From the Classroom to the Workplace

Transitioning from my classes at Champlain College to EpikLabs was an important step in my professional career. Although the courses I am enrolled in or have already completed helped prepare me for the Internet Marketing & Web Analytics internship position, many of the skills I have acquired where honed by my assignments at EpikLabs.

The major difference between the classroom and the workplace is the level of quality compared to turnaround time on a project. In my marketing classes at Champlain, I would work on a semester long project and present it during finals week. A high level of quality is necessary for a semester long project because the professors expected you to utilize your time wisely and slowly chip away at your deliverables. However, EpikLabs is a completely different scenario.

Since EpikOne is a Google Enterprise Partner, the environment here is professional and fast paced. Deliverables are expected to be completed by their deadline with the highest attention to detail and quality. These deliverables are similar to the ones assigned in my college courses. The main difference is that the time frame allotted to complete your task is much narrower. I would say that this is the biggest step in transitioning from a college course to the cliche "real world"; maintaining a high level of quality while completing your assignments at a faster pace.

Although the EpikLabs interns experience this while accomplishing assignments, the EpikOne Crew is very supportive. Everyone that works at EpikOne is a great resource for the interns; I have utilized their knowledge multiple times to better understand internet marketing and web analytics concepts as well as lessons they've learned throughout their careers.

A professor is knowledgeable in their field of expertise; however, the knowledge contained inside the walls of EpikOne seem almost endless. From the analytics group, to the sales team, to the software developers, EpikLabs is the place to intern if you are looking to jump start a career in one of these fields.

By: Michael Taverna
EpikLabs Internet Marketing & Web Analytics Intern