Midway through her Otago BCom, majoring in Marketing with a minor in Clothing and Textile Sciences, Monique Brown took up an Otago internship with Escea, a manufacturer of high end luxury gas fireplaces in Dunedin.
Monique's aspirations for the 12-month internship were simple.
“I was hoping to gain an invaluable experience that would not only give me the ability to stand out from the crowd when applying for a job but also really ensure that marketing was the area I wanted to build a career in,” Monique says.
With versatility very much part of the position, Monique was able to get a feel for the entire Escea operation.
“I was working mostly on the web, doing online marketing including site maintenance, development of social media and coordinating internet advertising. Other tasks included sourcing appropriate promotional material, and that was something I really enjoyed.”
Monique says that when she was back completing her degree at Otago she was more focused, harder working and had better time management awareness.
“I have no doubt these attributes are the result of my time at Escea,” she says.
“As I now know marketing is my passion, I hope that one day I will be a marketing manager for a company in the fashion industry.”
She is convinced her internship will lead to a successful career …
“I believe the internship is definitely something everyone should do as part of their BCom,” Monique says.
“In applying for graduate jobs for next year I've found having an internship is a requirement for some companies. I enjoyed my time as an intern so much I have continued to work for Escea part-time this year whilst studying. It may not seem worth it to add another six or 12 months to your degree but I am so glad I did and I'm convinced it will definitely pay off in the long run.”
After completing her final year at Otago, Monique moved to Australia to continue developing her marketing skills and successfully applied for an internship with L'Oreal – the industry she always aspired to work in. Monique was successful because L'Oreal valued her internship year.
