Where there’s a will, there’s a job – Internships, the way forward?

by Mohammed Waheed

Did the Northern Lights internship help me? Was it worth the time and career development?

There is only one answer to this question and it is a big resounding, YES!!

Is it going to be worthwhile?

I was a bit sceptical when participating in the internship in regards to how it could really help me. I was aware it was a chance to get more experience; but was a few weeks worth of experience really going to make a difference to my future career?

How very short sighted I was, not only did I learn valuable skills but I have also been able to apply what I learnt and gain a job on a graduate programme working for Beiersdorf UK Ltd.

The future

Beiersdorf UK Ltd is a huge organisation with brands such as NIVEA, >Eucerin and Elastoplast. To be given such an opportunity on a fantastic graduate programme is what dreams are really made of. I didn’t really believe I would ever get onto a graduate scheme prior to Northern Lights, but the internship gave me the motivation to put myself out there and try to be the best that I could be. I have now been given a platform and a foundation upon which I can build. I am truly grateful to both Northern Lights and Beiersdorf UK Ltd for the opportunity of having a career I always dreamed of.

A new world

During the internship I was introduced to concepts I’d never really looked at seriously. I always assumed aspects such as blogs and social media in general were more of a social tool and did not have a place in the business world. That mentality was quickly destructed by the internship, as I was introduced to these tools from a business perspective. I also learned about other concepts such as brand building in regards to the individual and how you can effectively prepare for an interview.

Give it a go!

As with many things in life, you never see the true value of something unless you do them yourself. To be the first intern to have a blog posted on the Northern Lights website was a great honour and one that I am very proud of. To go from being someone who didn’t really understand blogs a few hours earlier, to having one published on the website!! In my eyes, a great achievement and it showed me that anyone can write a blog as long as you are willing to try.

Congratulations

There were many highlights to the Northern Lights internship and I was not surprised to hear that Northern Lights had won an award for the internship that was put together. Their hard work, dedication and effort to make a change really did deserve the recognition.

Upcoming

Now that I have begun what will hopefully be a successful career I can apply the skills I learned in a major organisation. I am currently working as a Consumer Insight Executive but over the next two years I will be working in not only the Marketing department but also the Supply Chain, Finance and Sales departments with an option to go abroad.

Exciting times

So far, I have really enjoyed the experience and have found my colleagues to be very helpful and friendly.  Just being around people of great experience is great motivation for me to excel and hopefully become a future leader within Beiersdorf in the coming years.

Thanks!

I have only kind words to say about Northern Lights and how they have helped progress not only my career but me as an individual. I am grateful to the whole team from Victoria and Carol who were there every day to offer help and guidance. To Ruth who really opened my eyes when it came to journalists and press releases. Last but by no means least, Sandy, who I felt sorry for as I inundated her with emails. However, as a true professional Sandy always gave me a prompt response and was always there to help.

Success measurement

Many people may see the internship as just a few weeks work and may question “how much could he have actually learned?” Well to answer that and really truly understand the hard work that was put in by the Northern Lights team you have to be there and experience it. Before the internship I was a little aimless and didn’t really know how to go about things and a month or so later I had a job with a global organisation. If there was ever proof of how great the internship was then I think that is a sign and a measure. I look forward to seeing this internship continuing next year as it is great to see. In addition to this, potential interns can look back at this year’s interns and see that the potential benefits are great!

Any questions or opinions on this blog are more than welcome. Do you think more industries should adopt internships?