From English graduate to marketing intern, V Formation’s Amy Cooper discusses the importance of internship placements and what they are really all about (and it’s much more than making coffee and photocopying).
When I graduated in the summer of 2017, I was left feeling uncertain about my future. I was struggling to find work opportunities that would put me on a career path and I kept being met with the ‘at least 2 years’ experience in office’ hurdle that oh so many graduates shudder at the sight of.
Towards the latter end of the summer I received an email from the University of Nottingham advertising the Nottingham Internship Scheme. The scheme involves hundreds of SMEs that employ graduates, with incentives including:
- to gain fresh perspectives
- to assist with a large project and/or;
- to provide a gateway to full-time employment.
The Internship Scheme receives funding from Santander Universities and therefore a grant is also awarded towards the cost of employment.
I applied to V Formation after reading the job description and seeing that it matched my interests and related to past work experience. The 10-week internship allowed me to plunge myself into the world of marketing, I gained so much experience in many areas including but not limited to:
- proof-reading
- writing blogs and website content
- search engine optimisation (SEO)
- data cleansing
- meeting with clients
- working with CRM systems and databases
- editing photographs
- organising events such as The Family Business Awards
And I went from never having heard of GDPR to suddenly having a wealth of knowledge on the topic.
There is so much to being an intern. It isn’t just standing at the photocopier and making hot drinks. It’s a way to fill the gaps in your experience, form new valuable networking relationships and apply yourself to a field and see if it is something that suits you.
Following my 10-week internship I was offered full-time employment and am now a Marketing Assistant in the V team. I now carry out client work and am constantly improving my skills and knowledge and I look forward to growing with the business.
V Formation is an energetic, insightful, supportive and hardworking marketing consultancy that values its employees both old and new and understands the value and potential of graduates. If you would like to get in touch, please click here.
