Mirce Vieira, shares her internship with LSBU Croydon
Final year BA (Hons) Business Management with Enterprise and Entrepreneurship student, Mirce Vieira, shares her experience of studying at LSBU Business School and taking on a Marketing Internship with LSBU Croydon.
What drew you to LSBU?
LSBU is known for their entrepreneurial spirit and, being someone that was very keen to learn more about it, I knew that this university was the one for me. When looking for universities, seeing that LSBU had been awarded Entrepreneurial University of the Year along with their support for current and future entrepreneurs made me very interested. Studying at the Southwark Campus was a bonus - the location was ideal: being minutes away from Central London meant it was very accessible for me and that I could easily explore new places as part of my university journey.
What do you like about your BA (Hons) Business Management with Enterprise and Entrepreneurship course?
I like being able to focus on different subjects and apply theory I learnt to real world scenarios and businesses. We often did activities during classes such as case studies which I enjoyed. I also liked being able to share my views with other classmates and being able to see things from a different perspective when others shared their views too. Having the element of enterprise throughout modules allowed me to learn real world situations and see how I can grow as a future entrepreneur and make an impact on other organisations.
What was life at LSBU like for you?
Life at LSBU was interesting! Being able to attend a variety of events related to personal development and entrepreneurship and also having the opportunity to engage and network with students from different countries were thing I particularly enjoyed. Also, being able to spend time with friends at faith group Salem Fellowship was a wonderful way to end the day on Thursdays. Despite being online due to the pandemic, I am still able to interact with my fellowship through weekly sessions.
During the pandemic, a lot of our classes have moved online: I still find it to be largely the same, but everything it is now online. The activities offered during classes are very insightful and allow me to absorb the content easier. The LSBU Enterprise events are amazing; they often have events where guest speakers come and give insight about their businesses, working with top organisations and much more!
Have you participated in any extracurricular activities at LSBU?
I discovered the London Venture Crawl through LSBU Enterprise. This consists of 16 universities coming together to explore London’s startups and go on a journey meeting these businesses and finding out about their experiences on a London red bus for the entire day. When I took part, we visited some great businesses, and it was nice to meet students from other universities around the city and connect with company founders as well.
In addition, joining my fellowship was one of the best decisions I have made during my university journey. To be able to speak to someone and know you are not alone really allowed me to feel part of a family despite never knowing everyone and to grow in my personal development and be encouraged to do well.
During my second year, I had the opportunity to be part of the Institute of Directors (IoD) challenge to help raise funds for our chosen charity, Centrepoint. The IoD challenge consists of university students gathering into teams, with support from an IoD Member, to discover ways to raise funds for the selected charity. Centrepoint is a UK Charity that support young adults between the ages 16 to 26 that aim to help tackle homelessness amongst young individuals. The aim of the challenge is to make as much profit possible with the £10 in 10 days. We decided to do a games night at the university and created a fundraising page, where people could make a donation. As a result, we raised more than £110 for charity and had the opportunity to celebrate with other teams.
Why did you decide to do an Internship?
Since starting my degree, I have always wanted to work whilst studying so that I can apply the knowledge and experience gained during my time at university whilst also supporting an organisation. When I had opportunity to work with LSBU at the Croydon Campus, it felt good because I wanted to demonstrate my skillset, experience, and apply what I have learned during my degree. From providing marketing ideas and strategies to planning an event using elements of project management alongside other skills, I was able to put in to practice the material I learnt on my course.
What does your role as Marketing Intern involve?
Before lockdown, my role as a Marketing Intern involved speaking to members of the public who visited our hub in Croydon. I would assist with any queries they had regarding the courses being offered to them and register new applicants, generate leads by speaking to the public and promoting the campus. I was also involved in the planning our first online event for the new campus for prospective students. Since working from home, I contributed towards the development of marketing strategy for LSBU Croydon by providing ideas and working on our ideas.
What advice would you give a prospective student?
Just be yourself! Take opportunities to network with people because you never know who you can meet. Take time to join a society that you would like to discover more about have fun and be willing to learn. Never feel scared to ask for help regarding coursework or your wellbeing, because the support system is wonderful, and university wants to ensure you have the best experience whilst you are a student.
Find out more about LSBU Business School.