THE STUDENT


Charlene Pink ABTA intern


I was an international tourism management student at the University of Surrey and in July 2019 I was selected to work on a sales and marketing project with Travelife [ABTA’s sustainability certification programme]. Travelife wanted to


broaden the number of destinations where hotels are certified, so I created guidelines it can follow when targeting hoteliers – the research that would be involved, how to make the initial approach and what collateral would be needed. In the second half of the


month I applied it to Saint Lucia and the Dominican Republic. On the penultimate day,


I made a presentation to the team, letting them know what I had been doing. I felt confident although a


little bit apprehensive, but the feedback was good. I had regular catch-ups


with my line manager for advice and support. It was a good balance – they were not micromanaging or suffocating me. The team was very helpful and welcoming. A month is not that long, so you have to settle straightaway. It was 100% worthwhile


and I enjoyed it. To say you have done an internship with ABTA is great. In August, I began work


in a digital campaigns role with Global Citizen, which does humanitarian aid work. I will go travelling in 2020


and then I want to find a marketing role in travel. I would urge students to


apply – I have made great connections throughout the team.


Charlene (second right) with other ABTA intern candidates


Reasons to consider the internship route


X Internships improve your CV and employment chances as you’ll have real-life experience. Businesses feel more confident taking on candidates with that know-how.


X If you impress the organisation enough, you may be taken on full-time after you graduate. ABTA’s first intern was employed immediately after her internship by Tui and now works at Eurostar.


X It’s a two-way process – you can find out if thecompany culture suits you.


X They offer good opportunities to learn how to research companies and experience the interview process.


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