POSTED Wednesday 18-09-24
Internship at Aspen People
My name is Chloe McDerment and this summer I joined the team at Aspen People as their Summer Intern. The opportunity was facilitated through the University of Strathclyde’s Management Development Programme where I worked with them as a third-year student on a consultancy assignment. Since then, I have developed various marketing, research, and employability skills, as well as gain general knowledge on relationship-oriented recruitment.
The project I was given throughout the summer focused on the Scottish education system, specifically non-executive directors and senior management teams of colleges, universities, and independent schools. The aim was to connect Aspen with relevant people in the industry who could benefit from their services and due diligence, allowing for growth and a greater sense of community.
The initial stages centred around the use of spreadsheets to capture and integrate large volumes of data. Researching on such a scale strengthened my technological, organisational, and time management skills as I had to had to ensure information was presented in a useful way within the time frame we had. I am grateful to have been given some independence with this work as I feel it has increased my confidence with market research, whilst also proving that the skills I have learned through university are transferable to employment.
I was also given the opportunity to work on social media projects and outreach. This involved the use of Canva to edit posts and video content, identifying engagement strategies and subsequently creating communication channels between Aspen and potential candidates. Furthermore, utilising the Aspen People LinkedIn allowed me to access business analytics which were extremely interesting to see from an outside perspective at the beginning, and again from the perspective of someone actively helping to grow the Aspen brand. Next year I will graduate with a joint honours’ degree in both HR and Marketing, so exploring this side of the business was extremely interesting.
The greatest takeaway I have from this internship, is the power of building deep connections with those around you. Whether this be in the workplace or externally with clients, the team have shown me how important the ‘people’ aspect of the job is. With their continued support and guidance throughout, it is no surprise they enlist these values into the core of their business.
Now more than ever, I can see the value of internships and their ability to unlock students’ full potential. The ability to put my knowledge and skills gained from university to the test whilst experiencing the recruitment industry before graduation was both insightful and gratifying. Working alongside a company like Aspen who invest in the future of the workforce has been a privilege, and something I will carry with me as I progress into my final year of university.
