Creating your network

Dzafran's internship allowed him to develop a valuable network of connections in the recording industry

Student Dzafran working in a recording studio. He is looking at a screen with a sound board in front of him. Dzafran and Joe, Shearwater Studios
First year international student Dzafran, studying BSc (Hons) Audio and Music Technology , booked an appointment with the School of Society and Culture Industry Liaison to discuss his career options and populating his CV with relevant work experience.
Dzafran wanted to broaden his industry connections and so applied for a marketing position at Shearwater Studios, a recording studio based in Plymouth. With prior experience in marketing, he recognised that networking within this role could lead to a strong working relationship with Shearwater, and open the door to future opportunities.
He utilised the internship to not only deliver excellent marketing strategies and resources into the daily practice at Shearwater, but also to become an important part of the team.
Subsequently, Shearwater was eager to offer Dzafran a second internship, this time in a role that gave him the opportunity he craved; Assistant Recording Engineer.
Knowing the type of organisation he wanted to work with was an important step in identifying an internship route.
Often, contacting organisations can create opportunities to populate your CV with important experience. Once you are on the inside, the organisation can see your skills and potential, which may lead to more than you first considered.
“Originally, I was tasked with handling social media and some digital marketing aspects, but I was able to be exposed to a lot of different aspects of the business”.

The importance of networking and building valuable relationships with organisations that you want to work with, was not lost on Dzafran. This is something we reiterate to all SoSC students we work with.

Lee WhittockMr Lee Whittock
Industry Liaison Officer

 
 

Aligning your experience with your goals

Although not always possible, gaining an internship within organisations that resonate with your career goals can be key to making your experience count. All work experience is relevant, but if it can align to your ideal job role your CV will become more focussed. Dzafran was aware of the competitive nature of his chosen industry, which was a driving factor in his proactive approach to gaining experience while at university.
“I think a big thing for me, especially within the Audio and Music Technology context and industry that I might be getting into, is that it’s a fairly competitive space and given that, I think graduating with only the degree and not having specific relevant experiences wouldn’t get me very far post-graduation. Because of that I immediately wanted to get a good amount of relevant experience in”.
 
 
 

The challenges, observations and realities of working with a small organisation trying to do big things

“The internship offered me a very in-depth experience in regards to the inner workings of a start-up music studio – not only from a marketing side but also on a business front. I’ve done a lot of marketing previously for bigger brands, and these bigger brands tend to have a very defined idea of what their brand is and what to do, along with a lot of standard operating procedures and brand guidelines.

Coming into a small organisation, typically these things don’t really exist in the same way, and I think working without a fixed parameter for branding and marketing poses its own challenges, because anything is possible. You really have to get creative in terms of what you can do, it's liberating”.
The SoSC internships are for a set number of hours per week, until the allocation has been completed. This structure presents unique challenges for interns that differ from those faced in a full-time position.
“I think another challenge with an internship is I’m only spending roughly four or so hours a week on my internship. It’s not a thing I do every single day of the week, which is good on one hand because I can really balance my university work alongside it, but on the other hand, I am typically proposing ideas and leaving the team at the studio to execute it. Because of this, I have to really put myself in the shoes of the studio management and really understand what their needs are”.
Student setting up a microphone and amp in a recording studio
Student preparing the recording space for a session at Shearwater
 
 
 

The internship proved successful for both Dzafran and Shearwater Studios

The intern went above and beyond, demonstrating outstanding dedication and meaningful contributions that greatly enhanced the project's outcome.

Dzafran was the perfect fit for an internship at Shearwater, having experience in marketing and a keen interest in audio recording, he was the ideal candidate to help provide substantial groundwork for running a successful business that encapsulates both of these things. His corporate experience has given me significant insight into which conventional business practices can be applied to Shearwater to help streamline our internal system
Joe, Shearwater Studios