Student Blog Post – Distributor Manager

“It was amazing for me to be able to see the tangible impact of my work.”

Please briefly outline the project/tasks/responsibilities you worked on during your Professional Pathways internship.

During my Pathways internship, I worked as a Distributor Manager for Martec International. My role involved reaching out to potential overseas clients and starting a dialogue with regards to a partnership in selling Martec online learning products. I was able to reach out to individuals from a number of companies and my initial conversation with one individual has led to a growing partnership with Future Sharp, a subsidiary of one of the largest retail companies in India.

What achievement(s) were you particularly proud of during your Pathways internship?

Initially, I contacted potential clients via email, and this yielded little response. I then had the initiative to try contacting people through LinkedIn, which resulted in much higher engagement and lead to the creation of Martec International’s partnership with Future Sharp, a subsidiary of one of the largest retail companies in India. It was amazing for me to be able to see the tangible impact of my work whilst working for Martec International.

Given the Professional Pathways internship is 35 hours in total, what advice would you give to other students to ensure they gain as much as possible from the experience?

It is really important to work with your manager to make the most of your limited time with the company. In my case, I decided to work part-time in order to have more time for clients to respond to my requests. This worked so well that Martec International kept me on for another 3 weeks to see the project through to a desirable endpoint. Ultimately it is important to try and provide as much value as you can to your company using the skills you have developed both in your degree and your pathways training. This will allow you to have the biggest impact and also help you to get the most out of the work you are doing.