Reflecting on your journey from intern to full-time employee, what aspects of the company's culture or work environment made you want to stay and pursue a permanent role here?

Several aspects of the company culture and work environment solidified my desire to stay and pursue a permanent role at DSP. First was the supportive nature of my colleagues, everyone was so welcoming and whenever I had a question or needed help, they were always there to support me. This collaborative atmosphere, combined with the responsibilities entrusted to me, like managing the social media accounts allowed me to progress and learn so much. I was able to enhance my skills in inbound marketing, improving in areas like content writing, social media management, and analytical thinking. Seeing how much the company invests in its employees’ growth, as well as feeling valued in my role, decided to transition to full-time an easy one.

How have your role and responsibilities evolved since transitioning from intern to full-time employee? What new opportunities or challenges have you encountered?

Since transitioning to full-time, my role has significantly expanded. I now manage a marketing campaign independently, handling everything from content creation and search engine optimisation (SEO) to emails and Google Ads. This covers the full scope instead of solely being focused on inbound marketing like I was during my internship. While this has come with its challenges, like tackling aspects of the campaign I’ve never done before, such as emails, the experience has been invaluable and has helped my learning greatly. I've gained a comprehensive understanding of the entire campaign lifecycle and improved my skills in areas like project management and data-driven decision-making. Additionally, I was recently entrusted with overseeing the management of one of our major events from start to finish. This was a new experience that allowed me to develop strong communication and organisational skills, along with learning the ins and outs of event logistics. It's been rewarding to see how my responsibilities have evolved and how much I’ve learned in such a short time.

In what ways has the company supported your professional development and career growth since you became a full-time employee?

DSP has been incredibly supportive of my professional development since becoming full-time. They encouraged me to complete Oracle courses, such as an ‘Oracle Cloud Infrastructure 2023 Sales Specialist’ course to gain expertise in OCI and aid with my development. They also encourage me to attend webinars, calls and other training opportunities that align with my development goals and help me learn about industry trends. Additionally, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a couple of our events, which has allowed me to learn more about the industry as well as gain valuable insights into event management.

Are there any specific initiatives or resources that have been particularly beneficial to you?

Several resources have been beneficial in my development. Firstly, I have attended different webinars from HubSpot, Oracle and Microsoft to gain insights into industry trends and help with running campaigns and writing content. Additionally, the company's subscription to Gartner has been helpful. I utilise their market research and reports to stay updated on the latest industry developments and inform the creation of website content. The guidance and expertise from my team and colleagues have also been valuable when I have been working on campaigns. 

What are your plans for the future in DSP?

In the near future, I'm eager to continue developing my skills across marketing, with a specific focus on mastering Google Ads as it is something that is still quite new to me. This will help optimise my campaign’s performance and improve my knowledge in this area. Looking further ahead, I want to progress within my current role and take on more responsibility. I'm excited to continue learning and growing within DSP and feel my development will allow me to contribute more to the company’s future success.

What advice would you give to current interns who aspire to follow a similar path and transition into a full-time role at our company?

If you’re an intern wanting to transition into a full-time role, I would say to actively seek out learning opportunities, for example, shadowing experienced employees and taking initiative on projects. It is also important to build strong relationships with your team and colleagues. This can benefit your learning experience and future career aspirations. Finally, focus on personal growth and development and utilise the internship to learn new skills, gain practical experience and discover your strengths and interests. This not only makes you a valuable asset but also equips you for a successful career path.

Reflecting on your journey from intern to full-time employee, what aspects of the company's culture or work environment made you want to stay and pursue a permanent role here?

DSP’s focus on excellence and continuous improvement, providing opportunities to develop and learn new skills in my chosen area compelled me to return to the company after finishing my degree. The authenticity and respect of DSP employees also make the company an enjoyable place to work.

How have your role and responsibilities evolved since transitioning from intern to full-time employee? What new opportunities or challenges have you encountered?

As an intern I was able to gain real world experience across many different areas of Marketing. Since taking on a permanent role, I now manage my own project creating my own campaigns, applying the skills I developed during my internship. The biggest challenge I have encountered was the transition to an increased standard of leadership and independence; however, the range of experience I acquired during my Internship prepared me in every area of the role and gave me a solid foundation to build on.  

In what ways has the company supported your professional development and career growth since you became a full-time employee?

Since becoming a full-time employee, I have been given the opportunity to complete any training I believe would improve my Marketing skills, as well as learn many valuable skills from my team. I have also been able to attend events relevant to my project in order to become an expert in the subject area.

Are there any specific initiatives or resources that have been particularly beneficial to you?

During my Internship, online training courses were very beneficial to me as not only did I learn many practical skills, but I also had professional theory to accompany them. 

What are your plans for the future in DSP?

My plans in DSP are to keep developing my Marketing skills, and improving my work and performance. 


What advice would you give to current interns who aspire to follow a similar path and transition into a full-time role at our company?

Gain as much experience as you can and learn the professional theory that explains why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Reflecting on your journey from intern to full-time employee, what aspects of the company's culture or work environment made you want to stay and pursue a permanent role here?

I joined as an intern in the middle of the COVID pandemic, and I could tell very quickly that everyone at DSP worked and felt like they were part of one big family during extremely tough times. Very early on during my internship, I knew that working for DSP in a permanent role was something I would like to do, and I was fortunate enough to be offered the chance to do this. 

How have your role and responsibilities evolved since transitioning from intern to full-time employee? What new opportunities or challenges have you encountered?

I'd say my responsibilities haven’t actually changed that much since being an intern. It was made clear to me that even as an intern, I would be heavily involved in the Marketing team, and I was expected to contribute to the team. The big difference since being an intern is that I’m not trusted to complete projects and tasks by myself without the support of a team member. 

In what ways has the company supported your professional development and career growth since you became a full-time employee?

DSP has been extremely supportive of my career growth. I wanted to complete some extra marketing qualifications that would require me to take some time off work, but it wasn’t an issue for DSP. They fully supported this, and I can’t thank them enough.

Are there any specific initiatives or resources that have been particularly beneficial to you?

One useful resource I have been using is the HubSpot learning portal. HubSpot is the CRM we use, but it is more than just that; I can do extra learning and qualifications on it, which is beneficial for my career growth. 

What are your plans for the future in DSP?

The plan is to carry on doing extra qualifications, which will hopefully help me work my way up within the Marketing team.

What advice would you give to current interns who aspire to follow a similar path and transition into a full-time role at our company?

Embrace your role as an intern because you never know what might happen at the end of it. There’s always the possibility that you might get the chance to come back as a full-time employee!

Reflecting on your journey from intern to full-time employee, what aspects of the company's culture or work environment made you want to stay and pursue a permanent role here?

DSP’s intern program was a great opportunity to work in a dynamic and supporting team. I have had the opportunity to learn a lot, both by being exposed to technologies across the full stack & with the help of great management. 

How have your role and responsibilities evolved since transitioning from intern to full-time employee? What new opportunities or challenges have you encountered?

After graduating to a full-time member of staff I have been given a lot of autonomy and responsibility. DSP placing trust in me to deliver big projects relatively early in my career has really helped me develop a wide range of technical and soft skills. All without losing the support of my team.

In what ways has the company supported your professional development and career growth since you became a full-time employee? 

The innovation team is managed by the ex-CEO of DSP, Dev. This is really valuable, and I think a unique part of DSPs internship program as you get the advantage of having someone who has really been around the block to help guide you in your development and growth. As well as Dev, Max is the data team lead and also sits within the same team as the interns. He is a well of a resource on data best practices, (and just so happens to be a very nice guy too!) who I have also learnt a lot from. Having these people available, as well as the wider team, to consult with when solving business problems has helped me keep my development and growth steered in the right direction. 

Are there any specific initiatives or resources that have been particularly beneficial to you?

There is an initiative to support you in completing certifications on business time, which is great, but I think mostly the culture of the team is very supportive and I know I can always bounce a problem off a colleague and get their thoughts.

What are your plans for the future in DSP?

I have just produced a new product for DSP so first off would be to maintain and grow that platform, however, I have a couple more ideas that I would love to deliver.

What advice would you give to current interns who aspire to follow a similar path and transition into a full-time role at our company? 

In my experience, I think two things that DSP really values are good communication and using your initiative. I think if you can sharpen those skills then you are sure to be successful here.

Reflecting on your journey from intern to full-time employee, what aspects of the company's culture or work environment made you want to stay and pursue a permanent role here? 

I wanted to pursue a permanent role at DSP because of the friendly work environment, which is created from people's willingness to support you and to make you feel included in the workplace community. I also feel like the hard work that I and others exhibit is met with rewards/opportunities that match the effort.

How have your role and responsibilities evolved since transitioning from intern to full-time employee? What new opportunities or challenges have you encountered? 

During my internship, I was mostly involved in internal projects including producing reports for various departments using data pipelines and API requests and presenting these to senior employees. The experience gained from my internship gave me the confidence to present at the MySQL Day in London for Oracle and the technical skills to work on my first customer project with Guy's and St Thomas.

In what ways has the company supported your professional development and career growth since you became a full-time employee? 

The company has trusted me with the responsibility of working on company-facing projects, where it is paramount that I organise my time effectively to meet deadlines. It's also shown me the importance of communicating realistic deadlines. The opportunity to present at MySQL Day allowed me to exercise my public speaking skills and has improved my confidence in day-to-day life.

Are there any specific initiatives or resources that have been particularly beneficial to you? 

I've been given the opportunity to undertake Oracle, GCP and Azure certifications, which have provided with invaluable information that has assisted with projects involving these cloud technologies such as building data pipelines or deploying cloud services.

What are your plans for the future in DSP? 

Expand my professional and data analytics/engineering skills in fast-paced customer-focused projects and along the way pick-up new sofware/technology through certifications and training courses. I also want to continue presenting to sharpen-up my public speaking skills.

What advice would you give to current interns who aspire to follow a similar path and transition into a full-time role at our company?

Seize any opportunity that comes your way, even if you don't think you have the capabilities - you will learn along the way and you will be provided with plenty of support - upon starting my project at DSP-Explorer I was given an opportunity to develop a Power BI report for a newly introduced software, despite limited knowledge of Power BI, I successfully completed the project giving rise to more opportunities.

Don't be afraid of asking questions - everyone understands that you are still learning the ropes and will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Put effort into getting to know people in the company - not only will it make your time more enjoyable, but it will be easier to reach out for help further down the line - I found the best way for me to do this during my internship was by frequently commuting to the office and challenging people at table-tennis for friendly competition 😉

Reflecting on your journey from intern to full-time employee, what aspects of the company's culture or work environment made you want to stay and pursue a permanent role here?

Transitioning from an intern to a full-time employee at DSP has been a fulfilling journey marked by significant growth and opportunities. The company's culture and work environment played a pivotal role in my decision to pursue a permanent role here.

How have your role and responsibilities evolved since transitioning from intern to full-time employee? What new opportunities or challenges have you encountered?

DSP fosters an environment where continuous learning is not just supported but actively encouraged, which aligns perfectly with my own values and aspirations for growth. The supportive team, emphasis on work-life balance, and regular one-to-one sessions for personal and professional goal discussions created a good environment for growth and development. The healthy work-life balance and the opportunity for social interactions, such as office meetups and social parties, further contributed to the positive work environment. Overall, it was the combination of a supportive team, a culture of learning and growth, and a healthy work-life balance that made me want to stay and pursue a permanent role at DSP.

In what ways has the company supported your professional development and career growth since you became a full-time employee?

As I transitioned to a full-time role, my responsibilities evolved significantly. Initially focused on Power BI reports, I gradually took on more complex projects, such as the Power BI data migration project for a Government Energy Distributor. This involved stakeholder interaction, requirement gathering, data modelling, and dashboard implementation, providing me with invaluable experience and challenges to tackle.

Are there any specific initiatives or resources that have been particularly beneficial to you?

DSP has always been instrumental in supporting my professional development. From providing opportunities for certifications in various technologies like Oracle Data Engineering and Microsoft Azure to recognizing my contributions with accolades such as the technical excellence award, the company has continuously invested in my growth.
The company's emphasis on soft skills development through involvement in intern recruitment and pre-sales calls, led by my team lead Max, has been particularly beneficial. Additionally, access to resources like monthly office meetups and social events has facilitated networking and knowledge exchange.

What are your plans for the future in DSP?

Looking ahead, my plans at DSP involve further honing my existing skills while also acquiring new ones. I aspire to excel in the work assigned to me, continuously improving, and contributing to the company's success while also honing my leadership and soft skills. Ultimately, I aim to excel in my current role and take on more responsibilities, potentially advancing to higher positions within the company as opportunities arise.


What advice would you give to current interns who aspire to follow a similar path and transition into a full-time role at our company?

For current interns aspiring to transition into a full-time role at DSP, my advice would be to align your personal and professional goals with the company's vision. Utilize resources such as one-to-one sessions with managers to communicate your aspirations and seek guidance. Be proactive in seeking out opportunities for learning and growth, and always be open to new ideas and challenges. With DSP's supportive environment and emphasis on development, interns have the perfect platform to learn, build, and excel.