Once university comes to an end you tend to wonder what your next steps will be once you graduate, not being able to secure full-time employment due to the lack of experience was a very frustrating situation. At the end of 2019 my university offered students/recent graduates the opportunity to take part in DMU champions, a six-week internship programme in an area of your choice. I jumped at the opportunity to be offered paid work experience in a field that relates to my degree.

Introductory Week

The first day at Data Image started off with a meeting with Matt and Molly, our placement mentors. They gave us an overview of our tasks that will take place over the next six weeks. Leading on from that the first week of the internship was an introduction to the company. Molly, my placement mentor introduced all the staff members to myself and Katie, another Graduate on a business development programme. We then became familiar with the process of the artwork; technical development as well as the research and development side of Data Image.

Once we became familiar with the processes in the office, Steve Chapman, the production manager provided an in-depth tour of Data Image’s warehouses. He explained the process of printing, what each department’s job role is, and the different printing machinery used to achieve different finishes. The first week was very important; although we weren’t going to be working in the warehouse it was essential to gain an understanding of the print industry and how Data Image operates.

The third day we helped with the Swedboard event which Data Image were hosting. Learning about Swedboard and what they hope to offer was a very informative day. I learned a lot about the steps that need to be taken for the print industry to follow the route of sustainability.

Constructive Feedback

I was tasked to write up a blog post about what took place on the day following the Swedboard event. However, learning to match my writing style to the previous blogs on the website was a great challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed learning on how to adapt my writing format to match blog style content. I had to format the content and ensure the blog looked presentable for the website.

In the second week, I produced a SWOT analysis on Data Image. Completing extensive research and analysing social media platforms alongside the website. I received positive and constructive feedback from Molly and Darren, which I will take on board for future tasks I undertake. When joining this internship my main goal was to learn. The constructive feedback received from my placement mentor was insightful and allowed me to recognise where I could improve.

Researching

I also enjoyed the research aspect of this internship role. Especially when researching some contact lists for our Business Development Manager, Suzanne. This task required attention to detail. In addition, I was also tasked to create a report on how Data Image could improve their social media presence. It was important to recognise what Data Image had currently been doing that was successful and then identify potential ideas/improvements to implement for the future.

Apart from the tasks that were set, I was also able to sit in on a marketing meeting. The marketing team and I had a meeting with the Head of Sales, Rachel; about the marketing schedule that will be set for the year. Discussing in detail the short-term/long-term goals in regard to Data Image’s actions towards sustainability.

Goodbye

Overall, this internship has been very valuable to my development as a marketing graduate. Most of my knowledge within marketing came from my degree; but the past six weeks I have been able to apply my theoretical knowledge to practice. Data Image has provided me the opportunity to enhance my skill set and utilise knowledge I have learnt to help me in any future marketing role I choose to take on.

For now, I am getting ready to start my financial assistant position at the end of March with the NHS. Although finance is a completely different route to marketing; I am excited to try something new and challenge myself with this new endeavour. I am certain I will take what I have learnt from this internship into my next job role. Looking forward to starting this new chapter in my life and I wish nothing but the best for everyone at Data Image. Goodbye.

Written by marketing intern, Sharanjit Kandola