Digital Marketing Placement Review

I thoroughly enjoyed working in the marketing department at The Holiday Place. The aspect of my placement which I valued the most was the variety of responsibilities and challenging opportunities that I was provided with. My job role was highly dynamic and I am grateful to have been exposed to such a large number of complex business situations.

I am very satisfied with the way my colleagues responded to me during my placement. I did not feel a divide between interns and permanent employees at any point and others were interested in collaborating and exchanging knowledge with me. My ideas were well-received by the team and always constructively discussed if not implemented. I felt that most co-workers were pleasant to work with and viewed my age as an opportunity to hear the fresh perspective of a Millennial.

My line manager was attentive to my learning and development throughout my placement. He took the time to provide me with regular support and helped me set measurable targets for myself. My progress was tracked and reviewed on a consistent basis using certain KPIs. The rest of the team were also helpful and facilitated my adaptation to the role.

There was occasionally an imbalance due to the nature of my role, meaning that I experienced both extremely busy as well as quieter days. In my opinion, it would have been appropriate to have more flexible and remote working hours. Nevertheless, the small size of the business allowed me to take part in a variety of unique projects and initiatives alongside my main responsibilities. I was always able to undertake additional tasks and was never left without work.

I felt that a great amount of responsibility was allocated to my work shortly after I integrated and became comfortable with my role. My tasks were not limited to those originally stated on the job description. The ability to get involved in some projects that had real business impact (beyond just administrative and reporting tasks) was one of the most motivational drivers during my placement. I was also given a lot of autonomy and was trusted with access to all back-office systems and third-party software.

This placement has added immense value to my development. I enhanced many transferable skills that will further benefit me in my academics and professional career. For example, I learnt to more effectively work under pressure and manage multiple conflicting priorities. The technical skills that I gained such as data analysis within the context of marketing are also invaluable to me. Overall, the placement gave me a thorough insight into my personal strengths, a new approach to further studies and better positioned me for future employment.

The office vibe was quite relaxed. While employees were dedicated to their work and acted in a professional manner when communicating with partners and clients, internally the atmosphere was casual. There was a sense of ‘togetherness’ and open communication in my particular department and I felt that people were happy, productive and working towards a common goal. This collaborative approach was attractive to me and I believe is important for a modern-day organisation.

The company has been hiring interns for many years and I felt that the placement programme was set up well. Although there was no structured scheme in place, it was up to my manager and I to decide which projects and training I should undertake and how I can align my personal goals with those of the company. I personally preferred this as it offered me a lot of flexibility. All other HR-related efforts such as the intern induction week and coordination with university were well executed.

Despite the fact that my role required lots of practical ‘on-the-job’ learning, the company provided me with training in different forms. In addition to the induction week, I was continuously encouraged to take part in open training sessions within the company. Occasionally I was able to attend paid seminars and conferences outside of the office ran by different marketing agencies. The team was supportive in teaching me certain job aspects and also provided resources for self-education. I felt that the training was ongoing during the whole year.

If I were to continue pursuing my career path in the same industry and business function, I would certainly consider further opportunities with the company. My exceptional team and business-minded manager were pleasant to work with and I could learn a lot more from them. However, I believe that the senior management can build further confidence in new digital innovations disrupting the industry, intensify focus on leveraging such growth opportunities and adapt a more long-term vision for the business. This would make the company even more appealing to me.

There were a couple of other placement students in another department and we organised several nights out during the year. This gave us a chance to connect with someone on the same level and share university experiences with. The company also ran events such as its annual Christmas Dinner and colleagues organised get-togethers in local venues.

Kilburn is an area with standard London prices. I did not rent in this area, however bars and restaurants were reasonably priced and definitely not more expensive than those in central London. The Holiday Place also offered employees free lunch once a week in a nearby Italian restaurant.

Kilburn offers a great variety of pubs. The Jubilee line also provides easy access to other areas of London with more vibrant nightlife.

Aside from birthdays and social events organised by the company, I found that living in London allowed me to get involved in many different activities besides the job. However as mentioned previously, more flexible working hours would have made it even easier for me to manage a work-life balance.