My summer internship at Blenheim Chalcot & Researcher

Sep 2018

A mixture of nervousness and excitement quickly set in as I walked into One Hammersmith Broadway on the first day of my summer internship, in early July. Now, looking back eight weeks on, I realise the only emotion I should have felt was the latter: excitement. Working at Blenheim Chalcot truly has been one of the most exciting experiences for me. I’ve spent the last 2 months meeting some of the most interesting players in the venture builder field, gained a wealth of knowledge about marketing (my chosen career area) and had the chance to help develop and expand some of the newest startup businesses under Blenheim Chalcot.

The thing I would say I loved most about Blenheim Chalcot as a company, is the work culture and environment it has created. At BC, whether you had been the CEO of a company for five years, or you were a new hire, everyone was treated the same and given a chance to say their ideas. I didn’t feel like I was in a typical intern role, where having a casual conversation with a C-Suite executive would be rare or unheard of.

During my eight week internship with Blenheim Chalcot, I was put on two different company rotations, the first being a member of BC Rapid Response. This was a marketing team that provided their services ad hoc to any of the startup companies that needed ‘emergency marketing’ as it was referred to. Many of my tasks included writing content pieces. Here I became familiar with the concept of ‘content marketing’ a new type of marketing, that draws in the public through interesting, thought-provoking pieces published on the web, in the form of a blog, webinar, podcast etc. My time with the BC Rapid Response Team really helped to improve my writing style as a marketer, as I learnt how to word content pieces effectively, writing informatively rather than academically, a style I was used to as a university undergraduate. I also learnt a great deal about Business to Business marketing and how content marketing is a key strategy in this.

Following my time with BC Rapid Response, my second rotation was with the company Researcher, an app that offers the latest online publications to academics. Placed in their marketing team, I was very fortunate to receive a hands-on experience to Business to Consumer marketing, a particular type of marketing that appeals to me a lot. I was able to provide feedback on the app from the point of a view of a university student, give my opinion on features I thought needed improving, undertake both consumer and competitor analysis and manage the various social media accounts for the app. Not only did I gain so much experience and knowledge in marketing, I also learnt how to develop and expand a startup company, as Researcher is only just over a year old.

Overall, I am extremely grateful for my time at BC, the two rotations I was placed on have given me an invaluable experience, that I feel I will take with me as I move forward into the world of work. Blenheim Chalcot is definitely the kind of company I would return to, it’s vibrant, welcoming culture coupled with its passion for fast-pace change and creativity, proves it to be one of the most inspiring and innovative places to work at.​​​​​​

Author

Ashni Jagsi