This presenation was shown on the 5th of March 2019 at a Santander networking event. In this presenation I talk about the opporutunity that the Santander Iinternship gave me. I will be graduating in 2020.

1. MY SANTANDER
INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
KIRA DOWNER

2. BACKGROUND
• I am a Business Management student at the
University of Brighton.
• I am on placement at the moment with
Gamification+.
• Today I’m going to talk a little bit about how
that almost didn’t happen, what changed and
how that I’m impacted me.

3. ONE IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW ABOUT ME
• I am one of 8!
• My sister Emma
(orange) went to uni…
• And she graduated in
2009!

4. FACTOR 1
• Tesco Extra Shoreham-by-Sea (not
the one in Hove!
• Used to have to take two buses
into work.
• 3 hours a day travelling some days.

5. FACTOR 2, GETTING SOME REAL WORK
EXPERIENCE!
• Pete is a lecturer of gamification at
the university and when he said he had
work experience available I was
apprehensive because I already HAD a
part time job…
• But I remembered the advice my
sister gave me and I took the job
• It was NOT an easy choice.

6. FACTOR 2 - PLACEMENT
• When I was first
applying for placements
I must have sent out 30
odd applications before I
even got an interview.
• Now I’m not sure what
the average is but I was
feeling pretty
disheartened.

7. WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO
• I had a eureaka moment
with an essay…
• First it would work as a
pretty good essay…
• But also as a business
idea.
• I took it to my
placements advisor and
got the OK!
• So I would start my own
business as a placement.

8. HOW THINGS CHANGED
• Santander internship scheme
meant I’d be going from one
day a week to full time.
• Meant I could quit Tesco (and
that awful journey…)
• Also meant that I could still start
my business in September, but I
would have that invaluable
experience that my sister talked
about.

9. HOW IT EVOLVED…
• What I didn’t expect was that Gamification+
became my placement.
• It’s been an invaluable experience.
• We went to Amsterdam to host
Gamification Europe!
• Now I’ve got a clear vision for my future!
• ALSO I’ve got the mentorship of Pete for
the next year so when my business is
launched it will be much more polished.

10. MY TOP THREE TIPS
• Open yourself up to
possibilities. (Being at this
networking event is a good
start.)
• If I hadn’t taken the job with
Pete last January I simply
wouldn’t be here speaking
today.
• Don’t romanticize plans you
made in the past. (Maybe you
had someone ideal in mind for
a job that didn’t work out…)
• If I had done that I’d be
studying at worcester!
• When you have a good
opportunity of hand go all
in!
• Brighton has some great
students so take advantage

11. THANK YOU
• @totally_kira
@totallykira