On the welcoming day of ePPC’s third-year summer academy, all of us newcomers were full of excitement. With elevated heartbeats and a bit of adrenaline, we shared stories amongst ourselves as we were waiting to start a new chapter in our professional lives.
But what exactly was on the menu?
There was an immense variety of information waiting to be revealed to us during the academy. From Google Ads to Bing trainings, from Facebook Ads to sessions on Google Analytics. Furthermore, we had a bunch of exceptionally intriguing events awaiting us as well!
Time to get our hands dirty
One of the first things we discovered was that for this year, the Summer Academy format had changed. The usual 6 weeks of study-study-work-work-work-work had now taken the shape of study-work-study-work-study-work. For us, this new arrangement meant that we could instantly practice what we learn and start asking the “right” questions. At first, getting us “newbies” (as the seniors liked to call us) to ask any questions at all was quite tricky. What does one ask if they kind of understand everything and nothing at once? Luckily, the more actual work we did, the more “confused” (in a good way) we got. Soon, it became clearer which particles of information were missing from our brains.
We all soon realized that the account setup was actually the easy part of the job. Tracking conversions, optimizing campaigns, and managing bids was the tricky part. Most of us had no previous experience with Google, Bing nor Facebook Ads but that didn’t stop us – we plowed through the huge pile of new information and got more confident asking one “stupid” question at a time. After the first week of studying, we were ready to make our first independent steps and start working on REAL accounts with the help of our patient mentors. Scary at first, for sure, but also very rewarding – there’s a special kind of adrenaline rush you get when you see how your actions have a real-life positive effect on someone else’s business.
We learned that over the years, the Summer Academy at ePPC has seen some really, REALLY hot days. This year was no exception. When the temperature outside reached 30°C+, it was time to wipe off the dust from our office hero – the fan. Sadly, it was also the most unfortunate member of our team, at least once a week it got kicked over and needed some urgent care before feeling fan-tastic again.
Festive adventures: from the rooftop to the sea
No Summer Academy is complete without some out-of-the-office events. During these events, we got to know each other even better whilst taking advantage of a truly rare phenomenon in Estonia – a perfect summer weather. Our first event took place at the Viru Keskus rooftop entertainment park called PARK’la. It was a mixture of sporty fun, delicious snacks, and an overall awesome atmosphere. Since it was in the first week of our academy, it was exactly the kind of ice-breaking we needed before the more serious (team)work could begin.
The second time we all got together outside of the office was on the day-trip to Naissaar. The boat ride, filled with topics like “what does it mean to work at ePPC” and “how to become a digital rockstar”, made it clearer what the future holds for us. After that, we hopped on an old military truck for an excursion around the tiny (and yet so very bumpy) island, which was a nice change of scenery from the busy city-life. Strangely enough, there isn’t anything more uniting than standing still with all of your colleagues, patiently listening to old stories, while being outnumbered by old sea mines.
But who exactly are the new marketing wizards in training?
With diverse experiences and various backgrounds, we all had our own stories to tell and superpowers to unveil!
Regina: I am studying Business Management and Marketing but I also have some studies related to HR management. My main hobbies are volleyball and traveling. And I also like volunteering. Why ePPC? Because digital marketing is my secret passion and this is something that is not widely taught in universities. So the best way to learn it seemed to join one of the coolest digital marketing companies. In ePPC, I like the company culture and to be part of a team of young and passionate people all working towards the same goals.
Teele: I have a Bachelor of Science and studied Gene Technology in TalTech. After finishing school I started to work in different fields. That’s when I discovered the world of specialty coffee and tea, which are now a big part of my everyday life, especially the coffee world. I also love tennis, motorcycles and old cars. At some point, I found a passion for digital marketing and wanted to step into that world, so ePPC and their Summer Academy seemed like the perfect place for this. ePPC is a great place to start learning and developing in the area.
Marit: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Publicity. I have previously also studied International Marketing Management in Germany. Currently, I am busy with my Master’s thesis in Marketing. I am really interested in spatial architecture and interior design – it was actually my second choice at university but marketing won that battle. Since my PPC skillset was far from perfect, the ePPC Summer Academy was the ideal way of changing that – 6 weeks gave me a lot of answers and many many new questions.
Gertrud: I have been working in the field of marketing for the last 5-6 years. My passions are snowboarding, windsurfing, and recently kite-surfing – in addition to diving. I’m quite active and I enjoy spending a lot of time outside doing various sports activities. One interesting fact could be that I’m a hunter that goes to the forest regularly. While working closely with ePPC, I became more interested in the possibilities that Google Ads offers.
Mustafa: Ingrained in the realm of academia for almost my entire life. I’ve started off with engineering, then moved onto IT management, and finally found myself conducting research in the field of Neuromarketing. As an avid wheel-addict, I mostly relish skating adventures in my free time to maintain my sanity. And why am I here? Mainly to put my academic theories into marketing practices. But little did I know that a small dose of the ePPC culture would have me hooked up to the bountiful working adventures and cozily efficient working days – not to mention the overly approachable teammates!
Liisa: I have an MS in Landscape Architecture and a love for good urban design. I’m also a fan of the outdoors in general. I am most happy when I’m bouldering, reading an interesting book or learning something new. I chose ePPC because I had a great interest in digital marketing and the summer academy sounded awesome.
All good things (unfortunately) must come to an end
They say time flies by when you’re having fun – this was exactly the case at ePPC’s Summer Academy. Days felt like hours, and hours literally felt like seconds. And when you’re able to merge such pleasantly amusing vibes with efficient working practices, the outcome is nothing but a work of outstanding artistry!
But learning is never-ending, and converting our newly acquired information into practical knowledge is just the beginning of the marketing adventures we will encounter. Us ‘newbie’ wizards, are still yet to continuously improve our competences to thrive in the ever-growing realm of digital marketing – there is still so much more to accomplish to become the ultimate marketing sorcerers!
