Dr Anne Galliot, Senior Administrator at Fendix Media

Career Lab UK Summer Internships are an exclusive opportunity to undertake a paid internship with a UK employer during the summer vacation. In 2024, there were over 150 internship vacancies exclusive to second, third and final year Sussex students.

We connected with second year BSc Psychology with Criminology student, Olivia Schrier, and their line manager and Senior Administrator, Dr Anne Gaillot to chat about the internship experience at Fendix Media.

Employer's perspective by Dr Anne Gaillot

Our organisation is called Fendix. We are the UK’s leading digital engagement partner working inside the NHS. We work with lots of different companies who want to bring their opportunities to our digital network of NHS partners.

I am the Senior Administrator. My role is varied: I support the leadership team, coordinate communications throughout the team, manage the office, organise events, and help with projects. We are a very small company of a dozen people, so everyone knows each other and we all help each other.

We like to offer a summer internship whenever we have the opportunity. We have benefitted from the UoS’s internship scheme twice so far. We offer an 8-week paid internship to eligible students. We give our intern their own mini-project that they can focus on over the 8 weeks, and they also help out with other projects.

The intern’s role differs from year to year depending on the projects we have on the go. The role could focus on marketing, data work, technical, sales, or admin. Our interns also have the opportunity to spend some time with other departments if they want. We include all the details in the job description we advertise.

We really enjoy having new people around, who look at what we do from a fresh perspective. Our interns have all made a strong contribution to Fendix, as the projects we give them are designed to help us develop. It’s lovely to see our interns grow in confidence over the 8 weeks. And it’s great when they make suggestion about things that we can do better. For instance, our 2024 intern, Olivia, set us up on LinkedIn so we could schedule posts in advance throughout the year – brilliant help for a small team who has little time to spare!

We look for students who have strong communications skills, and who are able to relate with everyone in the team. We like someone with previous work experience, but we think that showing initiative, having problem-solving skills, and being a quick learner is most important. A good CV shows the skills that you applied to the role, not just your job title. Being able to explain how you apply your skills to real-life examples is key for a good interview.

In digital media, starter roles tend to focus on marketing, sales, or data analysis. Having meaningful work experience is a real asset when you start your career. That’s what we try to offer our interns: not just experience of working in an office, but also experience of having their own ‘portfolio’ of work and making a visible contribution to our team. Undertaking an internship with UoS provides a solid stepping stone for any of these roles.

Student intern's perspective by Olivia Schrier

Olivia, thank you for sharing your internship experiences. Can you tell us a little about what your internship role involved, and what you enjoyed about it? 

My role at Fendix was Commercial Projects Executive Intern, and my main job was to research and create social media posts for LinkedIn, and to generate commercial leads for Fendix to use to contact new clients. I enjoyed creating posts and contributing to the company, as well as learning on the job how to better manage social media and more about Fendix as a company and the work they do. I also helped with different projects throughout the internship which gave me the chance to work with different people and work as a team.

What was your internship experience like?

It was a really nice way to start an office job, as I felt like I had support from the company and the university. I’ve learnt a lot about how an office works and how to manage task effectively and independently. 

What skills have you learned? How do you think the internship has helped you going forward?

I’ve definitely improved my Microsoft Office 365 skills, specifically Excel, and I’ve learned how to use LinkedIn as part of a business and personally, which I think will help my future employment and job search. I have also re-learned how work 9-5, balancing work and life again as I think this is a skill a lot of people lose during their undergraduate degree, and I think has definitely set me up for my third year and any other opportunities during my final year.

What was the application process like, and do you have a recommendation to help someone become a successful applicant?

The application process was easy to manage. I found Career Lab through the Sussex CareerHub and went through 3 interviews and a task, before having a final interview with Fendix in-person where I answered a few more questions and completed another task. Then I was offered the role over the phone. The company answered any emails very quickly and had planned each stage of the interview. I would recommend just giving the same energy back and communicating well during interviews, as you want to be able to enjoy who you're working with and the work you are doing.

Did you need to have any previous knowledge or skills in the field before applying?

I had basic knowledge of Microsoft 365 and I had done some projects for another company using PowerPoint part-time. I have also got lots of experience in hospitality which I think helped my socialising and organisational skills.

What would they say to a student who is unsure about taking part in the internship programme?

Even if you don’t think you want a career in the field you get the internship in, it’s a great way to get into the business world, gain some experience and meet great people. It’s only short-term and companies like Fendix and the university made me feel able to be open and honest about any concerns.

What advice would you give to students who are interested in a similar role?

I think my internship is a good start into commercial parts of business, moving into marketing, sales, social media, and even medical fields as Fendix works with NHS Trusts and pharmaceutical companies. I was also offered a chance to learn from other people in the company which could have ranged from IT to finance to HR. Personally I chose the internship for the role I undertook, which was beneficial to me, and I think this internship would be a good start for most people wanting to get more into the business sector in general as well.

Career Lab UK Summer Internships are open to all second, third and final-year undergraduate students. Applications open in March 2025. Early applications are advised, as vacancies may close at short notice.

The programme is part of Career Lab, a series of opportunities designed to develop students' skills, experiences and confidence, to help boost career prospects.

Further information: https://student.sussex.ac.uk/careers/career-lab/uk-summer-internship