What is it like to be an intern at University of Bedfordshire?

As an intern at the Communications department /MARC/ of the University of Bedfordshire I was given the opportunity to work alongside experienced marketing and recruitment professionals, always willing to help.

Besides developing my communication skills, I have learned about the structure of the department, how the different positions are related and the importance of organisational structure for work efficiency.

Furthermore, I have developed a better understanding of the factors that contribute to a student’s decision to choose the University of Bedfordshire over other options and how the University is meeting the students’ expectations by delivering a wide range of courses developed in conjunction with the market demands, world- class facilities, a new state-of-the-art library at Luton campus and unlimited opportunities for development. The academic lecturers across all disciplines have significant industry experience and research history. Soon, a £40m investment by the University will deliver new subject areas in STEM including Automotive Engineering, Pharmacy and Optometry.

I was given extended information about the marketing research at the department. Based on the marketing research data analyses, recommendations are produced to the academic departments, with regards what to deliver for an improved learning experience. The essence of the research work is that the information is used for decision making. I was introduced to the digital and traditional marketing practices adopted by the University.

My particular placement is at the press office of the University. This is the first point for communications with the University. From the first day I have been given real tasks. I was trained to use software for media intelligence and to create a media report. Writing content for short announcements and articles is a daily routine at the press office.

Currently, I am given a challenging task - to plan a marketing campaign for the Go Green Week. To complete the task the first thing to do was to research the sustainability policy of the University. It's really impressive what gets achieved by the University and its employees. The University of Bedfordshire currently holds the 6th position out of all other universities in the UK for delivering sustainability. To achieve this prestigious award and being classified as a first class university for sustainability, Bedfordshire has implemented significant innovations on campuses. These include green sedum roofs to harvest the rainwater and increase the biodiversity of the surrounding areas, extensive use of solar panels and a wild flower meadow project currently running at Putteridge Bury.

The University has made an excellent decision to include the Graduate Development Program into its curriculum. I'm so grateful for my time here, as well as all of the opportunities I have been given. I have developed new skills as well as enhancing my understanding of the industry I want to go. With my improved skill sets, I am excited to move forward to the next chapter of my professional journey! I cannot wait to see what doors this internship will open for me!


Teodora Todorova

Marketing Assistant Intern