I think this internship has been a fundamental step for my future career, showing me what life after university looks like in the industry I have chosen.
Olly's placement year
Your placement year
Why did you decide to do a placement?
I wanted to get hands on experience in the industry in a location close to home to give me an advantage after university. I wanted to elevate my CV/Portfolio and create some contacts in the industry while learning important skills which would create a foundation for my future.
The company Realise designs and curates brand experiences.
How did you go about finding your placement, did you have any help from NTU?
I used every source possible in my search for a placement like LinkedIn, Gradcracker, Ratemyplacement, cold calling and many more.
NTU provided a lot of support and were very helpful. One thing I found useful was a group set up on LinkedIn where staff at NTU would post in opportunities of all different types from all over the country and explain the details about application.
This Hello Fresh box was on display at Waterloo station.
Tell us a bit about your placement...
Realise design and curate brand experiences. From ideation to activation, they design and fabricate every detail to bring brands ideas to life. I stepped in as a design intern and my role was varied, working in technical design, creative design, 3D modelling, project management and on site. Every project is something different and a new challenge for the whole company, and I have had the opportunity to work for some of my dream brands like Adidas.
As an intern I initially had to learn the whole process of the company from start to finish and now I get to project manage my own projects for clients and, when I’m not doing that, I get to work on different parts of other projects which expands my knowledge and skills in all different areas.
What has been the most interesting or enjoyable thing about your placement so far?
It must be the vast variety of projects I have had the opportunity to work on and being part of a team where we will work with the client on how we can bring these bold brand ideas to life. We designed and fabricated a giant Uber bag outside King’s Cross, transformed KOKO London into an Asahi activation off a 30 second advert and placed a giant-sized Hello Fresh box into Waterloo train station. Seeing how these projects are taken from ideation to activation and working on them first hand has taught me lessons that will help me for the rest of my career.
Uber bag outside Kings Cross station, London.
Have you been able to use what you’ve learned on your course in your placement role?
A lot of core values of design that NTU has taught me has been extremely helpful - like technical design values, CAD software, material research and the Adobe suite. But a lot of the placement role has been fresh learning as this company work on huge activations compared to designing and modelling smaller designs like my university projects. At university you have a bit more time to research and prototype whereas this industry is very fast paced!
What do you hope to do when you graduate and how do you think your placement will support your career goals?
I think this internship has been a fundamental step for my future career, showing me what life after university looks like in the industry I have chosen. I hope to return to Realise as a Junior Designer and apply everything they have taught me to the role so I progress even more at the company. At first, I did not know what area of design was for me as I had applied to over eighty varied roles and worked on all different types of briefs at university, but this year has shown me this is an industry I could see myself working in in the future.
What advice would you give to other students considering a placement or internship?
100% do one. It is an incredible experience that will build skills which will benefit your career hugely, along with giving you a head start after university with undeniable experience. You will make some great contacts and friends in the industry whilst also getting clarity about yourself as a designer and where you can see yourself in the future. And if you do decide to embark on the search, never get disheartened by failed replies or applications.
Still need help?
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STUDENT PROFILE
Adam Wolstenholme
United Kingdom
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-courses/courses/our-students-stories/architecture-design-built-environment/adam-wolstenholme
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STUDENT PROFILE
Agil Abdullayev
Fine ArtAzerbaijan
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-courses/courses/our-students-stories/art-design/agil-abdullayev
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STUDENT PROFILE
Alex Hopkin-Spratt
Design for Theatre and Live PerformanceUnited Kingdom
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-courses/courses/our-students-stories/art-design/alex-hopkin-spratt
