(IMAGE CAPTION: Helen Buteux (right) and interns Tiina Krunniniva and Amey Turner)

Helen Buteux established D3 Marketing, in Southsea, in 2005 and is managing director. This year, for the first time, she hired three interns, inspired by a desire to repay the help she had been given earlier in her own career.

What she didn’t expect was to find the experience richly rewarding not just for the interns, but for her business, too.

“The economy is struggling, jobs are harder to secure and students need a chance to learn skills appropriate to the workplace, gain confidence and stand out from other graduates" said Helen. “This can only happen if businesses are willing to give them a chance.”

Helen runs a team of seven staff covering five main areas – digital marketing, website design, creative design, PR and marketing strategy.

“I didn’t anticipate how much the interns would infuse the team with fresh ideas and enthusiasm. They bring new ideas and an un-cynical approach to projects. They have also enabled a new department manager to try her hand at people management, as she’s working to help train and support them, which has been a great, low-risk ‘cutting your teeth’ experience for her.”

Interns attend morning project meetings and are able to volunteer for tasks that excite them and then are given total responsibility, supported by the team, to plan, deliver and run projects from start to finish.

The tasks they have volunteered for include trying out new ideas with existing clients and working on projects where the client hasn’t the budget to support the work in full.

INTERN NO.1: AMEY

Amey Turner, 21, from Horndean, is studying journalism at the University of Portsmouth and is about to start her third and final year. She has worked at D3 Marketing as an intern since August and aims to continue working there part-time through her final year of university.

“I had a friend who had recently started his own business as a personal trainer and I thought I could help. I knew that social media was a great tool for small businesses so I set up a Facebook page and Twitter account. I proofread the copy for his website and designed and wrote the copy for leaflets. I also designed him a new logo which is being used on business cards, leaflets, stationery, uniforms and car decals. It was a great little project and really cemented the idea that I wanted to explore PR and marketing.

“I chose to work for D3 as the company has a strong identity and the team are able to turn their hands to anything. This breadth and depth of knowledge means I can learn a lot from them. The most difficult part of doing this work experience has been trying to keep up with them, but I love a challenge and Helen, the director, has been brilliant; giving me tasks and responsibilities.

“Since I started I have worked on raising the profiles of some clients in the press; social media campaigns; the promotion of some villas in Tuscany through digital marketing and PR; and the launch of a TV platform for a students’ website.

“We have daily team meetings to brainstorm ideas for clients and projects. My training at university has given me an eye for attention to detail which helps with so many things, especially proofreading and copy writing. I have helped in writing press releases and I know that the contacts I've made through journalism and blogging will undoubtedly be helpful in current and future projects.

INTERN NO.2: TINA

Tiina Krunniniva, 21, from Finland, came to the UK specifically to work in a British PR firm. She is studying for her BBA degree of international business at Centria University of Applied Sciences in Pietarsaari, Finland. Tiina started working for D3 Marketing in August and will work through until December to gain experience.

She said: “I have learned a lot during my time here. Not only have I learned about the basic daily working routine of a marketing agency but I’ve also got a bunch of new information about different kinds of social media, PR and digital advertising campaigns. This work has helped me to get an international understanding – not only because many of our clients are from abroad, but also because being in UK gives me a different kind of view to working.

“My favourite tasks so far have had to do with ‘We Are the City’ women’s network. I also enjoy working with a team; everybody gets along with each other and the general atmosphere is very pleasant. I have enjoyed every part of my experience here.

“Even though I am fluent in English, some of the vocabulary and concepts are foreign and new to me and I sometimes have had to translate them back into Finnish to understand them. But I have received guidance in all the new things that have been introduced to me, so misunderstanding has not been a problem.

“Having got to know the country, administration and working systems during this time, I could now seriously think of moving to UK. I think with this work experience I will have more of what it takes to get a job and live in the UK in the future. I am also sure that after my time in D3 Marketing I could be able to get a job in the field in Finland as well, since international working experience is highly appreciated nowadays. I am keeping all my options open.”