The benefits of work placement

My experience as an intern at the Olsen Partnership

As an undergraduate Marketing Student, having finished my second year at Leeds Metropolitan, I recently had the opportunity to undertake a voluntary work placement with the Olsen Partnership, a full-service, digital and marketing communications agency based in Stamford.

I ideally wanted to undertake a placement to gain work place knowledge as I felt that this would give me an invaluable insight into the industry and add value to my degree.

I initially contacted Olsen Partnership via email and received a positive and swift response to my proposal. I was delighted to be given the opportunity to put my academic skills and knowledge into use by working on live projects and shadowing members of the Olsen team during their day to day work.

My first day

Nerves started to build up as I prepared and arrived for my first day, but once I became settled in those nerves quickly disappeared. The first time I met Richard Olsen, MD and Sari Bouvet, PR & Campaign Manager I received a warm, friendly welcome which made me feel relaxed and at ease. All members of the team were very amicable, helpful and easy-going on my first day which was comforting. Not at any time did I ever feel unwelcome or out of place. The Olsen Partnership as a team proved skilled and professional in the way they worked together and with their clients.

Working in the ‘real world’

As the days flew past, I could sense my skills and knowledge greatly expanding beyond my initial expectations. Working in the ‘real world’ has proven to be incredibly beneficial, giving me the opportunity to further my skills across a wide range of disciplines within the marketing industry, which I know I will benefit from in my work in the future. My time at the Olsen Partnership has strengthened my existing passion and interest for working within marketing as I was allowed to work alongside members of a great team on a number of projects such as sales pitch presentations, building site maps and critically reviewing websites to name a few of the projects that I was assigned to.

During my time here I also touched upon PR which is not an area that I have studied or experienced before but the exciting work that I have been involved in means that I shall explore PR further in the future.

Benefits

This work placement has been beneficial in a number of ways. It has provided me with transferable skills and a wide understanding of the marketing industry. I hope that this will enhance my CV along with being able to reflect on my skills and use real examples in future interview situations. It has also been useful to learn about the opportunities and benefits of networking.

The Olsen team

It is clear that all members here at Olsen Partnership are passionate and fully committed to each project and each client. My time spent here as helped me to broaden my knowledge and enforce my passion and interest in the marketing industry as well as to how to work as a team.   

Thank you

I would like to thank the Olsen team massively for allowing me the opportunity to work with you – you are all an inspiration. I leave feeling inspired and motivated and with the ambition to achieve and become part of a successful team wherever my future career takes me.

Rebecca Lambert.

Leeds Metropolitan University, Marketing Student (June 2012)