Hi everyone, my name is Rosella and I am the marketing Frontrunner at Sulets. Frontrunners is a 6-month programme run and paid by De Montfort University running from October to March.
The benefits of picking up a University-led programme such as an internship or placement are that you can work your shifts around your studies. I have 11 contact hours at very odd times during the week so I am very grateful that I can be flexible with my employment hours. My position as Frontrunner means that I don’t have to travel very far at all either.
To be honest I applied close to the deadline on a whim because I had been looking for an employment opportunity for some time. I am a creative writing student which is why I am very lucky to gain a marketing position considering my course is very different. This has enabled me to branch out my skills and learn how to apply them to a real-life role.
The interview process was quite informal with two senior staff members and a member of the University placements team and we simply chatted about my experience. I received a phone call a few days later telling me that I had been successful.
The scheme is engineered so that students who would otherwise struggle to find work experience are able to gain some commercial skills. Not only have I learnt a great deal about marketing in the real world, improved my design skills, and developed my understanding of what is required in a role such as this but I also got further training on GDPR and mental health. All Frontrunners’ interns are given access to DMU staff training on consumer rights, safeguarding, equality and diversity, Information security, and data protection.
I know that nowadays there are countless opportunities for students, they just don’t know where to look. The careers team at DMU is fantastic.
I have heard that some internships are viewed as ‘plastic placements’, this means doing menial tasks like tea making and sitting in on meetings but not actually doing anything. These placements are not at all like that. In my first few weeks, I was given complete control over the design of the annual report. These positions are real-time with real tasks that make a difference in the company’s output. During this process, I was not only widening my commercial knowledge of writing and creating content for a business for I also learnt a lot about the accommodation sector. As a student working for a student lettings company, it has been interesting to see the process from the other side.
As well as 6 months of great work experience, I have a fantastic portfolio to take forward with me. This will serve as an online portal for my achievements and experience to pass onto my next potential employer.
This programme has helped me evaluate my career options. I have realised that my skill set does lie in marketing and I am just as competent if not more, than someone with a degree because of my experience during Frontrunners.
Working alongside industry professionals has nurtured me, learning new skills and shadowing real projects has really given me a sense of understanding of my own abilities and how I can be useful to a company.
I would like to thank Sulets for their continuing support and assistance in helping me grow as a person and I will really miss being part of such a great team.