e-Business Integration with Short Work Placements

1. e-Business Integration with Short Work Placements RikkeDuus Senior Lecturer in Marketing The Business School (r.1.duus@herts.ac.uk)

2. Business & Academia Coming Together

3. The Digital Marketing Agency #1 Student Team 1 Student Team 2 Student Team 3 Student Team 4 Selecting the Work Placement Teams Commercial Project Pitch Digital Marketing Agencies Academic Teaching Team Placement Winner

4. Student attitudes towards the commercial project pitch... ...I intend to submit the pitch 71% ...I have a good chance of winning 83% ...the placement can help me get a sandwich placement Commercial Project Pitch 56% ...expand my knowledge of e-marketing 94% ...will help me get a job once I graduate 83% ...adds additional pressure 50% ...would be a great victory to win 78% ...important for me to include on CV 72% ...it’s important for me to submit the pitch 73%

5. Student expectations towards the work placement... Commercial Project Pitch

6. Assignment linked with work placement: • Creative e-Marketing Project (30%) • Purpose of the placement; • To get the opportunity to work on the Creative e-Marketing Project with help from the agency • Unique insight into the everyday operations of a digital agency • Potential placement/internship opportunities • Achievement for the CV Student Work Placements

7. What did the winning student teams think of the work placement?

8. Were you surprised that you won the work placement? • YES – 7 students • Wasn't too sure whether we had done enough to win • Was unexpected (...) other groups’ pitches were more creative • I didn’t feel we were creative enough • Presentationwas quite basic and we thought it might not be enough • Other groups were submitting so I thought the chance of winning would be low • I thought that other teams would have done as well as us • NO – 3 students • Put a lot of effort into our pitch and believed it was good • Work was of a high standard • We exceeded our limit Evaluation of Work Placements

9. What have you learnt from attending the work placement? • More about putting ideas into action • How things get done in a real business • There should always be an explanation behind a suggestion • To think through an idea – is it achievable and how much will it cost? • Even small details can have a big impact • How agenciesuse online marketing to attract customers • The different roles within a marketing agency • More about the subject area and general office workings Evaluation of Work Placements Themes: Application of theory / Justification of ideas Subject knowledge / How an agency works

10. If you were given the opportunity to go on a work placement again, would you be interested? 10 out of 10 • Insight into working life, experience and something to put on your CV • The amount of experience you gain is invaluable • It was good experience and will help me to apply the theory • The more experience the betterand it would look better on my CV • Great opportunity to apply theory to a real business environment • Understand the subject from a company’s view and learn from it as you are doing practical work for that company • The placement was interesting, beneficial and motivating by achieving real life goals Evaluation of Work Placements Themes: Experience / CV / Application of theory

11. Has the work placement helped you with your Creative e-Marketing Project? 9 out of 10 • More ideas & research and confirmed to us that we were on the right track • More viable and understandable ideas useful to the client • Chance to discuss our ideas with agency and pick the most suitable • Improved content of the work through discussions with the agency • Helped us to understand the work a lot better, get new ideas & make improvements • Learned to work well in a team Evaluation of Work Placements Themes: New ideas through interaction with agency / Improve content of work

12. 10 out of 10 students: would like it if more modules included a work placements to prepare them for the future 8 out of 10 students: thought they would receive a higher mark for the Creative e-Marketing Project due to having been on the work placement 8out of 10 students: thought the work placement would enhance their job opportunities upon graduation • Evaluation of Work Placements

13. Student offered paid 10-month placement with agency due to achievements on the work placement... Unique Achievement

14. Purpose of placement & student experience is a match • Subject knowledge was enhanced through ‘real’ business case studies and application of theory to practice during the work placement • The students saw the benefits of the experience gained and how it will add value to their CVs Conclusions • More communication with agencies regarding the activities planned during the work placement • More clear communication to the students on what will happen during the placement to manage their expectations and make them able to prepare better

15. Should the project pitch be mandatory or optional? • Is it important that all students get to do the placement? • How can the placement scheme be taken further? • How can we engage students so they fully understand whatopportunities are offered to them e.g. work placements? Discussion Questions