Here at Mindless, we pride ourselves on our tight-knit community. Having onboarded thousands of students over the past few years, we are extremely proud of each of their journeys.
Image Credit: Bronwyn Lee
As both an academy and magazine, we are lucky enough to witness progress on unparalleled scales, and we can’t help but boast about the true talent and passion of each intern. We strive to be thought leaders and ones who transform everyday ideas into powerful storytelling - our interns embody this throughout.
We feel honoured to stay connected with our previous interns and hear all about their amazing next steps. That’s why we sat down with Bronwyn to catch up and talk all things skill utilisation!
Bronwyn, who is a third-year Marketing student at Teesside University, completed the Digital Marketing Internship in July last year.
Why did you participate in the Mindless Academy Digital Marketing Internship?
“The Digital Marketing Internship really stood out to me because I’ve always had a passion for sharing stories, and bringing light to topics that people may not necessarily know a lot about. I also loved the idea of being completely responsible for my articles: writing them AND producing promotional material for social media. It seemed like the perfect way to finally get some of my work out there!
What were you hoping to gain when you first started?
“I really wanted to gain some experience with real-world projects. I’ve always suffered with imposter syndrome, and I thought that the internship would be perfect to help improve my confidence and shake that feeling of not belonging.
What was your favourite article to write?
“My articles were on a wide variety of different subjects, so it’s difficult to pick just one. However, I really enjoyed doing the research for ‘The Problem with Women's Bodies in Video Games’. It’s a topic not enough people in the gaming community discuss, and people outside the community don’t know enough about, which is why I felt so compelled to write about it. Growing up as a gamer, I could never find characters who looked like me, whether that’s because there were no women at all, or because the women that were there all looked like Barbie dolls, and it really damaged my self-esteem. Video games should be a safe space for everyone, and nobody should feel misrepresented. Misogyny is still rampant in the gaming community, and I believe representing women accurately is just one small step to helping shift the status quo.
How did Mindless play in role in your subsequent job applications?
“Mindless has made me feel so much more confident when applying to jobs, because now I can show off a portfolio of public work that I’m incredibly proud of! Before Mindless, I hadn’t really considered a career involving digital storytelling, but now I know that’s something I’m incredibly interested in, and I’m on the lookout for similar opportunities.
How do you use Mindless skills in everyday life?
“Ever since my internship with Mindless, I’ve found myself looking into different stories and trying to gain a new perspective on topics I’ve never considered before.
“Mindless also gave me an opportunity to develop skills such as crafting social media content and working to deadlines, which has really helped me during my experience at my university’s marketing clinic. I work with a number of clients, and feel a lot more confident doing so than I would have had I not completed my internship with Mindless, as a lot of the skills translate.
What’s the most valuable skill you’ve taken away?
“The most valuable skill I’ve taken from this experience is just having more confidence in my own work. I received such an unexpectedly warm response to all my articles, and because of that, I now try not to doubt myself and my abilities so much, whether that be at university, applying for jobs, or in my regular, day-to-day life.
What are your next steps?
“I’m actually about to re-join Mindless as a member! I loved the internship so much, and I’d love to get a bit more experience under my belt. I’ve missed writing articles, and I have so many more stories I’d like to tell and share, and Mindless is the perfect place to do it.
What advice would you give those embarking on the internship?
Fully immerse yourself in the experience, and don’t be afraid to write about what’s important to you! People want to hear what you have to say. There’s so many stories out there to tell, and each one grants someone a new perspective. Make sure to take everything you can from the internship. I absolutely loved it, and I know anyone else applying will too.