From lectures to shifts: my internship on campus

In my final year, I secured an internship with the University’s Marketing department through the Student Casual Worker Scheme. Balancing part-time work with my studies gave me valuable experience and insight into working life.

Alongside the Marketing Internship, the University offers a variety of student jobs on campus, including Content Creators, Research Assistants, Library Assistants, and Student Ambassadors. These roles are designed to fit around your studies and help you build your CV while earning money.

Flexible schedule

There is usually a maximum of 20 hours per week for both undergraduate and postgraduate students to help you maintain a balance between work and student life. In addition, since the University is your employer, they are understanding of assignment deadlines and exam periods so that you can work on a schedule that works best for you. I often worked before or straight after lectures, which saved time and made the most of being on campus. No additional commuting!

Having this flexible schedule was especially helpful when I had important assignment deadlines, a dissertation to submit, and final exams. It meant that I did not have to drop my focus away from my studies or fall behind on revision, while developing professional skills. Moreover, I learnt how to manage my time better and prioritise the commitments I made. As a University student, you often have a lot of free time, which may get wasted or cause you to procrastinate, but this opportunity allowed me to make the most out of my time.

Gain paid experience

The University offers generous compensation for your work here. Especially in Dubai, it is often difficult to find a paid internship. It gave me a chance to save money before I graduate and get a taste of financial freedom.

During the summer, there aren’t many classes, which means that I was able to work more hours and save money for the future. This also helped me learn how to manage and budget my money more.

Expand your skillset

I gained skills in marketing and digital marketing strategy, social media management, event planning and more. Working with different departments and colleagues across various positions meant that I was exposed to all types of work, which expanded my skillset and professional knowledge. I also got used to working with new platforms, growing the technical skills section of my CV. For example, I got to use Hootsuite for social media planning, advanced my Excel skills and became familiar with the website's Content Management System (CMS) and helped manage ambassador profiles. It also gave me more attributes to talk about during job interviews and made me confident in my capabilities.

One project I worked on was managing content coverage for UoBD Xtra Week – an important student event for the University. I enjoyed working on this with the team and learning the details and effort that go into events like this.

Furthermore, working on a data cleaning and analysis task gave me the opportunity to look at the bigger picture and long-term goals and strategy of the University. This really helped me understand the ‘why’ behind what the marketing team does and provided insight into what large companies work on to set and achieve targets.

When employers see that you have worked while studying, it is an indication that you have a strong work ethic and are able to manage your time effectively. Again, these are attributes that will impress any recruiter. The range of tasks and campaigns I worked on meant that I was able to jump into the world of work with advantageous skills.

Supportive work environment

Working in a professional environment also introduced me to workplace culture and norms, and meant that once I graduated, I was not so unaware or surprised by how an office runs. In addition, the role taught me how to professionally communicate and express myself.

Everyone I met across various departments was very kind, supportive and experienced. This didn’t only mean that coming into work was a positive experience, but it also gave me the chance to ask for help when needed to learn new skills.

Apart from that, I grew closer to encouraging and enthusiastic people and enjoyed celebrating birthdays and other milestones with a tight-knit team!

My advice

If there is one thing I wish I had done, it’s that I’d applied for the position in my first year!

If you want to step into the professional world and gain experience before graduation, I’d really recommend applying for a student job at the University. It’s a great way to build skills, earn money, and learn how to manage your time.

My advice is to keep an eye out for openings on the University’s social media channels and Careers Network Dubai emails for job openings, as you never know what opportunity might come up.