Firstly, I would like to say that working at Cowshed has been an honour. The work we do here is phenomenal and the Cowshed family are one of a kind.
When I was in my third year of University, I was eager to gain experience in the field of Marketing and PR so I could stand out amongst the crowd, and have a real taste of what a career in this field would be like. After searching for work experience opportunities in Cardiff, for the best part of a year, I struck out. Due to Covid-19, there were a lack of opportunities for students. I ended up networking with local businesses in Cardiff – offering my services as a marketing freelancer and utilising my skills in marketing consultancy and social media management. After gaining a handful of clients, I recruited two of my friends from my University course to help me with the workload, as they were also struggling to find work experience opportunities. The venture was definitely a learning curve for me, however I wanted to learn from the experts of the industry and that’s when I came across Cowshed’s BAME internship. After learning more about what services Cowshed offer and the high profile clients they work with, I remember saying to myself, “THIS IS THE ONE!”.
I applied for the internship whilst writing up my final year marketing project for University, where I collaborated with Spotify. I honestly did not think I would get it as I knew it was highly competitive due to Cowshed being one of the leading PR agencies in Cardiff. When I received the news that I was chosen for the 12-week internship, I was ecstatic.
I knew that this was the opportunity that I needed to grow as a marketer, in order to develop new skills and further my professional development. Although challenging at times, I feel that this internship has been crucial to my growth as a young professional. If I could go back in time to university and ask myself what I would want from my first experience in the industry, it would have been exactly this – this internship has ticked every box for me. Working at Cowshed has enabled me to take my academic knowledge and apply it to real-life scenarios.
For most interns, the biggest worry is whether you’ll get given real, meaningful work to do instead of just making coffees. And I can honestly say that during my 12 weeks at Cowshed, I always felt as though I was doing impactful work. Within the first week of the internship, I was fully integrated into the campaign team where we worked on an array of campaigns, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The fact that an agency like Cowshed allowed me to thrive and contribute to campaigns in a significant way was honestly the highlight of the internship.
During my internship, I was invited to be a part of the creative sessions where we would brainstorm ideas and think of strategies for new campaigns. My creativity was challenged as I was asked to think of new, innovative ideas. These creative sessions were great, as not only did I have an opportunity to contribute to the conversation, but I could also see other creative minds at work which really encouraged me to think outside the box.
I was also part of meetings with clients where I contributed to ideas and strategies. However, the greatest part of working on campaigns was working with the likes of Vicki Spencer-Francis, Kate Mann, Stacey Oliver and Holly Fairclough. When starting this internship, I intended to not just develop my skills, but to learn and observe how industry experts conduct business and this has been a masterclass in its own right.
I would definitely recommend this internship to all graduates because Cowshed is a company that truly cares about your personal development and the team want you to get the most out of your experience. And why wouldn’t you want to be part of a respected company who have your best interests at heart? You will learn skills that will help you throughout your professional life, and what’s more – you’ll enjoy your time here, which is invaluable in itself.
I truly think that this was the all-important moment where I discovered what I wanted to do in life. Cowshed opened that door for me, and I am truly grateful for that.
Thank you, Cowshed.
