Why did you want to do an internship?
The fundamental reason why I chose to undertake an internship in the Summer of my third year was because I didn’t have any commercial experience within the field of Marketing. In addition to this, I was very aware of the fact that the competition for graduate jobs is increasing rapidly so I knew that I needed to tap into the job market as soon as possible.
How did you find out about the placement and what was the selection process like?
A friend who was a Saltire Scholar the previous year encouraged me to apply for the internship.
In comparison with other selection processes for internships, I found the Saltire Foundation selection process quite straightforward
Who was the internship with?
I was a Digital Marketing and Pricing Analyst with Edinburgh Airport.
What did you enjoy most?
I really enjoyed working for the airport. I had previously been involved in travel, working for Thomas Cook as a travel advisor, so the chance to work for another part of the travel industry was fascinating. I enjoyed every single day of my internship and it is definitely something I am currently recommending to prospective scholars who are applying to the 2014 cohort.
What was the objective of the internship placement, how long was it?
The objective of my placement was:
- Assist in delivery and communication of the three year digital strategy
- Manage and report the daily KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators)
- Work with the web developer and other teams in the delivery of the strategy
- Conduct industry and market research analysis
It lasted eight weeks from June 2013 – August 2013.
What was it like?
It was an extremely exciting environment to work in as it is a highly commercial company. It was a different environment altogether walking through the offices and interacting with security staff, duty managers, receptionists and representatives of various airlines etc.
It was a fantastic learning experience. I was able to work with an agency to deliver a newsletter to 120,000 subscribers. As an undergraduate marketing student, the chance to work with a marketing agency was extremely valuable as I had only learnt about the theoretical side of working with an agency.
How do you think it has it helped towards planning your future career?
It helped to establish that I want to work within the travel industry and I am in the process of applying for graduate jobs, some specifically within the travel industry.
What new skills have you developed?
Working at Edinburgh Airport improved my level of confidence to deliver a project of value to a company. In addition it improved my communication skills as I was interacting with some senior staff at times.
I learnt a great deal about the wonders of Excel and working with data; something which I have always disliked as a student.
One of the biggest skills I learnt was the ability to manage someone’s expectations. If you are given a task to complete within a deadline and you don’t believe you will be able to deliver in time, inform the person of the situation and tell them when it can be delivered by.
Do you have any recommendations or advice to give other students?
The best advice I could provide a penultimate year undergraduate is to apply for some form of work experience in their summer before their final year, as graduate employers want to see that you have made the most of your time at university and that you use your initiative.