After graduating from Oxford University this summer, I was unsure which direction I wanted to take in my career plans. I was keen to work in fashion retail and PR, and thought that finding an internship would give me the experience I needed to help me move into this industry.

Within a few days of signing up with WEXO, I found an internship with Claudia Bradby Ltd, a luxury jewellery business based in Hampshire. The business is small but expanding, and was looking for a PR and Marketing intern to help them move forward – particularly in their use of social media.

After my interview I was offered the internship on the STEP scheme at £250 per week, and within a few days I started work. From my first week I was given real responsibility; I took over the business’s Twitter account, and was able to make suggestions and changes as to how the company used social media, which in turn soon brought increased traffic to the website.
I also was given other responsibilities across different aspects of the company. Before long I was not only responsible for Twitter, Facebook and the company’s blog, but was processing wholesale and retail orders, updating and controlling the website, and liaising with customers and stockists – including John Lewis.

I’ve got used to producing weekly analytical reports on the website, highlighting successful points and also areas for improvement. In terms of Marketing and PR plans, I’ve been able to have a real impact on the business by approaching influential bloggers and the press, and even working with the Royal British Legion on the Poppy Friendship Bracelet the company has produced to raise funds for the Poppy Appeal.

This internship has given me a huge amount of experience of retail and PR, and has provided me with opportunities I would never have otherwise had. For example, I was lucky enough to attend a workshop with M&C Saatchi’s, which both exciting and enlightening.

WEXO have supported me throughout my time at Claudia Bradby Jewellery; by advising me before and after the interview and keeping in touch, they have made sure that I have made the most of my experience. However my career progresses from here, I know that this internship has given me invaluable skills and experience for the future.

Camilla

This paid internship was facilitated by STEP – the UK’s leading placement programme for students and recent graduates (originally set up and sponsored by Shell UK). WEXO is an Associate Partner and delivers the full suite of STEP placement programmes, administering the student/graduate training allowance, saving host businesses the burden of time and paperwork…

After graduating from Durham, I was set on finding a small, fast-paced company to work for, and one which would provide me with some valuable hands-on business experience. WEXO provided the perfect platform from which to search for appropriate vacancies and, after registering my details on the website and subsequently organising an interview with the WEXO boss, I was soon put in contact with Alibi Drink who were advertising an eight week sales internship.

Alibi Drink, a small ‘PRETOX’ functional health drinks company based in Notting Hill, was looking to take on four interns in order to help grow the brand’s presence in convenience stores, cafes, and delis in London. Each intern was delegated a quarter of London and, right from day one, was responsible for opening, merchandising and managing as many accounts in the capital as possible. The internship provided invaluable field sales experience and a quantifiable business development opportunity. It also provided one of the interns, potentially, with a full-time position on the back of the internship, which I was fortunate enough to secure at the beginning of October.

Alibi is a hugely exciting company to work for and one which is growing rapidly within the FMCG industry. The team behind it are all young, fun, and determined to make the Alibi brand succeed internationally. I was also lucky enough to be invited on the company weekend away in Paris just before I started which was simply incredible yet somewhat mired my productivity on the first Monday morning back in the office! Being such a small business I have been given a lot of responsibility already. My job now entails opening and managing accounts with food-on-the-go outlets and health stores across the UK whilst also managing the sales interns who are in control of all convenience store and cafe/deli accounts in London.

I am so fortunate to have been pushed in Alibi’s direction by WEXO and cannot think of a better place to learn how small businesses operate and the hurdles they face when expanding.

Archie Vey

Upon graduating in 2009 I was faced with the challenging and daunting task of job hunting; ongoing applications and interviews, plus the possibility of applying for a job which 5 years down the line I may hate! And what do all the employers want? Work experience.

I joined mydeco.com on a paid internship during which I gained practical experience in building and maintaining campaigns to improve on ROI (return on investment). I was given the opportunity to implement my own ideas and test ads in the run up to the launch of our US site. Within the first few weeks I also discovered that at mydeco it isn’t all work and no play. Our weekly meetings, involving everyone in the company, were a great opportunity to gain insight into the ongoings across departments. They have since become a fun way to get know people as they now include who’s-who quizzes and cocktail-making competitions!

One of the great things was the flexibility to gain experience in other departments; during my internship my manager asked me if there was anything I wished to achieve throughout my experience. This was when I started to work with the finance team; working with accounts payable alone was a good way to utilise my numerical and problem solving skills. Following this I decided I wanted to pursue a career in accountancy, and not long after I was offered a permanent role at mydeco as a finance assistant.

I am continually learning about the management of finances of the growing business whilst getting to know what it takes to start up our site in the US. Although this has been challenging at times, I am never alone: there is always someone else in the company also getting to know the business. And work here is not all number crunching either; there are always chances to be involved in on-site developments. The opportunity to be involved in projects throughout the business and off site is an exciting prospect and has made this role fun and varied.

Bhavna Patel