ICMS Got Me Into Digital Marketing in Sydney

In his own words ICMS Master of Management student, Shamal Sharma (Sam), shares his work placement experience with Sydney-based Digital Marketing Agency Eloquent. All degrees at ICMS include industry training where students complete a work placement.

“My choice to join the International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) was based on the fact that the institution is known to have one of the best graduate employability rates in Australia, as around 90% of students at ICMS graduate with a job in their field*. So, being an international student from Fiji with no local experience in Australia, my decision was easy.

And fast forward 2 years, I am delighted to say that I believe I made the right choice, as upon completion of coursework subjects, ICMS incorporates a work integrated learning (WIL) component within all their degrees.  Like all undergraduate and postgraduate students, I was required to complete an internship in my field of study and interest. That is of course the secret weapon in achieving such high employability rating for ICMS graduates.

If you are wondering how this is possible (as traditional internships are ways to get additional hands on deck, to serve the bosses coffee, and to organise their filling cabinet) then my friend; you are in for a treat at ICMS. I’ll share my experience that completely changed my perspective:

How ICMS Helped Me Gain the Right Placement

ICMS boasts a really proficient team of staff who are solely responsible for ensuring students are well informed and trained ready in entering the market to begin their internship. The Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Team at ICMS not only arrange interviews for students with over a 1000 companies linked with the College, but the team help students to build their profiles by guiding them with things like drafting the best resumes; giving the best interviews; and having the right attitude; plus many more etiquettes to land job you desire. As in my case, through the assistance I acquired by the WIL team, I was able to land an internship with a digital marketing agency.

About the Digital Marketing Agency I’m Working With

ICMS helped me to secure an exciting internship for me at the digital marketing agency in Sydney called Eloquent. The agency works with marketers and companies on achieving their digital marketing goals, using things like social media, content marketing, email marketing, paid traffic and more. Because they are using a wide variety of strategies to help their customers grow, I feel like I’m getting a really broad understanding of the practical implementation of digital marketing in the real world.

A Typical Day on Placement with Eloquent

With a dynamic team of marketers, our day at Eloquent starts with a morning meeting, internally known as the ‘Eloquent Morning Team Huddle’, during which everyone on the team shares their work in progress updates while brainstorming ideas for lagging items. And since I am the intern, I am assigned to one or two marketers who get me to help them with their role but first taking me through the importance of the task and a 1 on 1 session on how to carry out the tasks and a summary of the skills I’ll need. Then I start working on items I have been assigned to – with the freedom of calling anyone in the team for help at any time.

Given the extraordinary circumstance of COVID-19, on most days the work routine is practiced online on Zoom. Given the ever-changing nature of work at marketing agencies it’s varied and quite flexible with breaks taken as needed. On days spent at the office, there are unlimited coffee breaks with a mandatory team lunch on Fridays and depending on the work schedule no one ever eats alone.

I feel I am acquiring so many new marketing skills that will surely help my development in becoming a marketing professional that I had always aspired to be.

Advice for Future Students Regarding WIL at ICMS

In my opinion, the success of ICMS’s high quality internship program is attributed to the WIL Team who very proficiently build a portfolio of industry partners, such as Eloquent, who offer benefits to students on placement, helping to make them lucrative professionals in the market.

My advice for future students would be – do not to wait for the last semester of studies to engage with the WIL Team. Rather, start liaising with them from the beginning to polish up your professional profile. Then, by the time you get to your placement term, you will be confident in presenting yourself for interviews with a professional attitude coupled with a well-constructed resume. That of course will enable you to gain the following key benefits from the WIL program:

• Local experience to increase marketability.
• Application of education learnings to the real world.
• Exploring potential career paths (figure out what you like and don’t like.)
• Building your Professional Network.

Appreciation

Consequently, ICMS deserves credit for the great initiative they have taken to made in making their students highly marketable. I am glad to recommend ICMS as the education provider of choice for any student and particularly international students.”

Learn more about the ICMS Industry Training Program

*Internal Graduation Survey 2018

Master of Management

The ICMS Master of Management is a postgraduate degree designed to sharpen your industry knowledge and prepare you for a leadership role. It is a modern business degree that will develop your strategic thinking and conceptual, analytic and practical skills. The course aims to provide highly developed business knowledge and skills that are the basis of responsible leadership, ethical decision-making and the effective management of organisations operating in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors.

The Master of Management will not only prepare you for leadership; it will teach you how to work effectively, apply contemporary management practices and demonstrate key management skills and attributes.

• Flexibility Online. Flexible online classes: join a virtual class or view recordings at a time to suit yourself
• Industry guest lectures. Experts in the field delivering industry relevant content.
• Real-world projects. Authentic learning experience and real-world projects to provide evidence of your skills.
• Career-focused. Includes a work placement (Work Integrated learning)
  A community of experts. Expert faculty connect with industry