August 17, 2023, by Postgraduate Placements Nottingham

Challenging one’s comfort zones

Aleena Raja on her experience of a Researcher Academy Placement at Runo Franchising.

Aleena (R)

Challenging one’s comfort zones and having the vigour to explore and learn are certainly major determinants of success. Such has been my journey of working as a project marketing strategist with Runo Franchising – a student placement that came my way via the postgraduate placements team at University of Nottingham’s  Researcher Academy and I can not emphasise enough how grateful I am for the exposure.

Being an entrepreneurial student with experience and passion for Marketing, I wanted to explore the work industry in UK and this placement not only enhanced my marketing specific knowledge but also nurtured my entrepreneurial skills. At Runo, I got the opportunity to experience how SMEs work and what drives new ventures to success. The amount of autonomy I was given by the exceptionally talented and cordial mentors namely, Julie, Belinda and Tony at Runo Franchising undoubtedly instilled in me the confidence to do more!

Through this placement, I was able to pitch creative ideas, marketing content and calendars for Runo and was able to contribute significantly to the rebranding of the company – an experience which is going to stay with me forever. Giving a company in the UK it’s new tag line is an achievement in itself and I will cherish this forever.

Furthermore, this experience has given me amazing friends and acquaintances from whom I have learnt a lot. The team cordiality was indeed unmatched, from extensive work and food discussions to dining out together, we have done it all!

Tips and key takeaways :

1. Believe in yourself and the world will believe in you!
2. Never get scared of challenges, take them as an opportunity to learn and grow
3. Explore, research and take a logical approach
4. Develop strong interpersonal skills and build lasting professional relationships
5. It’s not always about work, ideas can emerge any time any where!

Runo offices

Runo Franchising introduced me to the professional market in UK but it has also amplified my understanding of the digital dynamics and the wide world of marketing in the international arena.

So, to all those joining University of Nottingham, I would highly recommend that you sign up on the Placement portal and get your share of the amazing work experience you might have longed for, not only will this enhance your CV but will give you an experience you will remember for a lifetime. You can definitely thank me later for the suggestion – Study, Work, Learn But Enjoy!

> Excellence Through Experience

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