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During quarter 3, Vianet gained an opportunity to work with Teesside University to take on a fully funded marketing intern as part of a 10-week internship through their Student Futures programme.

Not only did this programme give Vianet an opportunity to sell themselves to a new generation of university graduates who were able to apply for the position through the university, but it also gave the hired student hands on experience within a developing marketing team.

After applying, interviewing, and being offered the internship, Vianet were able to offer student, Iulia Iliescu, the 10-week position, which commenced back in October 2020.  Not only has the opportunity given Iulia an insight into what it might be like to work at an ever-growing public limited company in the technology sector, but it also allowed her to put her university knowledge and skills into practice.

Upon completion of her internship, Iulia wrote about her time working at Vianet, and how it’s helped her on her career path into marketing.

Iulia said

In 2020 I completed my MA in Creative Writing, and, as a graduate at Teesside University, I was given the opportunity to do an internship funded by Teesside University. I chose to apply and after the interview, I was offered the role of a Marketing Intern which I gladly accepted.

I think adventure is the best word to describe my intern experience. Adventures have a bit of everything in them: happy moments, exciting moments, funny moments, but also challenges and unpredictable situations. Most important, we always have something to learn from adventures. In my case, it was a learning process from the beginning ‘till the end.

For the 10 weeks I was with Vianet, I produced quite a few blog articles and social media posts as part of the marketing content strategy. When I look back at my experience here, it’s amazing how much marketing knowledge I acquired in two months through my mentor, Rachel, Vianet’s Marketing Manager. I learnt how to work on platforms I haven’t heard about before coming here, how to customise my writing for different platforms, occasions and topics and how important SEO is for content to be found on the internet. To put it shortly, I’ve learnt a lot about how Marketing works and how valuable it is for a company.

If I was to describe the entire team at Vianet in one word, that would be “family”. Even though I didn’t get to see everybody from the company under the same roof because of the current climate, those people that I got to meet and work with were amazing. Helpful, warm and funny. It’s a unified community where people aren’t just working together, but also laughing together and supporting each other. It was nice to be part of such an amazing team.

Of course, because of how unpredictable the times we live in are, the road wasn’t always without bumps. Due to the ongoing pandemic, plans often had to be changed, projects had to be put on hold. Although at times it was quite a challenge, Rachel taught me how important it is to be adaptable, and to focus on projects that can still be completed. There’s no way telling how long this pandemic will last, all we can do at the moment is be flexible and learn to adapt to the changes caused by it.

 

Throughout Iulia’s internship, we had thorough COVID19 regulations in place at our Stockton head office, meaning she was able to come into the workplace to gain her experiences first-hand, socially distanced of course. As well as this, Iulia did have a few days working from home also, which gave her an insight into working life both in an office environment, as well as remotely.

 

Vianet’s Learning and Development Advisor, Maret Ward, who initially contacted the university about the Student Futures programme, said

Even though college and university degrees and qualifications are still necessary for gaining employment in any sector, having internship experience is becoming increasingly more relevant in today’s competitive job market. Not only are internships valuable to those seeking work, but it also provides a way for prospective employees to distinguish themselves from other candidates with the same qualifications as you. It demonstrates to the employer that you have a strong work ethic and genuine interest in working in the industry.

One of the great things about doing an internship at a company is that it gives the intern an opportunity to gain an insider view of a possible career path as well as the opportunity to demonstrate the skills learnt at university.