An Insight Into Internships at Babel

How do you stand out in the working world when everyone has more or less the same qualifications? The enormous amount of competition that emerges when school leavers step out into the working world can be daunting – especially with limited experience. After leaving school, I had constantly heard that knowledge would come with experience, which was especially worrisome for someone straight out of Sixth Form looking for a way to stand out. From trying to balance Degree Apprenticeship applications, alongside my  A-Level studies and back-up University applications, it seemed impossible to be able to find the time to apply for programmes to build both my soft and hard skills and be able to find the extra money to even invest in these skills. However, with the right incentive, even with my busy schedule, I invested some of my time in the Big City Bright Future (BCBF) programme application, which ultimately matched me with Babel as a host organisation.

Standing out from the crowd

BCBF ticked all of my boxes; I needed to ‘stand out from the crowd’ and find a pathway to enter myself into competitive firms without the burden of finances and accommodation. I like to think of it as BCBF being the bridge and Babel ultimately being my destination. In my hometown, Coventry, acceptance to the programme was extremely sought over – especially since none of these opportunities existed in the small city. Honestly, with the magnitude of people applying at my school, it made me want the acceptance email even more (this may be because I am a sore loser). So, I spent endless time on my application, forcing anyone in my family who would listen to proofread it for me again and again.

Top tips

If I had to give some tips for the application to BCBF, I would definitely say quality over quantity! Especially in the initial written application, no programme leader wants to hear about the same skills over and over again (give them variety). Personally, I spoke about my previous achievements: essay competition awards with Immerse Education, acceptance to summer schools with both Sutton Trust and other companies, volunteering at PYF, a local charity to me that predominantly works with refugees – many of which have arrived from my fatherland of Afghanistan. I guess this is the easier part though, as it is easily done behind a screen and checked over countless times, the intimidating part for me is a fear that many people may also share – interviews! It seems cliché, but the trick to interviews really is to manage your stress. Obviously, this is easier said than done, so there are steps to being able to manage this stress. Prepare, practice, and perform. With preparation and constant practice, you will easily be able to perform even if something seems like it is going wrong at the moment. Fake it till you make it! 

You have arrived at your destination 

Now,  having arrived at the destination after all this hard work, I cannot explain to you how much it genuinely was all worth it! Before arriving at Babel, I was nervous. Frankly, I knew nothing about technology companies and only had a vague idea of what PR was and what those in the comms sector actually did. And, although I’ve made progress on that front now, there’s still so much more to learn. Marketing and PR at Babel consists of SO many different aspects, with teams expert in a variety of disciplines, it’s hard to encapsulate in a sentence what the agency does day-to-day for the brands they support. What is clear is the passion that everyone shares to deliver the best outcomes for clients, with friendliness and creativity. It has been an experience to work with some of the best communicators in the industry. Hearing client calls and witnessing how they ensure the client feels heard and their needs are catered for is a massive thing that I have learned at Babel. Good conversation and proactive listening can get you far!

Not only did Babel develop my communication skills, it also taught me the importance of independence, which was evident through their faith in me and the tasks I completed for them. They gave me strong guidance, don’t get me wrong, but they also had confidence in my own skills, knowing that I’d eventually be able to wrap my head around tasks! Regardless of being born in 2006 and being young (I’m exactly the same age as Babel – meant to be, or what?)I was exposed to an authentic and valuable work experience, unlike previous education-based experience programs. Let me just tell you if there is one thing that BCBF does well, it’s matching an intern to the right firm for their specialty and interests. For me, this was Babel 100%. 

Next stop – Amazon! 

I will constantly cherish my time at Babel and the lifelong skills it taught me during my internship, but if it has done anything, it has made me ready. Ready to move on from the chapter of young schooling and instead move on to the world of work and higher education. Come September, you’ll be looking at a new member of the Amazon Degree Apprenticeship scheme, specialising in Project Management! I could not be more excited to finally begin what I planned, practised, and now am finally performing. All in the city where it all started, with Babel, in London.

By Sabrina Erabi – Babel Intern