Keele Management School Magazine | Page 11

Keele Management School News 10 student wins Keele University’s the Year 2015’ Award Her advice to other students thinking of applying for an internship: “If you get the opportunity to complete a Keele internship, do it! The application process is seamless and the placement allows you to grow as an individual; to apply your knowledge whilst you’re learning and gives you the chance to decide whether your chosen career path is right for you. My communication skills and confidence have developed greatly as a result of my time at Ascot and I would recommend Keele’s Internship scheme to anyone.” Mark Ingram, Managing Director, Ascot Business Solutions, said: “We are a relatively new company that is family-owned and growing fast. We had never employed a university intern before, in the belief that it would have a detrimental impact on our stretched resources. However, Laura certainly proved us wrong in our perception of the value of internships. Laura made a great impression on me, my fellow directors and the rest of our staff. We were immediately impressed with her maturity, ambition, communication skills and original thinking. She was able to apply her ability and worked using her own initiative, displaying great drive and enthusiasm that one rarely sees today, ultimately achieving more than we ever believed possible. Kathy England (pictured with Laura) who manages this popular scheme added: “The Keele Internship scheme is a free-of-charge recruitment service to small and medium-sized companies, who also receive a wage contribution from Santander. Ascot Business Solutions have provided Laura with a great platform to gain some valuable experience and I would encourage other businesses to take part.” During her internship, Laura worked for Ascot twice a week, attended University three days a week and also worked at Next over the weekends. She believes that the internship allowed her CV to stand out in her job applications, allowed her to apply her learning in the real world, gave her an insight into B2B communications and provided her with brilliant networking opportunities. Through working with Ascot Business Solutions she gained contacts in Epson, Canon and many other companies. Her understanding of how external marketing companies influence businesses, and how they can work effectively together, has been instrumental in her securing her new job with Arc Specialist Engineering where she is tasked with helping to set up a marketing department to deliver digital marketing, press releases, exhibitions, website promotions and website development. A role Laura is very much looking forward to! If you are an employer or a Keele student interested in an internship get in touch – [email protected] or 01782 733403. If you get the opportunity to complete an internship, do it!