someone could explain why. I was pleased to learn that my insight had been on track, and my research consolidated the information needed for this specific business. Since I have completed this first report, I have continued to work on several more and have gotten an idea of what information is most useful and how it all connects to help develop a digital strategy.
While the experience I have gained this week has been insurmountable, one piece sticks out the most as I reflect back on the last few days. The reason I wanted to learn in an office setting was to cut back on the telling of information, and to actually be able to complete hands-on projects that taught me instead. The key to learning from these hands-on experiences for me is to give what I have to offer, and trust that when my ideas aren’t on target, I gave it all I had. Next time a similar case rolls around, I will have a better understanding and have more to offer than I did before!