The Intern Experience at DOZ

The team at DOZ continues to grow whether at our home base in Lyon, France, in our North African office, or in our San Francisco office right by the bay.

As well as the core permanent team, we’ve taken onboard a few interns this summer. One have joined the development team and work closely with our engineers, and two are working in the account management team.

And one, Jeremy Valette, has come onboard to work on some Sales development activity. Jeremy has been kept busy since beginning at DOZ at the beginning of June, but last week he managed to find some time to sit down with me and tell me a little about the intern experience at DOZ.

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Can you tell me a little about your background and how you came to be at DOZ?

I recently graduated from Rider University in New Jersey with a double major in international business and marketing. I was at Rider as part of a double-degree program with a French business school and, when I finished my studies, I had in fact earned two diplomas: one French and one American from Rider.

I’d previously worked in the UK in a sales forecasting and product-focused position, and then in France for a startup company focused on online advertising, SEO, and web marketing. I really enjoyed the challenge of marketing online and managing traffic for clients, and I was keen to find an internship in a company that worked in these fields. It would be even better if the company was a startup, too, as I enjoy the hands-on, get-involved-with-everything environment that start-ups encourage.

So when I found DOZ, I knew I had found a place that would be perfect for me.

What is your role at DOZ?

Right now my official title is Assistant Account Executive, but don’t be fooled – I have my fingers in a lot of pies. I follow up on sales leads, on-board new clients, complete demo of our SaaS product for prospective clients in Europe. I also work with the account management team and product teams to support our customers, and with the team in the United States on broader operations.

Being fluent in French and English is a real advantage as our clients are mostly located outside of France. While I am a French citizen and a native speaker of French, being able to speak English fluently means I can easily work with clients in other parts of Europe, in the US, and around the world.

What’s it like working at DOZ?

Well like I said, I was really looking for a startup-style working environment where I could learn a lot and where everyone was pitching in to help each other on different projects and task. I found that at DOZ. I mean, the CEO of the company sits six feet away from me, he has the same chair, the same desk, the same everything as me, and he’s happy to listen to my ideas. These sorts of things don’t happen in a bigger company.

OK – but what about the people who aren’t paying your salary?

Well my internship sees me working with a lot of different people and the atmosphere is great. People are friendly, everyone is open to talking or helping me out if I have a problem, and everyone get along. The office is an open-plan office so there are no walls between departments or teams. This makes communication a lot easier and its a more enjoyable workplace.

What are you enjoying most about your intern experience so far?

I think I am enjoying the opportunity to get involved in so many different things all at the same time. I can learn a lot quickly – that’s the startup way – and I feel like I am gaining more than I would be in a larger company setting. I’m also learning a lot more about sales, which is a bonus for me as it is something I never really studied before.

Who are you working closest with at DOZ?

I report directly to the CEO, but then that’s typical in the flat management style of a startup. But I also work closely with our VP of Sales who is based in California.

Digital marketing is an area that plenty of people find fascinating, but also extremely challenging. What do you personally see as the most interesting and the most challenging parts of the digital marketing industry?

Marketing is a field that is always changing. I mean, the fundamentals are the same but the techniques and the channels that we use constantly change. This means that you are constantly learning, and constantly innovating, too. It’s a field that is dynamic and I enjoy the challenges and opportunities that provides.

The downside, if there is one, is that this means a lot of work to stay current. I’m always reading blogs, articles, anything I can get my hands on to stay up to date and ensure I am on the cutting edge of the field.

What about outside of work – what do you get up to when you aren’t in the office?

I like playing soccer. I played for an intramural team at Rider when I was there and I enjoyed my taste of American college sports. I play video games, too, and I find myself reading technology and marketing blogs on the weekend. I guess it is a passion of mine as well as a job!

Finally, we’ve noticed that you come to work armed with some amazing lunches. Are you the man behind the magical dishes?

Let’s say I am “involved” in the cooking. The fact is that, after a year of cafeteria food on campus in the United States, I promised myself I would eat some real French food again when I returned to France. I’m happy to be back tasting the food of my childhood and enjoying a lunch that isn’t served on a plastic tray.

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DOZ is currently hiring Sales Executives, Account Managers, and Developers. Interested? Check out our jobs page on AngelList and apply today.