The Intern: Contestant Blogs!

The final task is due to on Wednesday, but before this begins, we thought we'd ask the contestants to share some thoughts and feelings on their experiences in the competition so far. 

In this post, we will hear the reflections of 6 of the remaining 17 candidates; Sam, Chioma, Niamh, Harriet, Tom and Anu. 

SAM GRAY
"My Time In The Intern"

The Intern has quite simply been the experience I have been waiting for. Just over a month ago, I had a keen interest in business whilst working away at my biology degree and going about my everyday life. Now however, over three great tasks I have experienced what I was looking for; a chance to prove my leadership and display my skills in a real business setting.

The one aspect of the competition I have enjoyed the most so far has been working with similar bright and driven individuals. The most recent task was a great example of this; not only did my team win the round, but I made some amazing friends and learned some new skills from them in the process. The tasks so far have managed to bring out out some of my qualities as a businessman. I have always considered selling as one of my strongest skills, and this was reinforced in the second task when I was the team’s top salesman. 

For our next task, I have been appointed team leader and I relish the chance to prove myself.

The Intern has been a huge accelerant in my personal development. Irrespective of whether I win the competition, I am one step closer to being the well-rounded businessman I aspire to be.

CHIOMA OTI

"Casting Reflections"

I’m about to enter the last critical stages of the competition, and whilst it has only been a few weeks, an immense amount has happened in those weeks. I feel as if I’ve grown as a person, my knowledge has expanded exponentially. Participating in ‘The Intern’ has been a blast. I’ve picked up and developed loads of key business skills from marketing to sales (pricing & negotiating) to working efficiently in a team, and did all of this without making an idiot out of myself on National television, hooray! 

The tasks have seen us holding a Flea Market to, selling vinyl clocks and bracelets all for charitable causes. In the course of this journey, I’ve found out that people are generous and willing to help if you can build up the courage to just ask! The work done by Enactus Sheffield being just a community of students is just phenomenal. They have been able to transform lives of people in need through projects ranging from a jam making venture, designed to support and rehabilitate the homeless, to schemes that empowers trafficked women through jewellery and cosmetics making. I hope to be a part of this community some day and contribute to their mission of –changing the lives of people through enterprise. 

I have found this experience quite liberating and even if I’m not one of the few that becomes ‘The Intern’, I’ve definitely gotten more than I bargained for. One thing especially that I’ve taken from this experience is how much confidence I’ve developed. It’s made me put myself out there more to try and participate in other activities and experiences I always made excuses to avoid. So much so, I signed up to be a H.O.P.E representative.


NIAMH MACKENZIE-JOHNSON
"Selling Ice to Polar Bears- Participating in the Enactus Intern Competition"

If you are reserved and the idea of running up to random strangers and trying to thrust your donated wares upon them brings you out in cold sweats, the Enactus Intern Competition will either change your attitude completely, or you will fall at the first hurdle. 

When I began this competition, the idea of having to introduce myself to strangers and then trying to convince them to hand over their money for a party popper would have meant a nervous breakdown and would have required a hefty glass of wine and maybe some jägerbombs for it to actually happen.  Now, however, I will happily waltz into any store in Sheffield (having done so numerous times by stage 3 of the competition) and demand their best offer for the tatty book I have managed to garner from the nice lady in Oxfam.

The Intern Competition will help you to get over whatever feelings of shyness you have and will help you expand your capabilities as a person, as well as a businessman/woman.  After your time in the competition, you will be capable of selling anything to anyone for any price.

HARRIET STREET

"The Intern Blog"

I first signed up for The Intern because I thought 'why not?'. At best, I could win a paid internship; at worst I would have tried something new and it would have been a new experience. However, The Intern has become so much more to me than that.

As I have progressed through the competition, I have learnt a huge amount about myself, and I have had loads of fun. Working in a team had always been something that I struggled with at school, but the past few weeks have highlighted to me how much I have improved. I have found my place in a group - I am a natural leader, but I have also learnt to take a step back and play more of a coordinating role if there is someone else who would like to lead. This balance means I can play an important role in successful teams, and I am very proud of this.

It has also surprised me how much fun I have had during this process. The tasks have been challenging and often stressful, but they have come naturally to me, allowing me to make friends, experiment with creative ideas, and develop new skills like selling and negotiating.

I am pleased that trying something new and out of my comfort zone has paid off so well - I have learnt new things about myself, gained amazing skills for my course and career, and had a great time. Winning would be the cherry on top.

TOM COXON LEWIS

"My Favourite Parts of the Competition"

The Intern competition has been a fantastic experience for me, the projects fitted nicely around my university commitments, making it easy for me to take part in.

The competition has helped me to develop skills that I feel would be important in any CV or job interview, and I feel I could use the Intern as an example to show employers different scenarios were I needed to work within a team, show initiative and develop ideas.

In my favorite task of the competition we were asked to put together a ‘bid’ for certain products such as HomeMade Jam and Bracelets. Our team won a selection of bracelets and 5 jars of jam. We took the jam and baked it into cakes, cookies and scones, which we sold to offices and university staff as a midday treat!

Even if I don’t make the final of the competition, I have really enjoyed taking part and hope the skills I have gained in terms of dealing with the public and delivering products in a short time frame will help me as I progress at university.

ANU IYANDA

"Scrap for Cash"

When you first hear about the intern competition you are likely to feel hesitant as you are not sure of what to expect. During the intro meeting, I seriously considered pulling out as I was surrounded by loads of business students and as an engineering student I felt like I didn’t belong. With the introduction of the first task which involved trading party poppers for items of a higher value, my heart sank deeper and deeper as the thought of having to approach someone and convince them to take the party popper in exchange for something more valuable  made me weak at the knees.

However this turned out to be my favourite task by far! I could not believe the immense generosity of the members of the public, from the businesses to our local students, I mean I was able to trade a party popper for 50 “I love vodka” posters that were due to be chucked away and later sold them for a £1 each!

As the competition went on I became more confident, I learnt about the value of good communication, that team work can do wonders and also the importance of being a persistent strong leader with good listening and decisive skills when organising a team.

All these experiences have lead me to believe that once you believe in yourself, it is actually very possible for you to achieve what you set out to, even though things might appear very difficult at the start.

The Main Intern: TASK 3 RESULTS

As the end of The Intern approaches the tasks are getting tougher and the competition is getting steeper. This task saw 4 teams (Team Harley, Cavendish, Revolution and Fusion- named after bars in Sheffield) utilise just 2 weeks to earn as much revenue as they could.

The teams were given the opportunity to pitch to judges, applying for certain Enactus Sheffield products which would then be turned into cash. After the pitch they were allocated what the judges believed they could sell the best. They had a week to sell, using craft fayres, bake sales, websites and setting up paypals. 

This evening the money was counted and I am now pleased to reveal the results... 

In forth place... TEAM REVOLUTION! Team Revolution's pitch earned them 5 jars of HomeMade jam and a selection of upcycled items. They did a very impressive job of getting in contact with a local entrepreneur who has decided to stock the bowls, as well as selling baked jam goods door-to-door and on the university concourse. Total revenue: £291.80 

In third place... Team Fusion! After making their pitch and securing stock of upcycled items and Hope bracelets, team Fusion used door to door selling, concourse stalls, and their contacts through various societies to take £408 of revenue!

In second place... Team Cavendish! Armed with just 5 jars of HomeMade jam, team Cavendish used an old Polish family recipe to to create and sell a selection of jam based snacks. Just like team Fusion, they also had a selection of Hope bracelets to sell, but managed to beat them by just £4, earning a fantastic total of £412.  

And in first place... Team Harley! This team pitched for Hope Cosmetics, and set about selling the 3 cosmetic products (lip balm, body scrub and body butter) through a website- as shown in the screenshot below. They also used their network to sell the products through parents and offices. Finally, most impressively, they negotiated a sale to a retailer Wigs and Warpaint, bringing them to the total revenue of £488.50! 

A massive congratulations to the 4 teams who together made a total of over £1600!

With only one giant task left, we are approaching the end of the competition and are ever nearer to finding out who will win the Centrica and Enterprise internships. This, unfortunately, means that AT LEAST ONE PERSON from each team is going to be fired before the final task begins. 

Enactus Sheffield can only wish each individual the best of luck, and well done for everything you have done so far!

Oh and one more thing! Now the task is over, if you are interested in purchasing any of the products then feel free to browse the product websites: 

Hope Jewellery & Cosmetics: http://www.hopesheffield.org/

HomeMade Jam & Chutney: http://www.wearehomemade.org/

Meet The Execs: Eugene Gitonga

Meet Eugene, who runs some of the commercial projects this year. 

Name and Course:

Eugene Gitonga, Economics and Finance

How did you get involved in Enactus?

First got involved with Enactus when I was approached by one of the execs at the fair during freshers' week. I then went for the intro meeting and from then I've never looked back...

What is your favourite lunch? Is it chicken?

Hahaha. How did you know my favourite lunch meal was chicken?  But other than chicken, I do love me some good sushi.

If a bunny rabbit with powers of levitation and a dragon got into a fight, who would win?

I don't know..... The dragon??? Who comes up with these questions?? I will think about this later while I'm eating my dinner. 

What projects do you manage at Enactus?

I currently manage the Events team which is currently planning on putting Sheffield’s first ever Jailbreak event. I also manage Football Frenzy which makes money by organising football games for students at the university. 

Have you been to any good concerts recently?

I went to see Drake and The Weeknd last Friday in Sheffield. It was AMAZING!!!

Where is the most exciting place you have ever been?

Dubai, the palm island (an island shaped like a palm). That was pretty exciting being in a such a photogenic environment. 

What is your golf handicap?

A struggling 17 handicapper. I'm looking forward to spending more time on golf this summer 

Regional competition is tomorrow!

Are we allowed banners? To what extent can you cheer other teams? Will we get free sandwiches for lunch? What projects will emerge this year? 

Let's sum it up with a quote from Intern Director, Mat, who is new to competition this year... "Im totally excited to see a flesh presentation tomorrow" 

...erm Mat do you mean a presentation 'in the flesh'? 

When we compete to save lives, we all win.

The Main Intern: TASK 2 RESULTS

This week our brave teams were given £10 each to come up with a business idea in order to design and run an innovative stall on the Student Union concourse for the day.

In 5th place... TEAM CROOKES who made £63.30 with their Luxury second hand items; selling perfume, Fendi glasses, a years entry to Viper Rooms and an assortment of cakes on their stall throughout the day.

In fourth place... TEAM ECCY ROAD, pictured below with Rory the Sheffield Sports mascot. This team made £102.20 by selling mothers day cards, and sold in bulk by offering deals on multiple cards so grandmothers were not forgotten!

In third place... TEAM BROOMHILL raked in an impressive £107.29 by appealing to the students stomachs to sell handmade brownies that had been baked in the 40 ovens of student accommodation flats. The secret to their success was the cheapness they were able to source the ingredients.

And in second place... TEAM BROOMHALL with their ingenious balloon popping prize winning fortune cookie experience raking in a very impressive £120.59

And finally I am pleased to announce the winners of the second task... TEAM FULWOOD with their bargain "Pound Store" selling menus, raffle tickets, Plug tickets, tasty treats and posters.  They made a total of £169.44 and due to their success, all members will be immune from eviction from the project. Congratulations and good luck next week!

The total revenue this week was an incredible £568.44 

See you next week!

The Main Intern: TASK 1 RESULTS

The Intern has begun! Interns across 5 teams are competing to win an internship of their choice at Centrica or Enterprise-rent-a-car this summer, an opportunity not to be missed!

Yesterday the 5 teams hurried to the Enterprise Zone bright and early to begin their first task. The teams had 10 hours to attempt to create as much value as possible from a party popper and a playing card, in a trading up challenge.

To cut a long day short, the teams collectively swapped 4 party poppers and 4 playing cards, and ended up with cooking books, an all saints leather jacket, a superdry hoody, cuddly toys, firetrap shoes, and kitchen apparatus amongst other items, as seen in the photos below. Quite a haul this year!

Congratulations to TEAM ENVISAGE who ingeniously sold donated vodka revolution posters to students in the first year accommodation village, and made a total of £140 in 10 hours... (money that was then spilt all over the floor by the finance director later that evening).

Together the teams totalled £316.47 of revenue, which is a great start to the competition. See you all at the next task!

Meet The Execs: Kirsty Macdiarmid

This week we speak to Kirsty, the HR Director, who has A LOT to say...

Name and Course:

Kirsty MacDiarmid, 3rd year Business Management

What made you interested in HR?

I love meeting and getting to know different people which has always been my main source of enjoyment and when I took a module in HR in 2nd year it went from there really. The module helped me to form the view that people are the strongest asset of any company. This people focus got me interested in HR and to be instrumental in helping companies demonstrate a commitment to their people allowing them to reach new levels of competitiveness is what I want to do in my career and have already seen in practice at Enactus Sheffield!

Describe your routine before a night out?

Well how long have you got? (Joking) Getting ready for a night out can literally start the day before for me! I like to take my time getting ready, whack on some tunes and chill out! Which means I pretty much am always last out of the girls to be ready much to their annoyance! But I would like to point out I can get ready for Uni in 5 minutes so it really depends on the occasion!

What are you excited for?

At the moment I am absolutely buzzing to go to Amsterdam tonight! This is my third year going on the Management Society Invasion trip and it’s always so much fun and great to see a bit of Europe to! This year will probably be even more special as it’s my final year and I’m starting to get a bit Sentimental!

As an admin exec, do you miss working directly on a project?

Yes and No! I was lucky enough to join Enactus in my first year and be an original member of the HOPE City hearts project. It has been amazing to watch the project grow over the years and last year being project leader I learnt so much about myself as well as meeting some of the most inspirational women I would never otherwise have had the chance to meet. They really helped me put my life into perspective and getting to know them all individually whilst being a part of their recovery is an indescribable privilege. I still get emotional thinking about the change in some of the women and look back on the memories fondly! That is probably what I miss the most about working directly on a project but I look at my role now as equally important. It’s my job to find new people who get to work with these women and equally gain as much out of the experience as I did! Seeing the new members of HOPE and all teams enjoying their project whilst pushing them to improve is so rewarding, it doesn’t really get much better than that!

How many cushions do you have in your room?

I haven’t really counted but I do have quite a few! Secret passion to be an interior designer maybe?

Favourite Enactus evening snack?

Easy… Sweet and salty popcorn from Tesco! It’s a top favorite of a lot of the execs. I also sometimes bring along dinner as 3-8 can be quite a long one!

If money were no object what would you do with your future?

Wow! Hmm, I’ve never really thought about that really but I would have to do something that kept me busy as I constantly have to be on the go. Probably travelling the world meeting new people and helping wherever I can with whatever money I had. Resources are just not shared equally in the world and if you could be a part of improving the balance your life would be worthwhile. That definitely reminds me of the Queen B song ‘I was here’! Cheesy as it is you really are remembered not for what you have but for making a positive difference in another person’s life!

Why do you think people should be a part of the executive team?  

I cannot encourage people enough to get involved further in our Enactus team and join the execs! It’s an incredible experience to be involved in the strategic decisions of the company and increase your own skills dramatically! It’s a huge step up in responsibility but is massively fun and has been the highlight of my Uni experience. If anyone is thinking about it but is not sure just send me an email or come and have a chat at Enactus evening 

Eng Soc and Psych Soc INTERN FINAL!

Last week saw the culmination of all the amazing work done by our Psych Eng Intern teams! A group of hugely talented hopefuls fought it out in order to impress the judges with their enterprising skills.

The ‘trading up’ task saw a bizarre range of knick knacks being handed around the students of Sheffield. Starting with a single party popper, the interns managed to trade their way to an impressive haul, including Paperchase Iphone cases, beautiful earrings, bottles of champagne and matching glasses!

Products from the Enactus projects Homemade, Hope and Watermade were next in line for the interns. The four teams made over £1000 profit through their innovative marketing of jewellery and jam. Watermade and Hope bracelets found their way onto wrists around Sheffield thanks to the innovative marketing strategies of teams like Endeavour, and Team Spectrum exercised their baking skills with the sales of delicious Homemade jam puffs.

The final task required all the teams to come together to present their long term marketing strategy, had they been allowed to continue their Intern journey further! Team Helpful Treets gave an inventive and exciting presentation, and Team Strive came as previous underdogs to demonstrate how well they could work as a team. Ultimately, it was Team Spectrum which impressed the judges from TeachFirst with their exciting ideas, who went on to the best overall score.

Now the competition is over, the interns can sit  back, scoff a plate of jam puffs, and wait to hear from judges. The best six individuals will go forward to the interview stage for an internship with Teachfirst! Good luck and well done to everyone who competed.

In other Intern news, the MAIN INTERN begins today! We will keep you updated....

The Main Intern: INTRO MEETING- TUES 25TH 5PM- ARTS TOWER 5

Meet The Execs: Mat Davies

Mat is project director of the intern project, which is launching this week. 
To win a paid internship with a company, including Centrica and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, sign up at http://theinternsheffield.wordpress.com/ 
Meanwhile, Mat allows us into his mind...

Name and course?

My name’s Matt Davies and I’m a second year Accounting & Finance student.

What was it been like coming into an established exec team without knowing anyone?

Weird! Really weird! At first I was quite like not involved and quiet. But Grantham and all that made me get really close to everyone and now I love everyone and have some really great friends on the team.

Describe your fashion style.

Are you trying to get me to say weird again? I enjoy it! Say what you will.

Eng Intern, Psych intern, Geog intern, Intern. DISCUSS.

Yeah Interns. Theres loads. Is bigger better than ever, it actually is. But my teams are amazing! If you’re reading this and haven’t got anything sorted for summer sign up and you could win an Internship with some amazing companies and raise lots of money for the projects so do it! We’ve been planning some really interesting tasks and the company internships up for grabs are incredible this year.

Have you got the funk?

I have A funk. Whether its THE funk, I’m don’t know. I’ll get back to you.

What was the last thing you ate?

I have tonsillitis and I cant swallow so it was this “mean green” juice drink my mum sent up for me. It sounds gross but its not as gruesome as you might think.

Describe the perfect intern.

Someone with whose driven and has a great work ethic but also has a decent personality and isn’t afraid to have fun because if you can’t enjoy yourself when you’re doing it then you wont perform as well. I’m waiting to meet dream intern. I’m holding out for someone special. Ghandi?

Outside of Enactus Sheffield, what is your favourite Enactus project world-wide?

I think its called B-Seminars, by a Team in Puerto Rico its similar to the intern in that it works with students to develop entrepreneurial skills.

Do you have a secret skill?

If I told you I’d have to kill you.

An Introduction To The Yearly Enactus Competition

Right now everyone is getting ready for nationals. But not everyone is sure what nationals are and why we do them. 

Nationals is the annual competition which teams all come together and present what they have they done over the last year and to showcase how their projects have progressed The competition takes place in London, over a weekend period. This allows those who chose to go a chance to see what the other teams have been up to and what being part of Enactus UK, as a whole, actually means. Whilst the professional side of nationals is being experienced there is the other side which includes team bonding and generally having a laugh with everyone. 
The competition itself means creating a presentation which shows best what Enactus Sheffield has been done and how the  projects have made an impact on people’s lives. During the presentation business leaders will act as judges and assess and rank the presentations, on the ecstatic’s of the presentation, those presentation, and what they have actually done. This events encourage creativity and lead to strong programs which leads in more lives being improved.

However, it is important to remember that it is not just the UK that take part in nationals. Nationals happens in 36 countries, over a period of 16 weeks. The winner of each national goes on to the next stage of the competition, where they compete to be the best Enactus team in the whole world.
When we compete to change lives, we all win.

Good luck to all teams competing!

Enactus Evening

Every year, Enactus Sheffield uses a rotational trainee scheme to identify who will replace the roles of those leaving. Members have the opportunity to shadow members of the executive team to see what kind of roles they will enjoy. Last week Nataliee shadowed the PR and Media role so I got her to write a bit about the shadowing experience for this blog!

"I started shadowing members of the executive team on 4th December and its been an interesting experience. The main times I have been shadowing is Enactus evening, the executive team are always about between 3 and 8, and the groups are coming and going. Enactus evening is a serious time but it is all fun everyone loves their project and what they are doing! The main issue in at the moment what outfit should the team where for the upcoming competition.

Shadowing has showed me different roles everyone has done! Even when they are discussing something serious it is done in a fun way... who doesn't like spider diagrams!! Shadowing for me has shown me things I can do without realising and helped me have some input in other projects, that I didn't even think I would have any ideas for!"

Thank you Nataliee!

Last week the Enactus quiz boys, Paddy, Eugene, Jonny and Mat were being tested for the PWC quiz final (after winning the regional quiz before christmas) as seen here practising in the action shot below.

QUIZ TIME 1) What year was harry potter and the order of phoenix released on dvd? 2) Who won the first X factor? 3) When did Sheffield last win nationals?

We are very proud to announce our quiz boys came THIRD nationally, being beaten by Oxford and Bath.

Oh and... the answers to the quiz:
1) 2007 2) Steve Brookstein 3) 2010

Meet The Execs: Jo Wyld

With her exams and dissertation done, PR & Media Director Jo Wyld has time for an interview about her experience being an exec!

Name and course?

My name is Jo and I study human Geography.

Tell us about your hometown.

I near Cambridge on a farm in a very sleepy village. My dad is a farmer so my neighbours are the pheasants and geese in the fields. It is beautiful and peaceful but very quiet and full of country folk who wear a lot of green and wellies. It is actually near where Jamie Oliver lives, I went to the same school as him.

What do you do in your spare time?

Yoga on my iPad ap. Winning.

Most stressful moment of Enactus so far?

Working on the presentation for nationals... I don't think I want to go in to it. I cant face the memory.

Describe, in detail, your day.

Get up, have porridge go to the library, have soup and a pear, go to an Enactus meeting, go home and drink tea with my housemates. Go to the shop next door and buy biscuits for tea. Go to bed.

What is it like being in the exec team?

Challenging but I love it, I love everybody in the team.

Where do you go out in Sheffield?

Penelope's is my fave. It's a bit different from many others nights in Sheffield, always some new band or something interesting. Watermade even hosted a Samba night there once.

What was the last live event you attended?

I think it was a swing night at a warehouse called DLS.

What is my favourite Enactus team face?

James Kirk's (from HomeMade) crying face. Looking forward to seeing it again soon.

New Year Inspiration!

Bringing in the New Year on a high, young Sheffield volunteers of the HOPE Project have received an award in return for their dedication to the community. International Project Director Bethan, who alongside others has worked hard on the HOPE project for a number of years, has been named as a regional winner in the vInspired National Awards.

Now in its 5th year, the vInspired National Awards, in association with RBS Early Careers, are the biggest of their kind, celebrating the achievements and dedication of young volunteers and the youth workers who support them. They aim to challenge negative attitudes towards young people by highlighting the creativity, motivation and generosity of some of the most inspiring young volunteers in the country.

Bethan has been named regional winner for the Yorkshire and Humber region in the ‘Most Outstanding Social Entrepreneur’ category.  The social enterprise HOPE, started out as a jewellery making initiative which aimed to give the survivors of trafficking in Sheffield skills, confidence and a sense of self-worth. The team recognised that women who wanted to go into employment still faced large barriers, so set up HOPE Cosmetics, which offers three months paid employment to survivors to provide these women with the knowledge, training, and experience to be able to support themselves and their family financially in the future. Bethan is also employed by the University of Sheffield as a student social entrepreneur in residence to support and engage more students within social enterprise. 

Bethan says: “It’s such an honour for HOPE and myself to be presented with this award. We don’t volunteer for recognition, helping people is enough motivation. But it’s great to know that people appreciate what the teams do. Running this project has given me loads more confidence and really helped me to improve my outlook on life and it’s brilliant that these awards not only celebrate the benefits of volunteering but also inspire young people to volunteer and make a difference in their communities.”

Terry Ryall, vInspired CEO says: “Bethan and the team are a complete inspiration. As a regional winner in the Most Outstanding Social Entrepreneur category you need to demonstrate a complete dedication to volunteering and show how you have built positive relationships, brought people from diverse backgrounds together and strengthened communities. Bethan has done all this and more and should be immensely proud of her achievements.”

The regional winners will be shortlisted to national finalists in February 2014 with the national award winners revealed at a star studded awards ceremony at the Indig02 in London on 27th March 2014.