Hi, I’m Samira. My summer internship was focused on marketing, design and behaviour change consultancy. I worked at Design & Tonic (a marketing and design company) to help with the build-up to the launch of their new website.

My responsibilities

A photo of Samira smiling.

Creating social media posts
Learning how to use new platforms such as MailChimp, Later and Canva
Learning the behind-the-scenes of making a new website
Writing blogs and articles on marketing, behaviour change and sustainability
Research on various marketing strategies that I had not heard of before, for example, lead magnets and SEO.

What I learnt

I learnt that asking questions is more than okay. You should never feel as though you are annoying someone; you must remind yourself that you are new to this and the only way to actually learn is to ask questions.

As much as you are working for them, this opportunity is for you and you need to get out of it what you want. I learnt to always keep this in mind which helped me when asking to be given specific tasks or to be taught certain things I wanted to be taught. The bottom line is, you are in control of your internship.

I learnt a lot about marketing, SEO marketing, blog writing, email marketing and behaviour change consultancy; what it is, and how to use it in your marketing campaign.

My top tips

Make the most of your time there

I did not realise how quickly my internship would be over. I would advise that you stay very aware that you are in this position for a very limited amount of time. Therefore, make sure you make the most of all of your time there because you will not get this opportunity again

Be kind

This may seem so obvious, but it is very important. Make sure you have a good relationship with your temporary employer, you never know when you might need some advice (or a job) in the future. I would highly recommend you speak well, listen carefully and reply promptly to emails and always proofread your work before sending it!

Be in control

The internship has been set up for you, not for anyone else. This means that if you want to learn more about a specific sector of work, just ask. And if you have questions, do not be afraid to ask them or to reach out for help. This is a fantastic opportunity where you have the chance to experience the world of work, take this chance and get what you want from it.

Don’t be afraid

It can be scary to ask for help, or extra time, but don’t be afraid. This is probably your first time in such an environment and you are not a professional; a lot of the time, your internship is not even related to what you are studying. There is no reason for you to know everything, and that is okay! I got pretty ill towards the end of my internship and I was hesitant to ask for extra time to complete tasks and even time off!

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