Category Archives: Advertising, Marketing and PR

Student Case Study: Conference Assistant UofE

Access to Internships (A2I), Administration, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Education, Teaching and Research, Internship Schemes, , , ,

Name of Student:  Zamir Kadodia

Degree Subject:  BA Philosophy

Job Title: Conference Assistant

Company Name:  University of Exeter

Type of Internship:  Access to Internships (A2I)

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

  • Responsible for putting together a programme committee.
  • Responsible for co-ordinating the refereeing of abstract submissions.
  • Responsible for co-ordinating acceptance/rejection of abstracts.
  • Responsible for co-ordinating the conference programme.
  • Responsible for conference management: leading a team of postgraduate volunteers, co-ordinating notices and last-minute changes, answering questions, guiding delegates.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

The work helped to enable the smooth running of the conference. The biggest task was perhaps co-ordinating the refereeing of abstracts, where I had to gather a list of philosophers willing to review abstracts, and then delegate each abstract to three philosophers, making sure each abstract was within that philosopher’s field of study and that there was no overlap. This was a mammoth task, and I developed new skills along the way such as working with EasyChair and Microsoft Excel. It was a great personal achievement of mine to see each paper through from the submissions, to acceptance or rejection, to refereeing, and then finally to see them presented at the conference where I was an assistant.

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?

There were occasions where we did not have enough reviewers for the papers we had accepted, and this involved a lot of emails to a lot of different philosophers, which was very time consuming. Thus, I had to plan ahead and develop my skills of planning and also communication. Further, at the conference, there were times when some of the conference assistants had to drop out because of illness, so I overcame these challenges by taking up their shifts or discussing a plan of action with the other assistants.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Problem Solving
  • Organisation
  • IT
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes
  • Decision Making

Attributes Developed:

  • Logical thinking
  • Creative thinking
  • Independence
  • Work Ethic
  • Professionalism

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

Overall, this was a fantastic experience. I had an amazing line manager who trained me enough so that I could complete the tasks I needed to complete independently, and gain new skills in the process. It was great to be involved with all aspects of the conference, and see it through from start to finish. Although it was challenging at times, the rewards far outweigh the benefits, and I believe taking this internship has shown me a different side to the field of philosophy, and one not seen by an undergraduate. I was glad to have had this opportunity.

Student Case Study: University of Exeter

Administration, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Graduate Business Partnership (GBP), Internship Schemes, Sector, , , , ,

Name of Student:  Lindsay Warner

Job Title: GBP 5310 Programme Assistant

Company Name:  University of Exeter

Type of Internship: Graduate Business Partnership (GBP)

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

Managing the relationship with partner students and overseeing their onboarding process as they participated in Challenges Online. Helped to manage a team of student reps, who helped deliver the Challenges Online programme. Provided administrative, technical and communications support to assist in the overall delivery of Challenges Online. Provided support across the wider Programme and SED team. Support interested students in continuing their projects after Challenges Online week ends.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?  

Outputs: promotional events; Challenges Online; promotional copy, e.g. website, sways; timetables; social media campaign; podcast episodes; feedback and evaluation reports.

Outcomes: 94% overall student satisfaction rate on Challenges Online, 100% student satisfaction rate from Leiden partner students and received an Above and Beyond Award from my colleague for collaboration with partner students

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

As part of my GBP role, I was involved in the overall delivery of Challenges Online. Challenges Online is an employability programme, in which students work in small teams to create a project across a week-long period, and this project aims to tackle a sustainability problem of their choosing (which is aligned with one of our Challenges that year). A key part of my position was liaising with our strategic partners in order to arrange and onboard partner students onto the Challenges Online programme. This involved collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders, e.g. the Assistant Director for Education Abroad at the University of South Florida, and Clare Crick at the University of Exeter, who in turn managed the relationship with the University of Leiden. I had regular meetings and emails with these stakeholders in order to keep them fully informed about students’ progress with us, and so that we could adapt our approach with any feedback they provided. I also managed all email marketing to partner students, and was involved with setting them up with Exeter IT accounts so that they could participate in the programme. I am pleased to report that Leiden students had a 100% satisfaction rate on the programme, and Clare was kind enough to award me an Above and Beyond Award for my collaboration in this area. These outcomes were a big achievement for me because this experience was crucial to developing my relationship management skills, my IT skills and my marketing skills, and it was great to see the positive impact of my work for students.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Assessing and Managing Risk
  • Organisation
  • Leadership
  • Strategic Planning
  • Networking

Attributes Developed:

  • Logical thinking
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Independence
  • Work Ethic
  • Professionalism

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“I have had a fantastic experience on my GBP internship! Both Simon and Anka have been nothing but supportive throughout my time with the Programme team, and I have learned a lot whilst working alongside them. The dynamic of the team meant that I had agency and independence in any tasks that I was set, but I could also reach out for support if I needed it. I had weekly catch ups with the team, which was a nice way to catch up with each other as we worked remotely, while also ensuring that we stayed on top of our busy to do lists!”

Student Case Study: University of Exeter

Administration, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Degree subject, History, Internship Schemes, Sector, Student Campus Partnership (SCP), , , , ,

Name of Student:  Stephen Finlayson

Degree Subject: BA History with Study Abroad

Job Title: SCP 5309 Challenges Online Rep

Company Name:  University of Exeter

Type of Internship: Student Campus Partnerships (SCPs)  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

Helping with the administration and organisation of the Challenges Online programme.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?  

Produced an effective social media campaign, promotional videos, and spreadsheets to help organise students in different groups. Also help to administer the programme in June.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

Biggest achievement was the social media campaign and promotional materials that I produced.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Negotiation
  • Problem Solving
  • Leadership

Attributes Developed:

  • Logical thinking
  • Confidence
  • Independence
  • Work Ethic
  • Professionalism

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“My internship with Challenges Online provided me with a rewarding experience of working with other students to support independent group projects. The experience taught me the values of teamwork and problem-solving.”

Employer Case Study: QWERTY Beer Box

Access to Internships (A2I), Advertising, Marketing and PR, Business and Management, Degree subject, Economics, Employer Feedback, Hospitality and Event Management, Internship Schemes, Retail, Sector, , , ,

Name of Organisation: QWERTY Beer Box

Description of Organisation: QWERTY Beer Box is a year one University of Exeter startup, formed in March 2020 to give independent breweries the national recognition they deserve. We’ve since put together 4 independent craft beer selections (Best of the Cotswolds, Devon, Bristol and Wales), partnered with over 40 breweries, worked with numerous high profile corporate clients and sold over 1500 QWERTY Beer Boxes. In 2021 we are looking to triple our 2020 annual sales, export British craft beer to the EU and explore numerous other sales channels.

Name of Employer: Quinn Leatherbarrow-Stokes

Job Title: Co Founder

Internship Scheme used: Access to Internships (A2I),  Student Business Partnerships (SBPs) 

Feedback:

Together with the intern we were able to define a project that would entail discovering and pursuing incremental sales opportunities in the B2B market across the Southwest (Devon, Cornwall & The Cotswolds). They became an expert in this area of the business and were able to add value to the overall business. Although not leading directly to immediate sales it has paved the way for future expansion and we are in the process of bringing them back on board come September.

Given the results achieved and the attitude and talent demonstrated by the student I do not think there are any obvious improvements. One aspect that I did find helped the relationship was that I was a student at the University of Exeter last year and so was aware of other commitments and we were able to work together on this.

The A2I team have been amazing. They worked with us to put together a job listing and advertised it to the talented students at the University of Exeter. We had a shortlist of students and were able to find someone who was perfect for the role. The student themselves added significant value to the QWERTY Beer Box team and business and gave us the extra capacity to pursue incremental opportunities.

Student Case Study : International Student Recruitment 

Administration, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Degree subject, Education, Teaching and Research, Geography, Graduate Business Partnership (GBP), Internship Schemes, Sector, , , ,

 

Name of Student:  Beau Garry 

Degree Subject: BSc Geography  

Type of Internship: Graduate Business Partnerships (GBPs)

Company Name: University of Exeter- International Student Recruitment 

Job Title: International Support Officer 

 What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

-Support academic staff in their engagement with UK international feeder schools.

-Represent the University through attendance at education fairs, University open days and visits to feeder organisations.

-Collaborate with colleagues in other departments 

 What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?  

I’ve added to the engagement and recruitment of the UK International market in the international Student Recruitment Team. I’ve also been the lead on International Foundation programmes and have been the person which has dealt with all the incoming referrals from the admissions team. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?  

My biggest achievement during my internship was attending a postgraduate fair in Frankfurt and speaking to a student who was interested in studying at the University of Exeter. I spoke about the various different courses which we had on offer and assisted the student during her application via e-mail. As a result the student has successfully been made an offer by the University and will starting her course in September. This student emailed to thank me for all my help. This is just one of example of the many students I have helped at recruitment events and post recruitment events. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure 
  • Organisation 
  • Decision Making 
  • Researching 
  • Time and Work Load Management 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Initiative 
  • Perseverance 
  • Professionalism 
  • Confidence 
  • Motivation 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“Very worthwhile indeed.  I had some valuable work experience and gained an understanding of some of the research being undertaken at the University of Exeter and the confidence to get more involved. “

Student Case Study: Preston Street Films 

Advertising, Marketing and PR, Degree subject, History, Media, Publishing and Journalism, Politics and International Relations, Student Business Partnership (SBP), , , ,

Name of Student:  Kathryn Offer

Degree Subject:  BA History & International Relations Study Abroad

Job Title:  Documentary Research Assistant

Company Name: Preston Street Films

Type of Internship:  Student Business Partnerships (SBPs) 

Description Of Company: Preston Street Films is a documentary film and branded content production company based in Exeter, Devon. The team combines decades of experience working for broadcasters such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, NBC and Channel 4 and a range of high profile brands and clients.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

My key duties and responsibilities during my internship were researching ideas for documentaries, researching and getting in contact with archives for documentary footage.
I also researched for potential companies to make short-form documentaries for as well as,  helping with filming as a runner and getting in contact with people.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

The outputs and outcomes I delivered for my employer was where I produced a list of potential companies to liaise with. I gave ideas for new projects and got in contact with people to appear in documentaries.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I got to work as a runner and see a project through from the researching phase, to completion. I researched the history of table manners for a documentary, contacted people to appear, and then helped with the filming itself.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

It would have been great if my contract could have been extended. But there was limited funding for this.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Negotiation
  • Persuasion
  • Problem Solving
  • Leadership
  • Customer Service

Attributes Developed:

  • Researching
  • Networking
  • Degree Specific
  • Commercial Awareness
  • Confidence

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“I genuinely loved every moment of working with Preston Street Films. I felt I gained so much experience, in so many areas during the placement, and it was such a great opportunity to experience something outside my general academic focus. I could not recommend it enough to anyone else considering a similar route. Everyone at Preston Street Films made me feel so welcome, and was so supportive of my applications to similar schemes after it ended. If there was greater funding in place to extend my contract this would have made it even better.”

 

Student Case Study – True Story

Administration, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Degree subject, English, Management and Consultancy, Retail, ,

Name of Student:  Emma Fear

Degree Subject:  BA English

Job Title:  Christmas Account Manager

Company Name:  True Story

Type of Internship:  Santander SME

Description of Company: As an independent creative agency, we’re used to working with brands and retailers across all channels, both in the UK and globally. Our concepts translate into real-world experiences for customers that deliver measurable commercial results. 

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

I was on a team that was the liaison point between a large team of designers and the Boots UK in store marketing Christmas team. I had to ensure briefs were communicated effectively and deadlines were met for delivering completed artwork files to the client.   

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer? 

I produced weekly market research reports for Boots which allowed other account managers more time to manage larger projects and also gave Boots an insight into their competitors. I also ensured that artwork files were delivered in a timely manner so that print deadlines were hit. This meant being aware of the designers workloads and timeframes and doing everything in my power to support them to reach the deadlines we set.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

Boots asked true story to produce prototype artwork of in store marketing materials that were not yet fully completed in the creative stage for use in a mock-up show room. I project managed this whole product, which meant delivering over 200 pieces of prototype artwork to a really tight deadline. To do this, I ensured I provided daily updates to the client, the designers and the rest of my team so we were all aware of how much work was left to do. I also made sure that things went as smoothly as possible by remaining in constant communication with the client so feedback could be delivered and auctioned promptly. We ended up meeting the deadline and all material was in the showroom on time for the senior members of the Boots team to see it.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges? 

There were large issues on a piece of work I was covering for somebody who was on holiday. As I was the only one in the office, I had to ensure that the client knew the limitations of the situation and the problems we had. This was incredibly difficult as it was not a client I had built up previous rapport with and this was my first dealings with them. I overcame these challenges by remaining calm and honest with the client and helping them to understand how the situation had occurred. I also contacted my line manager and alerted her to the problem so that if it escalated further she would know the situation clearly enough to have an input. This move proved invaluable when she was later called up and asked to make an important decision regarding this project.

Skills Learnt:

  • Problem solving
  • Negotiation
  • Persuasion
  • Leadership
  • Customer Service

Attributes Developed:

  • Confidence
  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“My internship was enormously useful to me both personally and professionally. It has given me the confidence and experience to pursue a graduate position in a large company and taught me so much about having a full-time job.”

 

Student Case Study- Planet Earth Games

Access to Internships (A2I), Administration, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Business and Management, Hospitality and Event Management, Internship Schemes, Politics and International Relations, Student Business Partnership (SBP), , , , , ,

Name of Student:  Dominic Hughes

Degree Subject: BA Politics with Study Abroad

Job Title:  Marketing and Communications Officer

Company Name:  Planet Earth Games

Type of Internship:  Access to Internships (A2I), Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)

Description of Company: Young people and adults are more concerned over climate change and its effects on the natural environment than at any other time. At the same time, inactivity and obesity are at record levels. We are a not-for-profit organisation who passionately believe in the symbiotic relationship between the environment and human activity.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

My key duties were the management of digital platforms and to develop content for digital platforms. I was also responsible for website management, including regular updates as well as, PR and Communications, including media relations and generating media coverage.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

The outputs and outcomes I delivered for my employer was strong digital engagement on all platforms and I drove event sales towards minimum of 60% occupancy.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

Being involved in the launch of the first ever Planet Earth Games, our team sought press coverage in the lead up to the event and also media coverage on the day. The task was to contact media organisations with press releases and invites to the event. We were delighted as a BBC representative attended on the day.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

It proved really difficult to convert digital engagement to event sign ups, particularly filling boys football teams and tennis teams. As a result, we were forced to drop boys football and tennis from the schedule.

Skills Learnt 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Communication
  • Enterprise
  • Problem Solving
  • Decision Making

Attributes Developed 

  • Confidence
  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Motivation
  • Personal Awareness

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“I cannot recommend the Access to Internship scheme enough. Chris Broadbent, the CEO of Planet Earth Games, has worked in media and marketing for many years and was fantastic to work with. We worked to deliver a meaningful project – the world’s first environment themed multi-sport event.”

Employer Quote:

“Working with the University internship scheme was transformational for our growing organisation and allowed us to deliver a highly ambitious event with very little resources.” – Chris Broadbent

Student Case Study – Roly’s Fudge

Access to Internships (A2I), Administration, Advertising, Marketing and PR, Business and Management, Hospitality and Event Management, Information Technology, Internship Schemes, Student Business Partnership (SBP), , , , , ,

Name of Student:  Annabel Ilic

Degree Subject: BSC Management with Marketing

Job Title:  Communications Assistant Intern

Company Name:  Roly’s Fudge

Type of Internship:   Access to Internships (A2I), Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)

Description of Company: Originating from Devon in the West Country over 30 years ago, we now have independently-run family fudge pantries across the UK. Each shop uses traditional recipes to make fresh fudge every day, handmade in full view for you to see.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

During my internship I created blog posts and social media posts. I also produced newsletters and general marketing (with a focus on re-branding and the environment and sustainability).

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

The key outputs and outcomes I delivered for my employer was producing blog posts and social media posts to gain more exposure. I created two newsletters which were a huge success. The first being opened by 1352 people and the second by 1445 people.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I was asked to help with the re-branding of the business, focusing on the ‘faces of Roly’s Fudge’ (the families who own different franchises). I had to create profiles for each owner, using Canva and help to create the webpage for it on WordPress. Whilst this is still a work-in-progress, my manager is very happy with what I have done and it has been a very intrinsically motivating task as well. It has provided me an outlet to show what I have learnt during my internship and hope in the future it will help change people’s perceptions of the business.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

Nothing notable. Sometimes time-management was difficult and I found myself running out of tasks, but by communicating my thoughts and giving feedback to my manager, everything was resolved.

  Skills Learnt 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Leadership
  • Time and Work Load Management
  • Organisation

  Attributes Developed 

  • Confidence
  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from my internship, but I have absolutely loved it. This experience has provided me with many useful skills that I will no doubt use in the future. After opting out of my industrial placement, it has given me a real boost of confidence and reassured me that I have the ability to be effective in the workplace. Better still, I was given the flexibility of working from home so it complimented my university studies well. I would recommend this scheme to anyone who is looking for meaningful experience and an insight into what ‘real life’ work is all about.”

Employer Quote:

“I was really pleased with the service from the internships team, who guided us through every step, advertising for the role and even helping with funding.  We took on two interns who were keen to learn and were so pleased with them that we offered them further work with us.” – Dannee McGuire (Director)

Student Case Study:  Colab- Resilient Women’s Project

Access to Internships (A2I), Advertising, Marketing and PR, Business and Management, Education, Education, Teaching and Research, Health Care, Internship Schemes, Law, Politics and International Relations, Psychology, Sociology and Criminology, , , , ,

Name of Student:  Jane Curmi

Degree Subject: BSC Sociology and Criminology

Job Title:  Resilient women project intern

Company Name:  Colab – Resilient Women’s Project

Type of Internship:  Access to Internships (A2I)

Description of Company: As an integrated cross sector wellbeing and innovation hub our goal is to improve lives by improving the context in which support for change occurs, as well as delivering meaningful and relevant services. Supporting people with complex life situations and multiple disadvantages, such as mental ill-health, homelessness, domestic and sexual violence and abuse, substance misuse, (re)offending and poverty we focus our support around recovery, belonging, rehabilitation and wellbeing.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

Support the facilitation and delivery of a range of initiatives, working with the team to support women in the Criminal Justice System and those with complex needs, support resilient women’s project navigator scheme to offer direct pathway planning to women in the Criminal Justice System, support the delivery of resilient women financial abuse project training sessions, supporting the women’s sex worker project, take part in team meetings, learning opportunities and presentations, write findings and recommendations for future development as part of my placement requirement.

 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I was asked to support the women’s sex workers project; the resilient women’s project was awarded Tampon Tax funding to undertake a further scoping exercise which would include gaining the views of women themselves and were awarded a really small pot of funding. The aim is to inform health and other social policy makers of what the needs are and how women want them to be addressed, with a view to looking at how to further support women in this situation. I was asked by the project manager to look over evidence that was already collected to familiarise myself with the project. I done this and I also spent some time researching recent literature on the subject, then worked out a plan of how the project aims could be met. I researched links that could be involved in the Exeter area and composed various emails and sent it to links that could have some knowledge of women sex workers in the Exeter area. this received a response from SWARM in London who gave me a contact link in Exeter University. I arranged a meeting with my manager, the contact and I. This meeting was successful and provided the resilient women’s project at Exeter University.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

In general, my internship was very successful, the only thing I can say that did not go very well was when I was co-facilitating a course and a women turned up half way through the course and asked to take part. I felt that on instinct I should let her join the group. however, when reflecting afterwards I should have asked a senior member of staff as the women who attend these groups have multiple complex needs and I felt I may have let someone join and the situation could of changed and I would not be able to handle it. I discussed my feelings with my manager afterwards and came to the conclusions that in the future when a women turns up and the course has already started that she not be allowed to participate for the safety of the other attendees. This made me reflect on making quick decisions, I will in future be aware what the of making quick decisions and what the repercussions of that may be. 

Skills Learnt

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Strategic Planning
  • Customer Service
  • Leadership

Attributes Developed

  • Creative thinking
  • Confidence
  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“Colab is a dynamic place to work, I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement and I have been given work opportunities and experience I would not normally have access to. This internship has provided me with the experience I need to complete my studies and further my career.”

Employer Quote:

“Jane has been an exemplary student whilst working with the project.  She slotted into the team really naturally and went above and beyond the objectives set when needed.   I would like to thank Jane and the University for enabling this really interesting internship to take place.”