The Intern - an update

Interns Log 
Week 4

And so begins week 4 of my Marketing internship Project. 

Anxiety has dissolved - nervousness subsided. It has been a smooth transition from student to intern! So far..... 

Having successfully learned every bodies names in the office, I am feeling more confident and comfortable in my new environment. I have my own desk area equipped with PC, phone (connected to the outside world!) and useful office supplies.

Oh how I love the feeling of breaking in a brand new note pad!

 ....and the joy in opening a fresh pack of pens! and colourful little accessories to brighten up any work place! 

Every morning, I bound in the front door of the offices with at least 10 new questions to ask. Everyone here has been so pleasant to talk to and very helpful. All the creative ideas that have been stewing in my brain for the past few months have suddenly found an outlet and are dying to burst out onto the scene. I find myself writing down these thoughts long after I have left the constraints of the office, trying to absorb the inspiration all around me. 

Soon-to-be Graduate seeks Internship in Marketing - can double as in-house Barista!

I feel recharged and energised after a wonderful Christmas holiday. The time away from college textbooks and frantic commuting gave me time to reflect on the past few months at DCU Ryan Academy. Since enrolling on the Business Innovation Programme, I've had the opportunity to build my CV, learn about nearly every aspect of digital marketing, and make new and enriching friendships. How far I've come! The wonderful classmates I have met during the course have been supportive and encouraging along every step of the journey. After I rang in the New Year with family and friends in Vancouver, I spent some time pondering about our 2nd semester at DCU. My head was full of questions and thoughts pertaining to the new workshops and assignments I would be starting upon my return to Dublin. Most important among all of these, is the 12 week internship that will commence in February. 

So today, I have continued with my search for an internship in Marketing companies around Dublin. I'm using this opportunity to research some companies of interest to me and seek out the head of their marketing departments. Well, what is expected during an internship? Will i be asked to make 400 cups of coffee a day? Will I stand on the street corner with a sandwich board advertising Subway deals? I'm hoping that the demands of the company will be challenging enough to keep me interested and engaged. With my background in event management, I'm looking to partner with a company that has a marketing, advertising and PR presence. The ideal company would have similar core values to mine, and provide a good learning environment for a novice marketer like me. The search continues...... 

Risk assesment

Today I feel like this... Juggling options and assignments. Balancing my BIP courses and my other responsibilities. 

There is a mantra flying around our class at DCU Ryan Academy and that is " Fail early, Fail cheap,  and fail fast". My personal motto for the past 29 years has been "Plan and prepare, or prepare to fail" with a much more negative connotation on the word FAIL. I am not comfortable with failing at my goals (personal or academic), I am even more uncomfortable with the idea of failing at work or in completing a project. I am trying to listen to the ideology behind the "fail fast" mantra and can understand where it fits into the Ideate stage or project development. But it's going to be a while until I personally give up a "dead-horse" idea!

What about people who are told time after time that they will fail, sometimes by numerous  businesses, but persevere with their idea and take it to the next company pitch, to the next inventors forum, and the next dragons' den. What about passion? What about drive? Will they not succeed if they have a product they believe in? I have been led to believe (thanks to Disney story telling and positive-thinking career counsellors) that I can do ANYTHING if I put my mind to it. If I put my energy and time into a silly project, will I still fail? I think the sceptic in me would say " Yes, but you are too clever  to support a silly project!". I fear that the influence of others could  sway my decision making when supporting a project or idea, especially as I enter this new field of marketing which I unabashedly admit to know very little about. 

 The real story here is that I have never personally had to back a project with my own funding. With my own money at risk, or indeed my company's money at risk, would I be so understanding of a project that doesn't produce profits? 

I'm juggling with these ideas today. 

First Post

After 2 weeks into the DCU Business Innovation Programme, my head is swimming with facts and marketing jargon. For example,

• there were more than 150 million births worldwide in 2013
• China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world
• 1 in every 2 workers in the US has been with their current company for less than 5 years
• Apple ousted Coca Cola as the leading brand in the UK in 2013 

Some of the jargon and new vocabulary I have learned includes: 

• clickthrough
• Reach
• Trending
• hashtag
• PESTLE
• SWOT
• Branding

There have also been some interesting revelations about what type of learner I am, what personality traits I have, and what role I may assume when working in a group. After completing three exercises including "Test of a Leader" (Driscoll and Eckstein),

• I can identify with the characteristics of a Tiger: aggressive, enterprising and ambitious
• I can identify with the characteristics of an Eagle: Independent, Clear thinking, Egotistic
• I can call myself a TiGle. 
• In a team, I will probably become the Chairperson or a Shaper of the group. 
• I can call myself a Chairper.

All in all, a very engaging and educational two weeks! Looking forward to more......