Chloe Casdorph This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to be the marketing intern for ControlUp’s marketing team. I assisted with various projects, including social media strategic analysis, creating digital ads, writing and copyediting blog posts, and working on my own intern projects. Through this experience, I gained valuable insight into how a leader in digital employee experience (DEX) tools uses marketing to help spread brand awareness and show how its products empower IT departments to run more efficiently.
Before interning at ControlUp, my marketing background was primarily in social media, with little exposure to IT—my experience with digital tools extended to everyday devices and applications like Macs, Google, and Zoom. When I first arrived, I was a sponge, eager to absorb as much information as possible, ready to learn from the best. I dove into all facets of marketing: field, brand, content, and product, and sat in on weekly branding meetings. I also learned to leverage AI for work purposes, a skill I’m excited to continue developing. The biggest takeaway was understanding what Digital Employee Experience (DEX) is and its critical importance in today’s global workplace.
As a college student, DEX was an entirely new concept to me. I honestly never considered what a good digital employee experience would entail. If I ever encountered tech issues with my computer, I would take it to the IT desk to get it fixed, without a second thought about the complexities of IT support in a remote work setting.
Working remotely from Southern California, I now personally experience the benefits of a strong DEX environment every single day. DEX makes my job significantly easier, no matter where in the world I am. With members of the marketing team based all over the U.S., our CMO is based in London, and our CEO is traveling globally, I understand the importance of DEX. DEX isn’t about where you work; it’s about how you work.
DEX has genuinely streamlined my workflow. I can log in, complete my tasks, and log off efficiently. If an issue arises, it’s resolved in seconds, often before I even notice there was a problem. Throughout my internship, I encountered virtually no frustrations or challenges accessing systems or technology. Everything was remarkably easy to access. I seamlessly connected to the systems I needed without a problem, making my work life significantly smoother.
As a young professional entering the workforce, which is increasingly defined by hybrid and remote models, a strong digital employee experience is extremely important to me. When working remotely, I prioritize a seamless digital workspace that boosts my efficiency. ControlUp is the first company I’ve worked for that uses DEX software, and I don’t know how I will ever go back to a non-DEX workspace.
My time at ControlUp has taught me a tremendous amount about the IT industry and the importance of a positive digital employee experience. As my internship comes to a close, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with ControlUp. I thoroughly enjoyed my time working here and will cherish the knowledge and skills I’ve gained. I plan to apply all the skills I have learned at ControlUp in my final year at SMU.