One of the best opportunities I’ve had studying Business and Management in DIT was the opportunity to do an internship for 6 months. I was lucky enough to be offered a paid internship with Cpl in their Marketing department, where I am now working part-time as a marketing assistant.
During my internship, I’ve developed so much on both a personal and professional level. The amount of experience I’ve gotten is phenomenal and there have been significant benefits for me in all aspects of my life.
I was so lucky to get to work with a team that truly cared about my professional development and always ensured that I had a relevant task to complete.
Returning to final year in September, I have realised my internship has had a great effect on my academic performance in a number of areas too.
The internship and what you do?
My day to day varies. It’s usually made up of assisting the marketing executives on the main Cpl Group Marketing team, the HR team and managers from across the business.
These tasks again vary. Some examples would be helping plan and organise internal and external events, updating social media, email marketing support, assisting with website updates and content management and general marketing admin.
What’s it like working as a marketing intern?
Marketing, particularly digital marketing, is increasingly important across every industry in every company, so the career options are great.
There are a variety of career paths in marketing that you can follow, so it was amazing that my internship allowed me to get a feel for all areas from digital marketing to traditional marketing. I’m still not sure what direction I’d like to take, but I am now confident that marketing is the industry I want to be involved in.
What really made my internship experience so great was the people. The employees within an organisation can really make or break your experience. For me, I couldn’t have been luckier with all the amazing people I have worked with. No matter what position the person holds – from CFO to brand new recruiter, I’ve found everyone so approachable to chat to or ask a question.
Advice for picking an internship
Career relevance:
The most important thing when choosing an internship is thinking about how it will affect your chances when you start applying for jobs.
You want to be in an internship that will help you to gain valuable experience for the future. Don’t accept an internship just for the sake of doing an internship. It might not be easy to find one, but if you put in the effort now it’ll be worth it (trust me!)
For me, my main interest in college has always been marketing so when I was looking for an internship I was focusing on getting as much experience as I could in that field.
Networking:
One of the best things about doing an internship, particularly in a larger company like Cpl, is all the opportunities to network. If you can, pick an internship that will introduce you to various people who could be your ticket to a job in the future. Even if a connection doesn’t lead to a job you’ll learn so much from being exposed to different people and different teams.
Mentors:
In any job, and particularly for an internship where the goal is to learn, you want to know you have someone who you can go to. This person will be responsible for helping you and giving you the best possible experience in your internship. You want someone who can share their experiences and expertise and who will guide you through your internship.
Thankfully I’ve had no shortage of mentors. My mentors consisted of my manager Gill, Cpl’s Digital Marketing Manager Edel, Cpl’s Content Exec Niamh, and Marketing Exec Alison. They have helped me gain the best possible experience in my internship. Along with being my mentors, they are my role models, and each has the work ethic I strive to achieve.
Company culture:
When choosing a place to intern or work picking a business that has a company culture that fits your values is so important.
As an intern, you are much more likely to enjoy your time in the workplace if you fit in with your team and the company culture.
I found the culture in Cpl to be great. I got involved in the sports and social society, joined the Tag Rugby team and I was involved in lots of wellness initiatives including mindfulness days and gym classes.
I’ve also really enjoyed helping community and charities by getting involved in the CSR initiatives such as Run into Darkness and Trick or Treat for Temple Street.
Advice for others doing an internship
Take in as much as you can
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’ll learn more and it’ll help you avoid unnecessary mistakes
Get involved. Getting involved in any outside of work like tag rugby or social events will help you get to know many people in different departments
I couldn’t recommend doing an internship more to anyone considering one. I know it can be difficult as it often clashes with J1s etc. but there are real benefits that come from doing one. Both your college life and employment prospects can improve from the skills that you learn and who knows maybe even your internship might roll itself into a full-time graduate position.