Interview with Nikki

Hi, I’m Nikki. I’m 27 years old and work as a Digital Marketing Specialist at The Orange Studio. I’m responsible for our social media campaigns, primarily on Meta and LinkedIn, as well as on platforms like TikTok and Pinterest. In this role, I enjoy testing new strategies while ensuring they connect to the full marketing funnel.

In February 2021, I joined Orange Hotel Marketing (now The Orange Studio) as a marketing intern for my final internship at Hotel Management School Maastricht.

At the end of my studies at Hotel Management School, when it was time to choose an internship, I wanted to work in the hospitality industry while also deepening my knowledge of marketing, which I had found very interesting during my studies. When I came across Orange Hotel Marketing, it felt like the perfect place to combine the best of both worlds: gaining hands-on experience in marketing while learning more about the hospitality industry.

After my internship, I was offered a position, and in August 2021, I started as a Digital Marketing Executive. Three years later, I was promoted to Digital Marketing Specialist. Over the past 2.5 years, I have balanced my work at The Orange Studio with a part-time Master’s in Marketing at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, gaining deeper marketing knowledge while continuing to grow academically.

Along the way, I have developed a combination of analytical and marketing skills that I see as most valuable. Working extensively with numbers and campaign performance has strengthened my analytical thinking and ability to make data-driven decisions. At the same time, I have gained hands-on marketing skills, including setting up campaigns on different platforms, A/B testing, campaign optimisation and diving into the full marketing funnel.

I love that we have a relatively small team where everyone is willing to support each other, it really feels like true teamwork. I also appreciate that while we work hard and take our work seriously, there’s still room to have fun together during but also after work.

Be curious about everything you hear and see, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. If you’ve just graduated and are starting in marketing, it can feel overwhelming at first, but take it step by step and focus on learning gradually.

Purposeful- every step, from intern to specialist and through master’s degree, was driven by curiosity and intention to grow.

When we were a really small team, it felt like you were handling many different tasks at the same time. Nowadays, everyone has their own specialty and department, but back then it was just one team making sure clients were happy and well-advised, so the work was more of a mix across different areas.

As the company grew and attracted more clients and bigger projects, I had the opportunity to work with a wider variety of clients and learn from those experiences. At the same time, the creation of departments and more structured roles and responsibilities allowed me to dive deeper into specific topics and become specialised in my area.

I don’t have one single moment, but I’m proud of how I’ve grown alongside the company. Each step, from starting as a marketing intern in a small, all-hands-on-deck team, to becoming a Digital Marketing Specialist, has mirrored the company’s growth. As the company took on bigger clients, structured teams, and expanded its projects, I was able to deepen my skills, take on more responsibility, and specialise in my area. Seeing how my development progressed hand-in-hand with the company’s growth is something I’m really proud of.