In this post, I talk about 3 reasons why interns boost your business. I will also introduce you to our two new marketing interns who will be with us for the next 3 months.
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Running a business as a solo founder can be really tough. I manage a network of 13 associates across the UK, as well as our day-to-day operations and business activity. As any business founder will know, marketing activities and promoting what one does to the outer world can often fall at the bottom of the list.

One year ago today, I was sitting in my living room writing an intern offer and posting it on Indeed in hopes that there would be someone out there willing to help. To date, we have run two successful internships. In the process, we created long-standing friendships and relationships and I’m thrilled to witness the success of our interns. For example, Isabel, who started as Engagement and Content Executive and later on became our first part-time employee, is now PR and Marketing Manager at Holition in London. Moreover, Anca, who was our Outreach and Communications Officer, is now Communication and Marketing Graduate Assistant for Leeds City Council.

Research Retold is now pleased to have its third set of interns for the last few months of 2019. Recruiting interns for the third time gave me an opportunity to reflect on how interns have boosted our business. 

 

3 reasons why interns boost your business

 

Reason 1: Fresh injection of ideas and energy

There is a lot to be said about the sheer energy that new people bring into the office. Moreover, coming from varying backgrounds and cultures has been a huge bonus for us. We benefit from having different perspectives and ideas and together we bring new projects to life. This fresh injection of ideas also comes from seeing things with new eyes and being able to objectively assess what the business does and offer new insights. That is of course if the manager is willing to listen to those and take them on board – which I am happy to do and learn alongside the interns. I realise that there are lots of things we can improve on, so I am happy to listen to their suggestions and feedback.

Reason 2: Hands-on deck with all things marketing

The focus of our internship has been marketing and content. After a proper induction into our various processes and tools, I have found the team dynamic to be a real time-saver for me and a huge boost for the business. Moreover, the interns we recruit typically come from a theoretical marketing background (in the form of Masters). Therefore, working with us allows them to apply class-based concepts to real-life scenarios and really tests their skills and knowledge. As long as there is proper support in place, patience and open communication, the process can be smooth and the learning experience can benefit the business immensely. Although numbers aren’t always the most reliable stat on social media, it’s worth mentioning that pre-internship we had 205 followers on Twitter, we are now proud to have 700+ members in our community. 

Reason 3: Opportunity to learn new skills

Gaining work experience before venturing into any career acts as an opportunity to learn and apply new skills. Having the opportunity to offer this to students gives me great joy as I know how helpful it is to them and how much we grow as a result. It’s important to note that this is a two-way street. As a business owner and manager of the interns, I also have a valuable opportunity to learn how to build a team, generate momentum and bring people on board with new ideas. These skills have been invaluable in my journey as an entrepreneur and people-builder, and I feel honoured to learn from working alongside the interns. 

Overall, these are the main 3 reasons why interns boost your business that spring to my mind. Without further ado, let me introduce you to the new marketing and communication interns of Research Retold.

 

Meet our new interns

Nida Noor, Social Media and PR Executive

Nida is in charge of content creation for Research Retold’s social accounts, analysing social media data and managing media relations. She will also support events management and structure required press releases. Born and raised in Dubai, Nida has an undergraduate background in Biotechnology. She crossed paths with the Marketing, Communication and PR field and opted to explore more in her Masters at the University of Leeds. With a desire to learn more, Research Retold offered her first internship and work experience opportunity in the UK. 

“Research Retold will offer me the opportunity to put my learning into practice and give me a kick to explore my creativity as well as gain insight into the UK market. Besides being a social bird, travelling has become a part of me as I have been to 20 countries and I am looking forward to discovering more and experiencing new cultures. I’d also consider myself as an outdoorsy person because nothing beats adrenaline-filled activities such as hiking and kayaking.”

Grace Maina, Content and Communications Coordinator

 

Grace will take over the blog of Research Retold, producing articles that benefit our community of researchers and looking at ways to improve our SEO. Moreover, she will assist in event organisation and engaging with our researchers, as well as supporting the production of our monthly newsletter. 

Born and raised in Kenya, Grace has a background in Media studies and has gained experience in digital content creation and online editing. This led her to further her studies in Corporate Communications, Marketing and PR at the University of Leeds, where she explored a wide range of options to suit her career in the future. 

“When I first heard about Research Retold I knew it would be a great environment to learn and gain practical experience outside of school. It is not an opportunity that many get and I am excited to learn as well as share my ideas. I’d like to refer to myself as an ambivert. I do enjoy socialising but I also love my own company. I’m pretty much obsessed with music, Oprah Winfrey and a good helping of strawberry cheesecake Haagen Dazs ice cream.”

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If you want to collaborate with us, we are always open to blog contributions. For example, last month we worked with PhD student Gemma Bridge on the juggling act of a PhD student. Feel free to get in touch and let us know!

Read also from Leyla, on her reflections on her experience during her social media marketing internship with us.

If you’re looking to implement an internship programme within your business I’m happy to help ([email protected]).

Thanks for reading our post on 3 reasons why interns boost your business and we hope to see you in our Twitter and Instagram communities @researchretold.