Transition Year Work Experience at Kola Digital
For my Transition Year work experience, I spent a week working at Kola Digital, a digital marketing agency based in Kildare.
Going into the week, I was curious about how marketing agencies operate behind the scenes, and by the end of it, I had gained a completely new understanding of the work involved in digital marketing.
At the beginning of the week, I was tasked with researching Kola Digital itself. This helped me understand the company’s services, target audience, and overall brand identity.
Shortly after, I was given the responsibility of reviewing a website that was still in development and identifying any errors. This gave me insight into how important attention to detail is when creating a professional and user-friendly website.
As the week progressed, I was introduced to Canva, a graphic design tool widely used in digital marketing. I completed an online course to learn the basics before being assigned the task of designing Instagram posts.
At first, learning Canva was challenging, especially understanding layouts, colour combinations, and font pairings. However, I enjoy challenges, and once I became more confident using the platform, it quickly became my favourite part of the experience.
Designing posts allowed me to be creative while also thinking strategically about branding and audience engagement. Another major task I worked on was researching competitor marketing agencies in Kildare.
I analysed the services they offered and compared them to Kola Digital. This activity helped me understand the importance of standing out in a competitive market and clearly communicating your services. During my time there, I was also introduced to key concepts such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), branding, and social media marketing.
One of the most interesting things I learned was how analytics tools, like Google’s search engine analytics, can be used to track website performance and increase traffic. I learned how businesses use data to make informed decisions and improve their online presence. Overall, my week at Kola Digital was both enjoyable and educational. It opened my eyes to the wide range of careers available within digital marketing.
The experience challenged me, improved my creative and analytical skills, and encouraged me to consider different job opportunities in the future. Transition Year work experience has shown me how valuable it is to step outside the classroom and gain real-world insight. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to applying what I learned in future projects.
"As the week came to an end, I was surprised when he gave us a small gift as a thank you for our time and effort. It was a thoughtful gesture that made the experience feel even more appreciated and memorable, and it showed how much the team values the people who spend time learning and working with them."
Krystle Foley
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