Emily Dewell, BSc (Hons) Events Management

I first became aware of the iMayflower Virtual Internship Scheme whilst in my final year of my BSc (Hons) Events Management course at the University of Plymouth. I was very pleasantly surprised at the vast number of internships on offer and quickly found one that really appealed to me, as a Social Media Intern. After a round of interviews, I was lucky enough to secure the role and I started working for the client.

Working for a client was a truly fantastic experience. My internship involved tasks such as reviewing their social media accounts to determine if there were areas for improvement or growth; creating and writing new social media content; researching trends within the client’s industry; analysing the social media presence of competitors; and designing new graphics for social media.

During the internship, I learnt many new skills and also improved some of my existing skills. For example, my time management became more efficient, due to having to manage my internship hours alongside my final year studies. I learnt lots more about social media, including the algorithms involved in creating effective content and reaching new audiences, how to design content on a platform called Canva that would engage an audience whilst being on-brand, and how to analyse which content was the most successful.

I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to complete an iMayflower Virtual Internship, funded by Plymouth Business School, as a Social Media Intern. Not only did the internship help me to develop new skills, but most importantly it helped me to secure my first graduate job after university. Graduate jobs are notoriously competitive, as I experienced myself, but I am very lucky to now be working as a Marketing Assistant in the landscaping and garden design industry. My role involves managing their social media accounts, copywriting for the company’s website, organising photoshoots of large garden design projects we have completed, assisting with producing new printed publications, and helping to run a range of marketing campaigns.

When the company offered me the job, they referenced my iMayflower internship as one of the deciding factors, as it showed that I was willing to take on additional opportunities presented to me, and the skills I gained in social media also became integral to my new graduate role.

I am a strong believer in making the most of every opportunity that presents itself, and these internships are a great example of such an opportunity, so I would strongly encourage any student at the University to apply for an internship. You will gain fantastic new skills, meet new people, gain confidence in your own abilities, and it may well help you to land a graduate role when you finish university.