April 15, 2016, by Carla

How Your Internship Could Shape Your Career Path

By Alice Yeates, Nottingham Alumna

I graduated in 2015 with a degree in Art History. During my final year at university I had regularly attended ‘Second Wednesday’, a local event for people working in creative and digital. Unfortunately it no longer runs, but keep an eye out for similar events! It was by attending this that I came into contact with a few local agencies and I decided I would like to stay in Nottingham once I finished my degree.

A bold move

I applied to a number of positions available on the Nottingham Internship Scheme, but ended up approaching Impression Digital directly and suggested they use the internship scheme to create an opportunity for me – benefiting both of us! Although it was a bold move, it is possible that some companies will not be aware of the scheme, so approaching them making them aware of it is always an option. Particularly if you know the type of role or company you are looking for.

Through the scheme I interned at Impression for three months. When I started, I asked to gain an overview of the company before settling on what I enjoyed. By doing this, I made sure I had a thorough understanding of digital marketing before choosing a specific role. In the end, I opted to work with the design and development team on the creation of marketing materials for clients.

The next step

Once my internship was over, I went straight into a role as a graphic design intern at Tribe for a further three months. Tribe work predominantly with print, so this allowed me to see the differences between print and digital. I also picked up some valuable graphic design basics along the way.

Finding my niche

This led to my current role as a Junior Digital Designer at Distinction. The title ‘Digital Designer’ varies from agency to agency, but the flexibility of the role means I am able to combine my knowledge of digital marketing and graphic design – and every project is different!

Although it feels like I have spent much of the past nine months moving agencies, it has allowed me to narrow down what type of designer I would like to be – digital – and what kind of agency environment I want to work in. It also means I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with a wide variety of clients, from local SMEs to national and international blue chip companies.

Overall, the Nottingham Internship Scheme enabled me to pursue a career that I might have struggled to without a specific design degree. It gave me the opportunity to spend the necessary amount of time teaching myself such a variety of skills that I found myself in a position where I could choose between numerous different design-based roles.

Thinking about applying for the Nottingham Internship Scheme this year? You can find all the details here including information on workshops helping you to refine your application.  

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