From Setback to Success: Rohit’s internship experience

Careers 

Rohit Mankame is an international student from India currently pursuing a Master of International Tourism and Hospitality Management at Griffith University. Recently he commenced an internship at Service.com.au to increase his skill levels while providing work experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A change in direction

“Having heard mixed reviews from my friends about their own internship experiences, I didn’t know what to expect from an internship in Australia, but I was excited to join a new organisation and upskill”, Rohit said.

“Due to COVID-19 I was stood down from work at a large Gold Coast hotel. Tourism and hospitality were the most affected industries during this time and didn’t seem likely to return to normal in the near future, but I had always been interested in marketing so I decided to diversify and learn new skills by pursuing an internship in digital marketing.”

Rohit was amazed by how much he learnt from his internship. “Since starting my internship, I’ve learned oh so, so much! I created and optimised content for defined topics on the company website and helped them rank on Google. I learned to use Google analytics, run Facebook ads and campaigns while using industry tools and platforms. I gained knowledge on basic HTML coding to install Facebook pixels and use the Google tag manager, and so much more!"

“Completing an internship definitely helped me to feel more prepared for full-time employment. I am currently in my last trimester in my program and will graduate in December this year. My goal was to learn a new skill just in case the hospitality industry crashed, but now having gained this opportunity through Study Gold Coast I have grown to love the field of digital marketing as well. It is just so mobile. All I need is a good stable internet connection and my MacBook to get the work done.”

The power of mentorship

Jacob Banks is one of the co-founders at Service.com.au, whom Rohit was lucky enough to work alongside during his internship, learning firsthand the ins and outs of digital marketing.

“Jacob is a fun-loving, always enthusiastic person! There is so much energy and positivity being around him. He’s been a great mentor. I practically started the internship at level zero, having no knowledge of anything in digital marketing. He has taught me more in these past three months than I ever did in university and the best part is that it’s all practical knowledge, something which I can use in the future as well."

“This internship has taught me a lot. I learnt about digital marketing, how it works and what they do at Service.com.au. I felt like I was part of the team from the very first week. Everyone was welcoming and I even got my own comic on the whiteboard which was updated when a butterfly sat on my shirt at lunch.”

 

Rohit says the internship experience has made him more confident - he’s excited to have learned so many new skills and he feels less concerned about finding future employment in the hospitality industry. “I am so happy I decided to pursue this internship and would like to thank Service.com.au for opening the door and creating this opportunity for me.”