Our paid summer internship scheme offers young people the opportunity to dip their toes into the exciting combination of hospitality, PR and marketing. Our first intern of the summer, Nicholaus Harrington, reflects on his experience on the program and shares his key takeaways…
With the Spring of 2023 marking the end of my time at university at Edge Hotel School, I wanted to seek out opportunities to learn more about the hospitality industry while also developing in certain areas.
Outside of some experience in branding and sales within a business, marketing and PR were the two areas I had always wanted to explore further but found little opportunity to actually do so alongside my studies. When I found out about Custard’s paid internship program, I jumped at the opportunity.
Learning the ropes
The starting week at Custard set the tone for how my experience would be across the internship; intensive, educational, and fulfilling. Before learning about the clients themselves, it was necessary to familiarise myself with the day-to-day systems used, such as those used to distribute press releases, liaise with journalists and those used to document progress on projects. Whilst it was a big learning curve, understanding these would form the foundation for discovering where I could make valuable contributions and learn about the interconnectivity of the industry.
The following week provided a thorough introduction to the variety of clients and accounts that Custard work with, ranging from charity initiatives to influential organisations within the industry. Having the opportunity to work across both the events and hotel sectors helped give me insight into their differences and how the marketing approaches differs between the two. It was particularly enlightening to see how the team approaches client briefs and how they then decide on the next best steps for the client. I had the chance to take part in a brainstorm for one client and some of my ideas were taken onboard to be presented to the client, which was also really fulfilling!
Working with the team on the Walk for Wellbeing social media campaign was also really rewarding, helping to craft content for a good cause while also understanding the numerous steps involved in putting together a social media takeover.
Completing progress on different client projects simultaneously proved difficult at first, with time management being one of the harder skills to master in marketing and PR. However, support from the team and their receptiveness to my contributions motivated me to continue.
Attending Events
By far my favourite part of the internship though was having the opportunity to attend The Meetings Show at ExCel London. As part of The Meetings Show marketing team, we were tasked with having an active role in demonstrating the strength of the event, highlighting thought leaders and discussions about contemporary events, as well as promoting networking opportunities. Beyond the PR experience and insight gained, the event was incredibly enjoyable and it was a pleasure to work alongside the team.
Overall, the internship has been a fantastic opportunity to continue my professional development while strengthening both my marketing and PR skills. It was great to be given such unique opportunities to present my ideas and apply my creative talents, while also having the chance to see firsthand all the hard work that goes into helping hospitality businesses market themselves.
A massive thank you to the Custard team!
