Three weeks have passed much faster than I expected. Looking back, I can honestly say that my traineeship at Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was an unforgettable experience. I had the opportunity to work with Chartered Marketer Christine Watson, improve my marketing skills, discover a new culture and become much more confident in myself.
When I arrived in Belfast, I had many learning goals that I wanted to achieve. I was excited to learn more about professional marketing, social media and content creation while also improving my English. Now, after completing my traineeship, I can say that I achieved much more than I expected.
al marketing agency gave me a completely new perspective. I became much more aware of how planning, design and storytelling all work together to create successful content.
During my traineeship, I also learned how to use SEOPtimer to analyse websites and identify opportunities to improve search engine optimisation. It gave me a better understanding of website performance and the importance of SEO in digital marketing.
When creating and editing social media videos, I used Canva and CapCut. I realised that I personally prefer the editing system and workflow of CapCut. I found it more intuitive for video editing.
Another exciting experience was learning more about Artificial Intelligence. During my traineeship, I participated in an AI Bootcamp delivered by Tina Calder, where I learned how to use AI tools more efficiently for marketing and everyday work. I discovered how important good prompts are and how AI can help generate ideas, improve productivity and support creative projects while still requiring human creativity and critical thinking.
work-trip to Newcastle. The scenery was beautiful, with impressive mountains, nature and the sea all in one place. It was one of my favourite days during the traineeship because it showed me another side of Northern Ireland outside Belfast.
I also had the opportunity to visit Hillsborough, Carrickfergus and even spend a Weekend in Dublin. In Carrickfergus, we attended a local ice cream event, which was good experience and gave me the opportunity to see how community events can bring people together. Each place had its own unique character and made my experience even more memorable.
I will return to Germany with new knowledge, greater confidence and many valuable experiences that I can use in my future studies and career. I am very grateful to have been part of this Erasmus traineeship, and I hope to return to Northern Ireland again one day.
My social media experience
One of my main goals was to learn how professional social media content is created. During my traineeship, I created social media posts using Canva, designed graphics and produced reels for social media. I also took many photos during our visits to different locations around Northern Ireland, which helped me understand how important good photography is for creating engaging content. One of the photos I took during the traineeship was even published on the Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing social media channels. Seeing my own work shared, was a proud moment, and showed me that the skills I had developed were used. I learned that every social media platform has a different purpose and target audience. Before my traineeship, I already had experience managing the social media accounts of a restaurant in Germany, but working in a profession
al marketing agency gave me a completely new perspective. I became much more aware of how planning, design and storytelling all work together to create successful content.
Tools I Used
One of my biggest achievements during my traineeship was improving my Canva skills. Canva is a online graphic design tool. I completed three Canva Design School certificates and also attended a Canva training session delivered by Christine Watson. These courses introduced me to many new design techniques, shortcuts and creative ideas that I will definitely continue using in the future. I also learned how to use Canva Bulk Create, which makes it possible to generate multiple designs automatically. This showed me how Canva can save a lot of time when creating large amounts of content.
During my traineeship, I also learned how to use SEOPtimer to analyse websites and identify opportunities to improve search engine optimisation. It gave me a better understanding of website performance and the importance of SEO in digital marketing.
When creating and editing social media videos, I used Canva and CapCut. I realised that I personally prefer the editing system and workflow of CapCut. I found it more intuitive for video editing.
Another exciting experience was learning more about Artificial Intelligence. During my traineeship, I participated in an AI Bootcamp delivered by Tina Calder, where I learned how to use AI tools more efficiently for marketing and everyday work. I discovered how important good prompts are and how AI can help generate ideas, improve productivity and support creative projects while still requiring human creativity and critical thinking.
WorldHost Training
During my traineeship, I also attended, as a Content Creator, a WorldHost customer service training delivered by Licensed Trainer Christine Watson online. The course focused on delivering customer service, creating positive customer experiences and understanding the importance of communication. I learned techniques for dealing with customers confidently and making them feel welcome. These skills are valuable not only in marketing but in many different professional situations and will benefit me in my future career.Today at Apple
As I mentioned in my Learning Plan, I wanted to improve my photography skills. During my traineeship, I attended free Today at Apple sessions at the Apple Store in Belfast. These workshops taught me practical techniques for taking better photos and videos with my iPhone, including composition, lighting and different camera functions. I immediately applied these new skills while taking photographs during our work- trips around Northern Ireland. It was rewarding to see how small changes in perspective and lighting could make such a big difference to the final result.My daily work
Every day brought something different. Alongside creating social media content, I also helped prepare and label packages, which showed me that marketing is not only about social media but also about building relationships with customers and paying attention to small details. One day I tried to work from Home but I didn’t liked it that much. I like it better in the library. Throughout the traineeship, I became much more confident working independently. Christine trusted me with different tasks and encouraged me to find my own solutions. This helped me improve my organisational skills and become more self-reliant.Discovering Northern Ireland
Another highlight of my traineeship was exploring Belfast and many other beautiful places in Northern Ireland. I visited St George’s Market, Belfast City Hall, Queen’s University and the Cathedral Quarter, all of which had been on my list before arriving. Walking through Belfast allowed me to experience the city’s history, culture and friendly atmosphere. One particularly memorable experience was attending a networking event at Belfast Castle, where I also enjoyed a guided tour of the castle. During the event, everyone introduced themselves and spoke about their background and work. This gave me the opportunity to introduce myself, practise my personal pitch and become more confident speaking about myself in a professional environment. It was interesting to see how networking events are organised while learning more about the history of the building. Another day was our
work-trip to Newcastle. The scenery was beautiful, with impressive mountains, nature and the sea all in one place. It was one of my favourite days during the traineeship because it showed me another side of Northern Ireland outside Belfast.
I also had the opportunity to visit Hillsborough, Carrickfergus and even spend a Weekend in Dublin. In Carrickfergus, we attended a local ice cream event, which was good experience and gave me the opportunity to see how community events can bring people together. Each place had its own unique character and made my experience even more memorable.
Improving my English
One of my personal goals was to become more confident speaking English. Living and working in Belfast for three weeks gave me the opportunity to use English every day, both in the office and during my free time. At the beginning, I sometimes needed more time to find the right words. I also found the Northern Irish accent quite strong, and people often spoke very quickly, which made conversations challenging at first. However, as the traineeship continued, I became much more comfortable understanding different accents and speaking English in both professional and everyday situations. This is one of the achievements I am most proud of because it has given me much more confidence for the future.Looking back
Looking back at my Learning Plan, I am very happy with everything I achieved. I improved my social media and photography skills, learned new design techniques with Canva, discovered how AI can support marketing, gained experience using SEOPtimer for SEO analysis, became more confident using LinkedIn, developed greater independence while working and improved my customer service skills through the WorldHost training. Most importantly, I gained practical experience that cannot be learned in a classroom. Working in a real marketing agency allowed me to see how creative ideas become professional marketing content and how important communication, teamwork and flexibility are in everyday business. I would like to thank Christine Watson for giving me this opportunity and for sharing her knowledge and experience throughout my traineeship. She always encouraged me to try new things, improve my skills and work independently, which helped me grow both professionally and personally. Finally, I would also like to thank everyone I met during my stay in Belfast. This traineeship was much more than just work experience—it was an opportunity to discover a new country, meet wonderful people and create memories that I will always remember. I really enjoyed working with the other trainees. Jonas and Giulio helped me a lot at the beginning, it was great that there were there and they made the working environment friendly. Later, I helped Katia and Kristel to settle in the office by doing their induction I also became a Trainer in some way. It made me realize how much I learned during the time.
I will return to Germany with new knowledge, greater confidence and many valuable experiences that I can use in my future studies and career. I am very grateful to have been part of this Erasmus traineeship, and I hope to return to Northern Ireland again one day.
