Internships in Poland

Popabroad is publishing an interactive global education magazine this fall and has internships available to international students and recent graduates. 

The internships are 10 weeks in duration, and are unpaid. Interns work together in a supervised mentor-lead group at the PopHatch office and at the University of Lodz. 

The intern will be working side-by-side with professionals and with local representatives on an international project. This may include participation on project teams, research, and assisting international marketing officers in an educational context.

This is a fee based program which includes: Room & Board.

Not included: Flight to Poland and travel insurance. 

Internships are open to international students 18 years of age.

What's Available:

• INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

• JOURNALISM & NEW MEDIA

• GRAPHIC DESIGN/PRODUCT DESIGN

Contact Popabroad for details and an application.

Pop Prototyp

At the 'ProWein' , International Fair for Wines and Spirits, in Dusseldorf, Germany, Popabroad's "Education and Innovation" brand extension called Pop Prototyp, offered its pre-market services focused on the Polish market to a host of leading producers from Portugal, Spain, South Africa, America, New Zealand, and Germany. 

The feedback received was very positive and organizations indicated a strong interest in opportunities in the Polish market. Many producers simply want importing opportunities for their current products that at an educational level such findings can be researched. The main question was how?

Pop Prototyp's position on this was that they will work closely with researchers and students at the University of Lodz in Poland and with MBA students at London School of Business and Management in central London as well as Interns recruited through Popabroad from America and other countries to assess opportunities via case studies, brand audits and alternative (Social Market) researching methods. Concerns of measurability for research and development was addressed in two batches.

The first batch is a tangible prototype. Besides a marketing report provided to clients at the end of each project a printed/assembled prototype is developed. As an example it could be in the form of a soft drink pouch package for sampling for promotional purposes or an interactive online prototype that can be used for on demand purchases.

The second batch is feedback. A combination of social channels or from direct methods of sampling potential opportunity. At an educational level clients can reduce costs associated with hiring a marketing firm. Plus, Pop Prototyp's service is for a full calendar year at an educational rate. The international students/interns/researchers taking part in these projects may also provide a word of mouth channel that could inflate equity across borders just because they have a real world project to work on. 

This hands on approach to an international project will provide our clients with an exceptional pre-market service and our participants with experience that can be showcased at a future job interview or land them a position in the process. 

Hurry Up and Wait graduates

A recent article I read in the London Student 'Can't get a Job? Become an Intern!', comments on the UK government getting involved in developing a solution for the 400,000 graduates it claims will have a hard time finding work in this recession. If these interns work for companies that can stimulate the economy there maybe some optimism in finding an internship and it will lower the unemployment rate. There is some competition now for developing internships. In the past month, Popabroad contacted a number of international coordinators in charge of the student internship programs at Universities in the US and received feedback that students attempt to find international internships on their own. "Our students are very Savvy in finding internships abroad," stated Traci Buss, who is the academic coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Buss also commented that many students are working their way through degree programs and that she tends not to guide her students towards fee based programs. In our conversation, I presented UWM with an international work program that Popabroad is designing which is fee based.  In response to student costs,  I explained that the costs covered housing, meals, some travel, and a project management certification from a business school in central London. Costs maybe relative to conditions but students need to look for programs that will provide a learning experience as well as boost their employability. I have a feeling that the government sponsored internships will fill up fast.

Popabroad-Hatch is developing an incentive package that will also give funds back to the post- program participants but it will be through entrepreneurship and a lot of hard work.

Source: 

London Student Volume 29, Issue 7.19th January 2009

Umbrellas and Entrepreneurship

Is it interesting when current event articles raise awareness of the need for entrepreneurship?

There was an article written in the "Evening Standard" which I purchased for 50 pence because they were giving away rather nice umbrellas. Considering that I live in London and if you take a long walk you are sure to see some damaged; left for dead, umbrellas lying on a side walk. It looked like a good deal. The article, "Get real, Harriet, you've set out on the wrong road to social mobility," written by Anne McElvoy describes how people without connections may find it even harder to find a job after their higher education studies than those with social connections. This article appears to highlight a real element of pressure for schools and educators to integrate some practical work experience into the education system.

In my opinion, opportunity is not like a coloring book that educators have full control over the colors but rather can assist in its application, design and mandate programs that integrate theory with practicality. This middle ground between theory and application has been for a long period of time the work of entrepreneurs that invent, design and implement solutions. For example, universities like Brunel have developed a business center that works with local, regional and international organizations on research or practical design projects used in the market place. Entrepreneurship at this level is supported by providing students with an opportunity to present their career aims and a reward scheme for developing innovative solutions or potential new organizations. Students have to be very proactive and seek out the opportunity. In other words mobility has two sides: the student's ability that is highly dependent on motivation, and outlets for a practical working experience. These programs of opportunity can be placements, internships or implemented directly into the course curriculum. So who needs an umbrella when the chance for opportunity is about social mobility? I went to school to learn something which is different than going to school for a job.

Reference printed version, Wednesday 14, January 2009

www.standard.co.uk