Summertime is going to be quiet for me travelwise as many of the groups I work with don’t do training during the Summer months. You can never get everyone together due to good weather or people flying to good weather. I have two web apps that I’ll be working on during this time but I’ve been thinking that I’d love to learn about different types of businesses and what they do. Being chained to my own desk is boring. Sport stars cross-train and learn different disciplines, why not business people? So I’d like to do 4-5 internships, each 5-7 days in duration over the Summer months with some companies. Maybe this idea will work, maybe it won’t. Maybe other businesses should consider doing the same thing?
What I get:
I get to be immersed for a week with a company that is doing interesting things and the people are willing to show me the ropes. I learn new approaches to business and get to grips with the internal natural language of different companies. The more I understand about different businesses, the better I am with working with those business types.
What the company gets:
Me! Someone that can show them how to communicate via blogs, social networks, Twitter, do online marketing, how to do better presentations, do media stuff, tell them how to work with those web kids and encourage them to use more expletives. Ok, maybe not that last one.
Requirements:
Since I’ll still need to operate the dayjob stuff, I’ll need a desk and a net connection to answer a few things that will come in during the working day. Inventing some bogus role where I end up doing no more than licking envelopes ain’t gonna fly. Suit? Not really. I’d need to be a core part of the team/company. Bring the Corkman to meetings, you know?
There is also a premium model
Which you can steal! I’m sorry but I’m going to turn down most offers (if I get any) because I’m thinking a few companies in the same area would be interested in this. I actually think that bringing in someone for a few days in a row can work out better than having them come in now and then and consult. Again it’s down to that immersion thing. Some good examples are when you’re onsite and people ask each other advice and you know you have a better way of doing something they already believe they are doing efficiently. Bit like Twitter ain’t it? The conversational subtleties are where the gold is. I won’t be offering this right now though but as a company, if you are one, maybe you should consider doing this or offering this?
Give me a shout if you think your company would be interested in this.
Damien,
We would love you to come Intern at our company.
We have a desk and don’t do envelopes.
You can teach us how to blog.
What is Twitter?
Sincerely,
Chief CEO
[…] good luck to Damien. Go hire him here! […]
Hi Damien,
If you’re interested, we’re looking for ways to further promote our new free StatCounter Global Stats tool. (http://gs.statcounter.com )
A desk, internet access and no suit won’t be a problem. 😉
Aodhan
Hi Damien,
We would be delighted to have you with us for a week.
Perhaps you could help us to better explain what we do in plain English.
We have a desk, broadband, free coffee what more could you possibly want?
Cronan
Boards.ie HQ would love to get you on board here 🙂
Hi Damien,
As well as a desk, broadband, no suit and coffee, we can offer you the ‘feel good’ factor 🙂
Barnardos (Ireland’s leading children’s charity) is currently dipping it’s toes in social media. We have a Twitter presence and a Facebook group but we want help to really engage with people online. You can make that difference!
You would be part of a vibrant, friendly and busy PR/New Media/Fundraising department, based in our national office at Christchurch Square, Dublin 8.
And we promise you’ll never have that groundhog day feeling again!
Impressive … hire him
With regards to your last point Damien, I agree entirely. You get to spend concentrated and focussed time with the organisation, in which to fully familiarise yourself with the client and the specific message they want to portray in the various media.
You will have a fantastic summer – you will report back won’t you?
Callie
Hi Damien, I was going to comment on the wonderful pics of Mr Cowen.. then i saw the intern comments and was intrigued. Why? because I am currently in the midst of wording our marketing / PR intern advert.
We can look after yer travel and some nice local accommodation, we can sort out some trips out in the hills or on a boat to test our mobile software, and the atmos in our office is archetypal development shed. OK that’s not a selling point is it.
What i would like to do is time this so that you were able to work with whoever we appoint/hire as the mid-term marketing/PR person and help all parties; us and the intern and your good self to give some strategic and positive TLC to the whole shebang.
Hi Damien,
We’d love to have you for a bleedin’ week. The starts are early but we’ve deadly desks and loads of free sandwiches, stop de lights.
Gerroura tha’ garden, wha’?
Oul’ Mister Brennan.
Wow, so far 10 offers including this public ones. Keep em coming, some genius ones have been offered! I’ll start making decisions next week. Thanks everyone. Very enthused about this. Any other business people want to intern with another business?
Would working at an ICANN accredited registrar be of interest to you? 🙂
Hi Damien
We’d love to have you as an intern for a week. The Model Niland is a leading arts organisation that programmes visual art, music, film and education projects.
Arts orgs are always under-resourced so a smart brain/pair of hands is always welcome. We will have a really busy period in late May which could be really hands on and not at all about stuffing envelopes. We don’t do suits. We do meetings and the more creative minds at them the better.
There is a persuasive thread of business thinking that believes big business has a lot to learn from the less hierarchal structures of arts and creative organisations and the staff’s ability for creative and divergent thinking.
You can come to Sligo for a week and experience this need for “creative” thinking first hand! Happy to email you more info direct.
We already utilise a lot of online marketing methods so you won;t need to give a basics course but we could do with an advanced lesson!
http://sligomodelblog.wordpress.com @modelsligo
aoife
Damien
OPEN is a unique organisation in the community sector in Ireland – we are a lone parent organisation, led by lone parents. We’ve made some inroads into Facebook and ning.com. We are working away in the background to drag our website into the 21st century. We are bursting with ideas about our better use of the web and we agree with your view that if you were on site, we’d get even more creative and ambitious. Finally, OPEN is based in sunny Smithfield, a short walk from the Northside LUAS and in our kitchen is the best espresso machine in any charity in Dublin. Damien, you could help us to make a big difference to the lives of one-parent families – we hope you get in touch.
Hi Damien
the website is being currently worked on with as a group. 5 spererates plus a social network too/ning. i would lbe very interested if you would join me for a week. you can use my desk in Dun Laoghaire and travel into town with me to meetings etc. lots going on and would like you to join. especially as a pub/club/entertainment company is developing it’s interactive web service.
let me know if you want to know more.
regards
Cononr
Hei Aoife
Well done!! you are actually the only arts organisation to take this opportunity!
Also well done to Conor Martin!! Hei Conor, Daniela here from the fb megaparty!
Damian – I’m pushing Conor Martin’s Purty Kitchen/Sycamore opportunity. Ok – I have a vested interest as I’ve done some work for Sycamore – but I do honestly think that you’d get a unique insight into the increasing challenging hospitality industry – and who more than pubs and clubs needs to get their social media act together????
My name’s Tommy Collison and I’m a blogger looking to do an intern during the summer.
I can teach blogging and bring something truly original to the table – a view of the online world through the eyes of a teenage blogger.
I won a blog award in February for Best New Blog 2008 and won a communication award at the BT Young Scientist 2009, as well as winning my category -Social and Behavioral Sciences-
Email me on Tommy < at > collison.ie
Hey Damien,
Don’t mean to interrupt the love-fest, because I really like this idea. And While you can do a lot for a co. in 5-7 days, that short timeframe gonna pose it’s own challenges, which is why I’m holding off on saying “yes OMG we’d love to have you!!!1!”
I think the initial acclimating period could nearly take those 5-7 days. We’ve run into that problem with folks we’ve had at the company for longer periods even- by the time they get into the swing of things, and can really make a significant contribution, their internship is over.
(Forgive me if yu’ve already addressed this) But if you’re definitely going for that short a time period I think it would be good to try and come in on a specific project for these ‘internships.’ That way you’re gonna get to see the way the company operates, strategises, etc, as per your gols, and if it’s a core project for the company, they’ll be very immersed in it and can quickly adopt you onto the team, bring you up to speed and actually use your skills, rather than using you for the Web2.0 version of licking envelopes.
When are you thinking? Is Mid-April to soon?
Hey Ian,
You’re right about the 5-7 days bit. On Friday I was in with a company I’ll be working with this Summer and we’re aiming for 2 weeks min for the internship as what they do needs a good bit of learning.
As for Mid-April, I’m booked out with training courses and the like until June.
Cool. And congrats on all the offers. When our schedule firms up for June-ish, I’ll get backatchya.
Hi Damien,
Barretstown is a young and vibrant children’s charity with hundreds if not thousands of facebooking, twittering and blogging volunteers that we want to stay in touch with. We are looking to develop our online presence and engage the new age of web kids, and your experience could be vital.
We can offer a desk, phone and broadband, plus the sound of fun and laughter that reverberates throughout Barretstown during our summer camps.
Great idea by the way!
I think this is a great idea. The soon to graduate crowd should do the same and get some real world experience without expecting 150 quid a day.
You should allow a vote on which companies you work for. I like the barnados one already.
Diarmuid
My name is Klara Golez and I’m currently studying New Media and English in UL and I’d like to do a few internships particularly in PR or publishing but anything will be considered.
Email me: klaraflame yahoo.co.uk
[…] you may have seen where I said I was interested in doing internship type stints in companies. I’ve gotten 24 offers, some of them from very fascinating companies. I’m […]
Folks,
SpunOut.ie is gearing up for major development and expansion so any offers of help, collaboration and advice much appreciated.
Cheers,
Ruairí @ / SpunOut.ie
Hi Damian
not sure if you are still considering offers. However if you are, we are launching the first locally created Bebo online series in conjunction with Tv3’s Xpose. An exciting project and i’d be interested in your perspective in spreading talkability. We start shortly with a nationwide casting for the star of the show, female, aged 18-25.
Regards
Dave
[…] ma bruvver, started this idea first, but now that I’m giving blogging presentations and even internships, I realise just how important being able to communicate well […]
[…] leave art and culture inspire you too? Cross training in sport works. I recall my idea of trying to intern in some companies before to gain experience. Maybe some of those tech hubs should have artists around too to hang […]