Iconic SA businesses take interns
by Vincent Ciccarello
Two UniSA marketing graduates have just landed that first job most students dream about
-
12-month internships with two of SA’s most recognisable companies.
Mutual Community and SA Lotteries have awarded Brooke Freckleton (pictured right) and Lauren Sunderland, respectively, their inaugural Graduate Marketing Internships.
The appointments give marketing graduates valuable hands-on
experience in a real-world business environment.
Mutual Community’s state manager and a UniSA Fellow, Eric Granger
said marketing called for graduates with broad qualities that go
beyond academic results.
"I was looking for somebody who was adaptable, who was passionate, who cared about what they did and was able to present a work history of some kind that showed they were a whole person," Granger said.
"Applications are the first marketing tool anyone has when they’re going for a job, and Brooke presented herself very clearly in her application and she looked to try and present herself with the qualities that we were asking for in the position.
"Brooke had a style and manner which we thought would fit very nicely in the role with the sort of people she has to work with."
In addition to working on Mutual Community’s retail network marketing, Brooke will work alongside Granger on sponsorship management and public relations.
"She’ll also be part of our national marketing team," Granger said, "so she’ll get a real feel for both the strategy behind marketing but also brand management.
"It’s great experience, a great opportunity for Brooke to get that on her CV and to be able to use that in the future when she applies for jobs. It’s a great kick-start for her career."
SA
Lotteries group manager, marketing and sales, Cathy Main, said
cultural fit played an important role in Lauren’s selection, too.
"We also wanted someone who could demonstrate that they had some experience in the workforce and who had some commercial nous about what actually goes on in business," Main said. "And we were looking for the right attitude - a willingness to learn, a willingness to take on new projects and someone willing to be part of the team."
Sunderland will work with Main on a number of projects, ranging
from desktop research to research into emerging consumer and
industry trends, as well as projects with SA Lotteries’ marketing
and customer
relationships managers.
"The whole focus is for Lauren to learn pretty quickly the sorts
of functions and activities that go on in the various departments,"
Main said. "She’ll be getting into some heavy-duty marketing stuff."
Lauren Sunderland and Brooke Freckleton are relishing the opportunity to work in two iconic SA businesses.
"I’ve been having an excellent time at Mutual Community," Freckleton said. "Coming straight from university, it is a big jump to a full-time job for me. But lots of graduates in SA don’t have the opportunity to work for such a big company. Internships are great as an extra step once you come out of uni. It really gives you an opportunity to become involved."
Sunderland agrees. "I’m being exposed to a lot of different aspects of the organisation, which is so valuable when you have come straight out of university," she said.
"Everything I learned in my marketing course is specific to the
marketing role I’m undertaking at the moment because the promotional
aspects, the consumer research, things like that really tie in with
what I learned at university.
"I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be able to work in a
well-known and successful SA company like SA Lotteries. It’s
something I think every graduate would wish to work towards."
Students and businesses interested in being involved in the Graduate Marketing Internship scheme can find information at www.unisa.edu.au/marketing/gmi/default.asp