My eight months at Tesla was a cornerstone in my professional development, teaching me the importance of synchronizing creative content with analytic insights to drive marketing success.

Developing the KPI dashboard from scratch was both challenging and rewarding. This project was born when, after three months into the role, I noticed an opportunity to highlight the beautiful content produced by Tesla’s creatives by quantifying its impact. While the initial lack of direction seemed daunting, it gave me the motivation to independently set goals and collaborate with stakeholders to identify essential metrics.

As a result, I used this dashboard to develop insights and recommendations which informed and optimized content strategy for senior decision-makers across adjacent teams. The increasing requests for analytics from Sales, Business Operations, and Global Content Managers confirmed the importance and impact of my work beyond my immediate team. It was rewarding to see other teams implement my analytics frameworks and recommendations. Ultimately, this project transformed into a key component for moving towards a more data-driven approach to content creation.

My manager greatly influenced my professional growth during this period. He was more than just a manager—he was a mentor who cultivated my interest in the many different areas of content. He created avenues for me to dive deeper into those interests, identified areas for improvement, coached me with productive feedback, and trusted me with project ownership. Overall, he played a crucial role in teaching me how to thrive under pressure, contributing significantly to my personal growth as both a marketing professional and a human.

Looking back, this role reignited my love for writing and sharpened my technical skills in strategic communication. I created over 50 pieces of content for a global audience of over 3.1 million leads and 1.4 million vehicle owners, from perfecting AP style to leveraging Google Analytics and Excel. At the end of my internship, I presented my work to Tesla’s chief designer which not only refined my presentation skills but also demonstrated my capability to lead and complete projects with autonomy.

The fast-paced, creative environment at Tesla offered daily opportunities for “side quests,” from directing interviews for executives and team members for a YouTube video on Tesla’s official channel to supporting behind-the-scenes for unreleased product content to creating witty signage for partners. The support from my coworkers-turned-friends at the Design Studio made this experience special, making my time at Tesla not just a job, but a journey of continuous learning and growth.