My Work Experience at BCIMO – By Emily Brown, Marketing Intern

Hello, I’m Emily, a recent graduate who studied Marketing with Psychology for three years at Sheffield Hallam University. I recently had the amazing opportunity to complete five weeks of work experience at BCIMO in Dudley.

I worked alongside my mum, Olivia Brown, the Operations and Marketing Manager, and other members of the BCIMO team. My work schedule was 9-5 every day for five weeks, with a week’s break in between during which I gained additional experience in digital marketing and social media at BCIMO’s brand agency eleven10creative in Stourbridge, working with their incredible team, including the Director, Steve Watson.

Daily Responsibilities and Learning Opportunities

Each day at BCIMO presented new and exciting opportunities. I assisted Hollie Chidley, CRM and Email Marketing Executive, with tasks such as adding contacts to campaigns, researching companies for the CRM, and sending out weekly promotional emails to BCIMO’s press and publication contacts. Additionally, I planned, created, and scheduled LinkedIn posts for customer testimonials. Every day was a learning experience, filled with diverse responsibilities that enriched my understanding of marketing.

Beyond shadowing and assisting team members, I undertook independent projects. One significant task was researching and writing a report on whether BCIMO, a B2B business, should utilise social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. I analysed the advantages and disadvantages of each platform for B2B marketing and provided a comprehensive conclusion based on my findings.

Event Experience and Networking

During my time at BCIMO, I had the chance to assist at internal events held in BCIMO’s Meeting & Event Spaces. One notable event was the ‘Women’s Health Under the Microscope at Gynaecology’ held during my first week. I shadowed Helena Davies, Events Manager, and contributed by re-stocking the Refreshment Station and ensuring attendee satisfaction. I was also tasked with photographing the event to be used in the upcoming article including the highlights and testimonials from attendees. The event was a great success, receiving positive feedback from Julia Arnold, PGME Coordinator / Education Centre Manager at Birmingham Women’s & Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who commended the venue and our hospitality.

I also attended external events – including the Battery Cells & Systems Expo at the NEC in Birmingham, together with Helen Wolf, Olivia Brown, Philip Hemming, Janet Mortezazadeh-Daragheh and Martin Little. We were tasked with promoting Cohort 2 of the Clean Futures Accelerator programme by handing out leaflets to potential applicants. Our day was filled with finding possible candidates and offering them the opportunity to apply.

Test Track Familiarisation

In my final week of working at BCIMO, Martin Franklin, Test Track Project Manager, kindly took me for a tour of the Rail Development & Test Site. I had the chance to see the 870m Tunnel and travel down the 2km Rail Test Track on the Alumicart & Trailer which was a great way to finish my last week. I also was shown the Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) vehicle which is housed at BCIMO in the Workshop and also its novel track form installed in the 15m radius Rail Test Loop.

Conclusion

This work experience was an invaluable opportunity to apply my academic knowledge in real-world settings and gain hands-on experience in various aspects of marketing and event management. It allowed me to develop my skills, network with professionals, and gain insights into the operational dynamics of a business. I am grateful for the experiences and lessons learned during my time at BCIMO and eleven10creative, and I look forward to applying these insights to my future career.

A huge thank you to Neil Fulton, the CEO of BCIMO and also the entire team for making me feel welcome and helping me learn more and more every day. I am extremely grateful and wish everyone the absolute best!

Helen Wolf, Marketing & Commercial Officer at BCIMO, said:

“It has been an absolute pleasure having Emily as part of the team at BCIMO. As a former university lecturer myself, I know how incredibly important it is for students and graduates to gain real-world work experience, but also for organisations to host those placements, as they will bring in fresh perspectives and new ideas which are so essential to business growth.

“In addition to working professionally across the broad range of tasks she has undertaken in her time here, Emily has explored what we do and how we do it, asked questions and prompted discussions. Her research and recommendations on aspects such as new social media channels and content, will most definitely enhance our marketing strategy going forward.

“We thank her for all her hard work and wish her well in her future career.”

Steve Watson, Owner and Creative Director at eleven10creative, said:

“It was a pleasure to host Emily Brown at the studio for marketing work experience. We hope she picked up some valuable tips to take on her journey and wish her good luck with receiving her University grades – we are sure she’ll smash it!”

For more information on BCIMO please visit the BCIMO website or Contact Us to make an enquiry.