Iris Fang, postgraduate student at the University of Bristol shares her experience with the Business School Micro-Internship.
Introduction: Why I Joined This Programme
As a postgraduate student in Management (International Business) at the University of Bristol, I was eager to gain hands-on experience in applying strategic thinking to real-world challenges. That is why I applied for, a short but intensive micro-internship supported and delivered via the Business School Careers Team.
Unlike a traditional internship, this programme placed me in a consulting team composed of students from across the Business School disciplines. The task was to develop a strategic growth plan for a social enterprise client, The Remakery Oxford, a creative organisation focused on sustainability, upcycling, and community engagement.
Project Experience: From Theory to Action
Our client, The Remakery Oxford, operates in the circular economy space, transforming waste materials into meaningful objects while building community resilience. As student consultants, we were asked to propose actionable strategies for the organisation’s future development.
My responsibilities began by conducting market and competitor research, then moved on to a situational analysis using SWOT and PESTLE frameworks. One of the highlights was applying the Ansoff Matrix to generate realistic growth scenarios across four strategic areas: market penetration, product development, market development, and diversification. I collaborated with teammates mapping stakeholder ecosystems (funding bodies and local partnerships, etc.), designing a volunteer engagement strategy and drafting a donor outreach plan based on mission alignment.
Through this project, I sharpened my strategic analysis, stakeholder mapping, and report writing skills. All while learning how to communicate across time zones and disciplines!
Reflection: Lessons and Impact
This experience was a strong reminder that purpose-driven businesses face complex, layered challenges, from operational constraints to market competition. One of the biggest surprises for me was realising how much community-based organisations rely not only on funding, but on volunteer sustainability and public awareness.
Professionally, this internship has helped me:
- Gain first-hand exposure to the consulting process, from research to recommendation
- Build confidence in delivering work for a real-world client
- Deepen my understanding of sustainable business models and social impact strategy
…and most importantly: This project is also a great CV booster for me. I can stress it under “industry project” or “consulting experience” to demonstrate my ability to apply strategic tools in a real client service setting. In interviews, it provides an excellent STAR-style example (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to showcase the teamwork, problem solving and my understanding of the social enterprise model directly. So this project is really helpful in the interviews to build and describe my experience logically.
Advice for Future Participants
If you’re considering applying for the Business School Micro-Internship, here are a few tips:
- Treat it like a real consulting project: deadlines, structure, and clarity matter
- Be proactive in team communication, especially if you are working remotely
- Don’t underestimate the value of small projects; this is real impact work
Whether you are interested in sustainability, consulting, or simply want to apply what you have learned in class to a practical setting, this experience will push you to grow.
The Business School Micro Internship is open to Masters students in the Business School and in 2025/6 is running in February and March. Complete an expression of interest to join this opportunity here.
