What company were you an intern at and how did you find out about it?
I interned at Worth which is a digital agency in Brighton. I found out about it through the Wired Sussex website and also picked up a leaflet on it at a university job fair.
I applied to quite a few of the placements because I didn’t really have a definite idea of what I wanted to go into after my degree and they were all digital media related. I also didn’t have too much of a preference because I was just keen to get some solid experience in a professional environment. Whilst at first I wasn’t exactly sure what the position as a producer entailed and whether it was right for me, I ended up really enjoying it and it has now made me question whether I would want to do constant technical coding/development and design work or become more involved with the project management and client facing side of that work.
What were the reasons you went for an internship?
You’re constantly told you need experience by employers, recruitment agencies and career advisors. I knew it was essential for me to have some quality and worthwhile experience on my CV if I wanted to stand out from the high volumes of competition in the creative industry in Brighton. The idea of an internship seemed a lot less daunting… I was just about to start out after university and try and enter full-time employment which was totally new to me and scary! As an intern you’re not expected to know everything, there is less pressure and your allowed to learn as you go along which is a much more enjoyable position to be in when you start something or somewhere new.
What were your duties and what experience did you take away with you?
My duties involved maintenance of two client websites; both were communications website one for the government and the other for NHS. I updated them and added new content using Content Management Systems, responded to user queries and authorised members. I was involved in some business and client meetings too. I worked in Client services so I was customer facing and also helped on some not for profit design and flash work.
I loved the company, office and people. I gained professionalism and ‘worth’ (no pun intended) the company really made an effort to include me despite knowing I would only be there for 6 weeks, this was invaluable and just made me feel like my role and work mattered. I also gained some great friends and good contacts!
What did the internship lead on to afterwards?
I was offered to stay on for a temporary contract but was also offered a job I had previously applied for on a permanent contract. Whilst I really wanted to stay at Worth, with the current climate it seemed risky to accept a temporary job over a permanent one so I declined Worth’s offer and now work at Blue Edge as a New Media Graduate.
I learnt some really good project management skills and gained experience using and editing different versions of content management systems which will be useful in the future.
Would you recommend an internship to others?
Yes definitely, especially the BIP internship where you get some great companies involved, providing opportunities which probably wouldn’t be available if you approached the company yourself.
It definitely gets you thinking about different paths your career can take, until you work in a professional environment there is probably a whole host of jobs your not aware even exist or that you could get involved in with the qualifications you have. Working inside a company you see how everyone is involved, the responsibilities different roles and positions have and how everyone has their own part to play in getting a project out of the door.
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