Nonprofit organization providing opportunities for the BC tech industry to become a top 10 global ecosystem

marketing & member experience co-op

Throughout my two co-op terms at BC Tech, I worked in both the Marketing and Member Experience departments. The Marketing team was responsible for telling BC Tech’s story in a compelling way that builds engagement in the community, understanding of the tech industry, and interest in tech careers. I was responsible for managing all the social media channels including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to ensure there was a consistent brand image and voice. Through the guidance of the Digital Marketing Manager, I helped coordinate content pieces for the BC Tech blog, member Spotlight on Tech features, and industry news releases. The Member Experience (MX) team was responsible for engaging with the BC Tech community through programs, partnerships, and events. In the MX department, I logged and maintained relevant member information using Salesforce, a customer relationship management (CRM) platform. I also helped reinforce the value of BC Tech membership to new and existing members in-person, over the phone, and by email. One of my favourite parts was creating reports to showcase key information on our various members, events, and partnerships.

goals and objectives

Image Source: BC Tech Association Instagram

I decided to join BC Tech because I viewed it as a platform to connect and build relationships with BC’s growing community and thriving technology industry. As a student completing a double option in Marketing and Business Technology Management, I was really excited to integrate my two interests into the combined position that focused on everything including campaign launches, social media management, data analytics and database management software. One of my goals as a co-op student was to become a “Social Media Wizard”. This meant becoming skilled in managing and scheduling content across all social media channels using Hootsuite to showcase the new rebrand of BC Tech and increase overall engagement within the tech sector of BC. I gained more experience in being a “Data Analysis” by using Google Analytics to track key metrics such as engagement rate, impressions, and link clicks and Salesforce to generate reports for monthly and quarterly member updates. Lastly, I had the opportunity to become an “Efficiency Expert” by creating a more seamless processing system for our membership renewals. With the support and guidance of my managers, I learned to balance multiple tasks, become more detail-oriented, not be afraid to ask key questions, and become more proactive by preparing for future department needs.

defining moments

At BC Tech, I had lots of opportunities to cross-collaborate with different team members, connect with influential leaders at a variety of tech-based events, and gain an increased proficiency in using a multitude of different platforms. This position was also extremely impactful because I got to interact with key players, companies, and organizations within the BC Tech ecosystem. This co-op placement provided me with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the marketing and technology fields and learn new skill sets outside of my comfort zone.

The most rewarding project that I took part in was BC Tech’s annual Technology Impact Awards (TIAs) held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on June 1st, 2018. The TIAs are the longest-running and largest technology awards program in the province that celebrate the change-makers, the up-and-comers, the innovators, and the bold! This year was also extra special for the association and the BC technology community as it marked the 25th anniversary of the TIAs. I gained experience managing the award submissions, developing a judging criteria matrix, and creating and executing a 4 month multi-staged social media plan. This monumental event was a truly rewarding experience to be part of a team made up of intelligent, dedicated, and inspirational individuals all eager to celebrate the past, present, and future contributions of the BC technology sector.

Celebrating the 25th annual Technology Impact Awards (TIAs) at the Vancouver Convention Centre on June 1st, 2018.

greatest takeaways

BC Tech fosters a great tech-focused environment that creates a work-hard, play hard atmosphere. I loved the office’s open concept lay out as it stimulated a lot of cross-collaboration amongst departments, provided the opportunity to get to know team members on both personal and professional levels, and encouraged meaningful conversations with all the tenants in the building. We made it a priority to get together for different lunch and learns, donut days, and weekly “Fridays @ 4”. We also recognized team members for their key contributions by giving one another “high fives” on 15Five, a performance management software. BC Tech has been a platform to further develop my interpersonal skills by connecting and building impactful relationships. This role has given me such a unique and rewarding experience to gain exposure to the amazing people, companies, and organizations in the tech industry of Vancouver and across BC.