A Personal Update - Lesson 1 Internship

Not sure who is reading this blogspot these days (nothing has been posted for ages) but I thought I will start writing again and perhaps some may find my experiences overseas quite interesting and helpful. So I have been living in the UK since May 2009 and my objective has been to gain international work experience in marketing.

I have named this lesson 1 Internship as it allows me to arrange my experiences better as I can focus on one particular aspect - Internship.

So many graduates miss the Internship opportunity. The reality is that no matter who you think you are after you graduate you will more than likely not land that executive or management position. So how do you get there? How do you open your account into the business world. I believe one of the ways in is through internship.

In July 2010 I had made it through two interviews and was given an internship role with a company, after 3 months I completed my internship successfully and was given a permanent position and after 8 months in my permanent position I was promoted to Executive level.

Trust me you have a lot to learn outside the lecture room and an internship can help you fast track into a permanent post if you perform well. If you have achieved your degree or diploma then you have the diligence and discipline to successfully complete an internship.

How to find an internship:

1) Work out what industry you would like to work in
2) Look for companies in the chosen industry
3) Prepare you CV and always be prepared to write a covering letter
4) Look on their websites for internship programmes or positions (NB some companies start the process towards the end of the year before you graduate. So you can apply while you are in your final year for when you graduate.)
5) If you find nothing on their website then investigate (Phone HR department and ask who would be the best person to talk to regarding internships)
6) Nothing is certain in business so be prepared. One day you flying high and the next day you wondering why. Business works like the stock markets and often your career might go the same why particularly in Marketing. So be prepared but experience is king!

Any questions just ask.

My Guinness after a business presentation overseas in Dublin. At Dublin Airport on the way back to London.