As this June marks the end of our Marketing Intern Lucy Ross-Knight’s placement at Miller, we thought it would be the perfect time to catch up with her to find out what she has been up to.  

Q1. Tell us about your role…

 Starting in June of last year, I have been completing a yearlong paid placement at Miller as a Marketing Executive. I am coming to the end of my placement this June, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to reflect on my time at Miller.

Q2. What have you gained from your placement with Miller?

As an organisation, Miller views interns as an integral part of the organisation meaning that from the get-go, I was given responsibility and tasks that pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone to reach my full potential.

Miller has provided me with such a rich and diverse insight into the operations of a global company. No day is ever the same, which I love as there is always something new to learn. I have been challenged to complete tasks independently but with the full support of the wider Marketing Team. I have taken a lot from the way that my peers work and will carry that forward with me for the rest of my career.

In terms of experiences, they have been so vast. Miller has given me the freedom to be involved in so many parts of the business. Their trust in me has meant that I have been able to gain a wide variety of skills such as exhibition planning, product launches, creating new campaigns, internal communications, working with agencies and much more. This has helped me to round off my skill set and allowed me to get the most out of my placement year.

Q3. What do you think your biggest achievements have been at Miller?

There are a few things that I am proud of, one being growing the Miller TikTok account by 2,339,900%. Coming into this role this is something that I really wanted to implement, for me it’s a good measure of my progress throughout the year. Not only was this one of my biggest achievements, but I also had a lot of fun collating the content and sharing it with our audience to give them an insight into how Miller works inside and out.

This year I have been in charge of organising and communicating with Miller’s dedicated chosen charity – North East Homeless. This has been a great achievement for me as it also comes with a sense of pride in knowing that the work that I am doing is all for a good cause. I have had to organise events and ensure that all employees get on board with all of our fundraising initiatives to ensure that we can raise as much as we can for this amazing charity. This has been a highlight of my placement for me and I am incredibly proud of all the work we have done so far.

Q4. How do you think your placement will help with your final year of university?

Without a doubt, my placement year has helped me to gain a deeper understanding of working in a marketing role, in-house. My previously taught knowledge has been practised during my time with Miller, meaning that when it comes to essays and exams, I can now create a well thought out critical analysis of case studies and topics to help me achieve higher marks. Having the freedom to express my own opinion and to know that it’s valued has helped with my confidence to make valid points which are crucial when writing essays.

Before starting my placement, I knew that I wanted to work in marketing, but I didn’t have the experience to know if this was the right career path for me. However, now I know for certain that this is what I want to do once I finish university. It’s not often that you find a job that you have so much passion for, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found a career that makes me constantly want to strive to do better, which Miller has played a huge part in for me.

Q5. Would you recommend completing a placement to other students? 

Yes, without a doubt! I have progressed so much during my placement at Miller, it has allowed me the opportunity to expand and develop my skillset in a real business environment which is something I wouldn’t have experienced if I hadn’t done this placement. You deal with real situations involving real people which is crucial for applying everything I learned at university and furthering that knowledge. This placement has excited me to start my career in Marketing and has driven me to want to succeed in everything that I do.

The last few years have been disruptive for students due to the pandemic, likewise, there have also been massive changes in the workplace, so, understandably, some students may be apprehensive about completing a placement year. However, this placement has been so worthwhile, and I would recommend all students, if presented with the opportunity, to consider taking the chance to expand their skillset in a working environment.