During the Spring 2024 semester, I had the opportunity to work as Pearson Higher Education Mathematics Micro-intern. As a mathematics major, I was intrigued by the chance to get a behind the scenes look at the product development, marketing strategies, and data analysis in an area that directly affects me as a student. Over the course of four months, I worked with Siby Sabu, a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Pearson, to learn about the ins and outs of the world of marketing and sales! I entered this micro-internship with very little knowledge. I had never taken any business-related course in college and had only had exposure to marketing through the Pearson Campus Ambassador program. Nonetheless, I was eager for this learning experience, prepared myself to become a sponge, and was excited to get started and expand my repertoire!

Gaining Product Insight and Compiling Feedback

One of the highlights of my micro-internship was getting to learn more about Pearson’s MyLab, textbook integration, and how the books are updated or improved. This opportunity allowed me to familiarize myself with key features and functionalities, making me feel more prepared for future projects that would inevitably come my way as a Pearson Campus Ambassador.

Part of this process also involved listening to feedback from customers. I had the chance to sit in on some virtual calls as well as transcribe recordings aimed at reviewing a competitor’s software and comparing it to Pearson’s MyLab. As someone who has used MyLab for almost their entire college experience, it was interesting for me to hear a professor's point of view of the onboarding process, how to set up class portals and assignments, and how to organize a gradebook. This helped me to grasp the importance of customer-centricity in product development and marketing efforts.

Research, Research, and More Research!

One of the most surprising aspects of my micro-internship experience was how important research was. I always assumed marketing was internal, a boomerang of collaborative ideas that flowed through an organization rather than exploring outside sources, but I realized that there was also much to learn from competitors.

I also researched topics related to marketing, specifically, different types of emails and loyalty incentives as well as sales and revenue enablement. There was so much information available to me! I was able to broaden my knowledge of effective communication techniques and learn how to craft engaging content to gain more “clicks” through concepts such as journey emails and dynamic emails. In connection to email avenues, I compiled ideas for loyalty incentives aimed at fostering customer engagement and loyalty. My research on sales collateral equipped me with a deeper understanding of the materials needed to support sales efforts. From brochures to product training workshops to demos and focus groups, I explored various collateral formats, their role in driving sales effectiveness, and possible implementations for Pearson. I even had the chance to interview my own sales representative as a Pearson Campus Ambassador to gain insight on her experience, get feedback on my research, and gauge interest. This firsthand perspective gave me a clearer perspective of the opportunities and challenges within the sales environment.

Creativity is Key

Creativity was a major aspect of my micro-internship which I thoroughly enjoyed since I do not have many creative outlets in my major. I was tasked with coming up with ideas for on-campus contests for college students and professors. This was an extra fun project as I got to survey my peers to gauge interest and gather feedback from current college students, ensuring that the contests would resonate with the target audience.

As my micro-internship journey ends, I find myself reflecting on the valuable experiences and lessons learned throughout the process. Each component of the micro-internship contributed to my growth and development and opened my eyes to the wide world of marketing! Special thanks to Siby for all his mentorship, and I look forward to applying what I learned to my position as a Pearson Campus Ambassador and in all of my future endeavors!

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