09 Nov Do you have the MC Factor?
As a studio that places as much value on raw talent as experience, MARSDEN Collective loves bringing on interns.
Being a relatively tight knit company, MARSDEN are realistic about how much time we can dedicate to each and every budding individual that comes to intern with us. That’s why we continually support student designers by allowing for paid work experience opportunities in addition to our core collective team, because for us it’s about quality over quantity.
MARSDEN Collective has never been a cookie cutter design practice – we’re a diverse and eclectic team who mesh well together. A huge part of that is being able to find the right fit for our team from the get go. We apply this belief to our interns as well. So, what is it that we look for when we’re hiring an MC intern?
1. Motivation & Passion
We want to understand what makes you get out of bed in the morning, what drives you and what you want to get out of an internship experience with us? We love seeing candidates present personal projects in their portfolios – it shows us that you have real commitment to your work and your studies. If we can see that you are enthusiastic and love what you do, we will be more confident knowing you will go that extra mile for us.
2. Untapped Potential
It should be evident in your work but more importantly it should be evident when we meet face to face. We know that interns may not be the most experienced candidates, that’s why we believe that skills are something that can grow and develop over time. Don’t get us confused – we are still looking for an intern that can bring a certain level of skill and prowess to get to the interview stage – this should be clear in your portfolio. But it’s that X factor – that little bit of ‘extra something special’ that lets us know that you have what it takes to join our team and hit the ground running.
3. Collaborative
As a collective, we thrive on collaboration not only internally but also with our clients, consultants and suppliers. We need interns to have the confidence to voice their opinion, know when to ask the tricky questions and understand that there are more than one, hell more than ten different ways to approach a situation. We are all unique – it’s finding that perfect balance
4. Initiative
Show us how you can problem solve, work through assigned tasks and keep your head above water – we run a fast-paced office environment with many projects on the go at once, we would be lying if we said things didn’t sometimes get a little overwhelming. We are looking for a someone willing to take calculated risks and get the job done with a wink and a smile.
5. Personality
At MC we’ve fostered a culture that prioritises respect, openness, and a penchant for fun. If you are to be part of our culture, it’s imperative to uphold those same qualities. Other than that, we’re pretty relaxed, we welcome individuality, unique opinions and new ideas. If you think you are the missing piece to our puzzle, show us why!
Finally, if you worked your butt off and proved yourself enough to land an internship, try to remember the following:
- Give it 110% and try to charm the pants off everyone from our director to our office pooch.
- Use the time interning with us to really figure out what type of work you are passionate about.
- Set your own mini deadlines and see if you can exceed your own expectations over time.
- Squander your inhibitions – show us your progress regularly, and try not to waste time figuring out a problem that can be easily solved with a quick question to a fellow team member.
- Get to know your colleagues. Have a wine with us on a Friday afternoon or come along to an industry event as part of our team.
- Be realistic – unfortunately, internships don’t always lead to a job. However, it is a good idea to keep in in the loop with us, because you never know what might happen in the future at MARSDEN Collective.
If you’re a designer or strategist wanting to intern with us at MARSDEN Collective, then throw your hat in the ring and send us your CV and folio – hello@comuniti.com.au
Blog Contributed by Hayley Callaghan
“Always ready to lend a helping hand – she is motivated and ready for action”