My summer internship

Over the summer of 2024 I had the opportunity to work as a Content and Communications Intern for the UK’s largest buying group for fashion, home and leisure for independent retail: Associated Independent Stores. The internship lasted 8 weeks, and I worked closely with their retail marketing team, which was fantastic for gaining practical marketing experience. I worked on product brochures, content creation, research projects, and event management. During their Intimate Apparel trade show, I was responsible for recruiting and hosting the Retail Insights Industry Experts talk panel. It was great to network with Industry Experts and learn all about their roles and experiences.

It was a significant experience for developing my professional skillset, as I got to work on a wide range of projects, and was exposed to many job roles that I didn’t even know existed. It was great to leave the internship feeling like a lot more doors had opened.

At the beginning of my degree, I hadn’t really considered doing an internship over the summer, but I am so thankful I did because it has been really helpful for applying to placement year programmes. Doing a placement year degree has definitely pushed me to look for new opportunities that have led to invaluable experience.

My advice for anyone looking for similar opportunities would be to utilise your connections and reach out to lots of companies. Some will advertise summer internships on sites like LinkedIn, but it’s also worth reaching out to companies you feel would offer relevant experience to your career ambitions. If you are planning to do a placement year, it may be helpful to try and find an internship in a similar role to your ideal placement, as it will help you stand out as an ideal candidate in the future.