Sarah's Marketing Internship with the UEA Graduate Internship Programme -- Week 4

Week 4: 16/4/12-20/4/12

I can't believe it's already the fourth week of my internship! Time really does fly when you're having fun! This week I've been thinking up more ways to promote the programme, and securing opportunities for us to do so. Following on from last week, I've created reports using the data we collected from the feedback surveys. The surveys went out to all current applicants, and all former interns, and there were some useful findings. Bringing it all together has given us an idea of what we're doing well, what we could improve, and provided some useful statistics that we might be able to incorporate into our marketing.

Speaking of marketing, I also managed to secure us some space in Rabbit, the Student Union e-newsletter, and got the programme's pages linked from the stories banner on the main UEA homepage. These should both help to increase awareness of the programme among potential applicants, and particularly current final year students.
Towards the end of the week, I drafted text for our latest ezine newsletter, sent to all registrants on the programme, and drafted a short article for Triangle, a local magazine. I also arranged for us to attend an Alumni Networking Event hosted at the University this Wednesday, which will hopefully help us to promote the programme even further.

It's been a busy, but rewarding, week, and I'm looking forward to finding out what next week will bring!

Emily's Marketing Internship with Anglian Chemicals -- Week 3

Here's Emily's update from week 3 of her internship:

Week 3: 16/4/12 - 20/4/12

"Even though photographing cleaning products does not sound the most exciting of tasks, I am gaining real commercial product photography experience. This internship is providing me with new ideas about what looks good on the web.  This week I am teaching myself new Photoshop tools that I have never used before. Since there is no Marketing Department I am also learning how to project manage and using skills I have learnt on my degree such as writing briefs and putting them into practice."

Jobseeking and Social Media

Having an online presence can be a useful way for you to find out about potential employers, and also for them to find out about you. LinkedIn is probably the most significant online professional network, but Facebook and Twitter are becoming increasingly popular choices. Of course, there are pros and cons to having your personal information online for anyone to view, but it's easy to feel that you might miss out if you don't take advantage of this fast-developing method of self-promotion.

This article gives you some useful things to consider when incorporating social media into your job search. Boost your online profile, but beware of the pitfalls!

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/social-media-job-seeking?intcmp=239

The RBS EnterprisingU competition has launched, with £40,000 worth of prizes!

The competition, created by Find Invest Grow and sponsored by RBS Group and LinkedIn, offers a unique online platform for entrants to "road-test" their business ideas, while building the framework for a professional business plan at the same time.

It is open to students and graduates of the past 5 years, and not just economics graduates with business experience -- anyone can enter.

Investors will be reviewing and judging entrants to decide on the 20 semi-finalists who will be selected to attend the training workshops. The 10 finalists will be pitching their business ideas to a room full of investors, with the chance of winning prizes of £25,000, £10,000, and £5,000.

The competition is now open, at http://www.rbsenterprisingu.com/

The deadline for completed entries is midnight on the 15th June 2012.

Emily's Marketing Internship with Anglian Chemicals -- Week 2

As you may remember, Emily is currently working as a marketing intern with Anglian Chemicals in Fakenham. Here's her latest update:

Week 2: 9/4/12 - 13/4/12

"This week the new digital camera arrived for me to start photographing the cleaning products. I arranged the products on the blue screen in an aesthetically pleasing way. I used Adobe Photoshop on my laptop to edit and retouch the photos. After the photos were labelled correctly I uploaded them live to the website. There is a large amount of stock to photograph, however once the task is finished the results will make the website up to date and modern."

Sarah's Marketing Internship with the UEA Graduate Internship Programme

Weeks 1-3: 26/3/12-13/4/12

I’m Sarah, and I graduated from UEA in 2009. After completing my Master's in 2010, I spent over a year doing various temporary jobs, and struggling to start my career. I became convinced that my lack of experience was letting me down, and so decided to apply for an internship to help me break the no experience, no job cycle.

At the moment, I’m working as marketing intern with the Graduate Internship Programme here at UEA. The aim of my internship is to promote and increase graduate awareness and engagement with the programme. I started my internship on 26^th March, and I’m enjoying it immensely! So far, my activities have included  drafting content for newsletters and ezines, creating an advert for the digital campus screens, creating surveys to collect feedback from applicants and past participants, proofreading and critiquing new adverts and promotional materials before they go live, arranging promotional opportunities, such as places to leave leaflets, and our attendance at various careers and university events, and generally thinking of fresh ways to promote the scheme and raise awareness. I’m also involved in developing and maintaining the programme’s social networking activities, as part of which I’ve created a LinkedIn group, re-established the programme’s twitter account, and set up the blog you’re reading now. I also maintain the existing Facebook page.

Three weeks in, I feel I’ve gained a good grounding in real-world office and administrative procedures.There’s always something new to tackle, so working as an intern is certainly never boring or predictable. I’m given plenty of opportunities to use my initiative, prioritise my own work, and to be involved with real projects. Promoting the programme has a genuine impact on graduates, so it’s rewarding, and shows real results. Applying for an internship is certainly one of the best things I did, and I’m gaining valuable experience with every day that passes.I'm definitely looking forward to the next 9 weeks!

Trevor's Management Internship with Hales Hall Barn

UEA Graduate Trevor Aslan started his management internship with Hales Hall Barn on March 6th. This is what he says about his experience: 

"My internship at The Great Barn at Hales Hall was not quite what I expected! The job application described “supporting the barn’s managers to complete a regional funding application” and also “identifying areas for refinement in the business”. To be honest it sounded like generic business stuff and yes that is what I’ve been doing, but when I initially thought I’d be working 9-5 in an office I was quite wrong…

The Great Barn is the largest surviving brick built Tudor barn in the country and is now hired out by the owners as a wedding and events venue. It is 10 miles south of Norwich. My role has been to support the managers and owners in putting together a proposal for grant funding in order to expand the business and have I learnt so much (I studied Environmental Science so never really came across the business side of things). I can hardly say that I have been stuck in an office because every day can be so different. I’m often out on site in the countryside liaising with contractors, gathering market research from shops or ringing and writing to local businesses to develop our links with them. My office is in a pub overlooking the Norwich cathedral so when I do need to be there writing up the application form it’s hardly the stuffy side of business that you’d imagine.  

The range of things that is involved with developing a business like this means that I have been exposed to, and had to learn about, financial forecasts, capital investments, loans, obtaining quotes, and all about different building trades from underfloor heating and road building to the ins and outs of installing a cess pit! I’ve even hosted a BBC film crew whilst they were making a documentary at the venue. I doubt that I’d have got such experience, working alongside the owners and managers, working anywhere else at my age and experience level."

Emily's Marketing Internship with Anglian Chemicals -- Week 1

You might remember Emily Stocks from the article she wrote on her previous internship with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. After having completed another internship with Broadbean Technology, and worked as a Graphic Designer at IRS Limited, she has now secured a further marketing internship with Anglian Chemicals, through the UEA Graduate Internship Programme. Over the next 8 weeks, she'll be providing an insight into her activities with the company, and life as an intern.

Week 1: 2/4/12 - 6/4/12

"I am a Marketing Intern at Anglian Chemicals, a cleaning company. I am commuting from Norwich every day on the bus, and I am really pleased the company has allowed me to fit my hours in around my travel to and from work. This week I have been updating the information on their website for their online products. The staff are very welcoming and the company is very well organised. I know what I will be doing each day and I am kept busy, and not wondering what to do next. Next week I will be writing a brief on what I would like to achieve whilst on the internship in terms of improving their website."

If you'd like to find out more about Emily's work, you can view her online portfolio here: http://www.behance.net/emilystocksdesign/frame

UEA Graduate Internship with the East Anglian Air Ambulance

Between August and October 2011, Loughborough University graduate Emily Stocks undertook a marketing/PR internship through the UEA Graduate Internship Programme. She spent an exciting 12 weeks with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). Here's what she says about it:

"After I had graduated in July 2011 studying Graphic Communication, I participated on a 12 week Graduate Marketing/PR Internship with the East Anglian Air Ambulance in Bury St Edmunds. During my first week I was introduced to the small team in the office who I would be working with for the next 3 months. I was able to build a great relationship with colleagues throughout the internship as it was such a small team. I attended a staff day, where I met everyone that works in the charity. I had a day with the crew where I met the paramedics, which gave me an insight on what they do on a daily basis, and I was shown around the aircraft.

During my internship I assisted the Media room by working with the Press and PR Manager on researching and preparing contacts for updating their database. I critiqued and wrote reports on different campaigns and on the work provided by the external design agency. I also created a poster design using their branding guidelines and Adobe Photoshop. On a day to day basis I answered the phones and logged media enquiries

I researched relevant web links of different helicopter missions for the EAAA and provided admin support for their magazine ‘Anglia Lift Off’. My manager also arranged for me to have a helicopter ride from Cambridge Airport to Norwich with an experienced pilot half way through the internship whilst the BBC were photographing the new helicopter. I was really surprised as I was a new member of the team, and was one of the first of the staff their to ride in their new helicopter. It was an amazing experience and one of the highlights of the internship.

After the internship I went on to be a Marketing Intern at Broadbean Technology in Canary Wharf, and then I became a Graphic Designer for IRS Limited, a sign company in Swaffham. I am currently a Marketing Intern in Fakenham at Anglian Chemicals. These internships provide valuable work experience, which has provided me with something interesting and varied to talk about at interviews."