Nahil Computers Company Internship - Essay Example

Nahil Computers Company Internship Introduction I had the opportunity to work as an intern at the Nahil Computer Company from 17 December 2014 to January 19, 2015. During the internship, I held the position of a marketing specialist indulging in different activities related to print and online marketing campaigns. The experience was worthwhile because I gained first-hand experiential learning and an opportunity to apply theories gained in the classroom in real-life marketing situations. The one-month internship has proven to be the best learning experience so far. The Nahil Computer Company was founded in 1984. Currently, the company focuses on the sale and support of its diverse range of products in the Saudi Arabia kingdom. It has established a network of branches throughout the Saudi Arabia kingdom. An outstanding factor about the Nahil Computer Company is the fact that the company has been a leader in the market indulging in the distribution, reselling, as well as system integration of both computers and other computer related products. The Nahil Computer Company’s focus is to promote customer satisfaction of a remarkably high level. The company ensures the quality of products and service reliability, as well as the establishment of reputable brands. Recently, the company has indulged in downsizing its operations by adjusting its structure. The structural adjustments and the downsizing of the structure have served to propel the company to higher success. Company Overview of Nahil Computers When the company started, it had less than ten employees and a single office located in Riyadh. However, the company has exhibited growth over the years and has numerous branches across Saudi Arabia. The company’s vision is to become the most preferred and trusted supplier that provides personalized, modular and turnkey IT solutions. In addition, the company seeks to ensure that it provides the best available services to all the customers (Sãvulescu 76). The company’s mission is to ensure that it achieves a 100% customer satisfaction through the launching of high-quality products and providing customers with remarkable support. Therefore, the company has technicians with outstanding skills who ensure that clients make the right decisions and provide them with cost-effective solutions. Since the company focuses on creating a positive customer relationships, it seeks to improve its quality in order to provide customers with their products. One of the outstanding core values of the company is the organization that seeks to ensure that customer choices and opinions have the priority (Mohammed 1). The company does not intend to compromise the quality of its services and products. For this reason, all the employees give the priority to customers. The Nahil Company has two subsidiaries. Nahil Marketing forms the first subsidiary, which strives to be a leading distributor to its customers. The subsidiary plays this role effectively in an effort to ensure that shareholders benefit. Nahil Marketing serves as a one-stop shop whereby customers can access a diverse range of products and services. For example, Nahil Marketing resells HP products, Western Digital products, as well as reselling the products of other globally recognized vendors. In order to meet the demands of the customers, Nahil Marketing ensures the successful shipment of different products from across the globe in record time. Nahil Marketing seeks to promote true excellence by allowing customers to have access to its product portfolio, as well as quality services (Mohammed 2). Nahil marketing relies on a remarkable code of ethics as well as effective corporate governance; factors that help the company have a positive reputation for integrity. Nahil Marketing was a pioneer in the industry two decades ago. Over these years, the company has presented remarkable growth in the industry. Nahil Marketing promotes innovation in an effort to become an industrial leader. Currently, Nahil focuses on developing the talent of its employees in an effort to empower them effectively. Such training and human resource development programs explain why the company has a good reputation in Saudi Arabia. Employees working with the company highlight that they have access to unlimited growth opportunities, rewarding careers, and challenging job responsibilities. Nahil Integrated Solutions define the company’s second subsidiary. Since 2007, Nahil Integrated Solution has proven to be a dynamic company that offers reliable solutions to different enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Nahil Integrated Solutions have something for the small, the medium, as well as larger sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Nahil Integrated Solutions seeks to present customers with business goals and objectives that conform to their emerging needs. Some of the services they provide include site assessments, project management, training, implementation procedures, as well as offering the relevant support to companies. Nahil Integrated Solutions has become a pioneer in consultancy services. In addition, the company has registered immense success in the application of consulting services. Through the maintenance of long-term relationships and partnerships, Nahil Integrated Solutions has managed to provide their partners with the required resources and effective solutions. The main role of Nahil Integrated Solutions is the maintenance as well as the enhancing of both applications and infrastructures (Mohammed 3). The company’s outstanding clients are Saudi Electricity Company, ARAMCO, ARAMCO Contracting Division, SABIC-ERP Sector, and Saudi UNICOM. Some of the company’s partners include HP, Microsoft, Oracles, Bentley, Cisco, and Western Digital. The Nahil Company has several departments because it relies on a functional structure. The main departments include management, sales, support services, and technology/ IT. The company prides itself with outstanding talent from about 600 employees in Saudi Arabia. As a marketing specialist, I worked in the sales department, and specifically in print and online marketing campaigns. The Nahil Computer Company is privately owned with the initial/ capital coming from shareholders. The company has managed to register remarkable growth in the industry because it relies on a rigorous recruitment process of employees. In the technology industry, companies face the compulsion of hiring employees who prove to be smart and intelligent (Orzan and Platon 1338). The industry requires employees who can register high levels of innovation and develop ideas for new products. For this reason, Nahil seeks to recruit the best candidates who exhibit high levels of creativity and intelligence. All the departments have different requirements in terms of qualifications and experience. For example, in the management department, employees require many years’ experiences. The same applies to the sales department as well as the support services department. The company does not hire individuals with less than five years of experience. The technology department has an average experience of seven years, which is the lowest average in the company (Mohammed 4). Evidently, the company recognizes the value of hiring employees who are highly conversant with the industry and who possess outstanding skills for the specific job. Notably, identifying such candidates takes a remarkable period and is costly because such employees require high salary packages. However, the costs incurred in the remuneration procedures are worth the investment because the outstanding talent brought into the company has served to propel it to success. Orientation into the Company After reporting to the company, I received a rigorous orientation in order to understand the operations of the company. My supervisor at the company had already organized a working place for me. In addition, I had a computer with internet access and all the necessary requirements for my internship responsibilities. The supervisor helped me to open working emails that I would use for formal communication during my internship. The supervisor took me through the company facilities and showed me the different offices for all the staff members. I also signed confidentiality agreements in compliance with the company regulations. As I toured the facilities, the supervisor introduced me to other employees. The supervisor also took time to explain the mission of the organization to me (Orzan and Platon 1340). At this point, I got to know when the company was founded, its operations, subsidiaries, and departments. I also gained familiarity with the company’s products and services. The supervisor also described the company’s current objectives in which, I would be actively involved. The discussion also included my potential contribution to the achievement of the company objectives. I learned that Nahil Computers Company has existed since 1984 and has two main subsidiaries namely Nahil integrated solutions and Nahil Marketing. The supervisor also explained the company’s organizational structure to me highlighting that I would report to him throughout my internship. I was working in the sales department specifically with the marketing and advertising team. The supervisor described the team objectives of the advertising team and explained to me the different project involved in print and online campaigns. The supervisor allowed me to view the company’s social network profiles and pages (Orzan and Platon 1341). Viewing such pages was of critical importance because part of my responsibilities would surround the maintenance of the company’s social media presence. The supervisor oriented me to the company’s partners and clients and offered me documents of their company profiles that I would need to study carefully. Most importantly, the supervisor also introduced me to the organizational rules, policies, decorum, and expectations. The Nahil Computer Company has unique industry jargons that I need to understand. The company has established work standards and procedures in an effort to promote quality. As an intern, I realized that I needed to set personal goals that conformed to the marketing team goals. At the end of my internship program, my success in the organization would depend on how many of the goals I had achieved. The company prioritizes quality to its clients. Hence, all the procedures are standardized to maintain the expected quality (Sãvulescu 23). Creativity is emphasized within the organization. In addition, I learned how the email and telephone communications in the organization work. I was also introduced to the safety regulations that define the company’s operations. The supervisor made me understand that I would report to him first thing every morning and give reports of my work progress each evening. My main responsibilities during the internship included day-to-day management of the company’s social media presence. In addition, I was actively involved in the distribution and seeding of content and its promotion in real-time conversations (Orzan and Platon 1343). Since the company promotes creativity, one of my responsibilities involved the development and suggestion of innovative ideas that would promote marketing. In the case of social media presence maintenance, I was required to make a minimum of five activates in order to keep Nahil partners and clients, as well as followers updated on the company’s recent progress and events. It was also my responsibility to organize Nahil events and participate in social responsibility programs. During my first week at the company, I got an opportunity to interact with other employees. Since I was eager to learn more about the company and its operations, I interacted with my colleagues. The interaction led to a positive exchange of information. The employees gave me in-depth descriptions of the company standards of work procedures involved, communication channels within the organization, as well as sources of support for interns. The marketing team was specifically very helpful and was delighted to have me work with them during the internship period. They helped me understand the marketing strategies adopted by the company. In addition, they helped me to understand the importance of maintaining a constant social media presence. In addition, they taught me how to interact with followers in a professional manner on the social media platform (Orzan and Platon 1344). I needed a lot of orientation in understanding how to frame online posts for the company as well as on how to obtain reliable feedback that would help the company. I attended all the staff meetings and got an opportunity to listen to the managers and executive team briefing all the staff members on the company’s short-term and long-term goals. During the staff meetings, each of the teams in different departments presented a report of the progress made and the team goals achieved. Team members also expressed their views on how team performance would serve to promote achievement of the company’s goals. It became evident to me that I had to exhibit competence in the marketing sector and maintaining a social media presence in an effort to maintain the company’s reputation. Summary of Knowledge and Skills Acquired During the Internship The internship program was highly beneficial, and it allowed me to apply theoretical frameworks that I had learned in the classroom. Since I worked with a marketing team, I gained invaluable skills in the workplace. One of my main responsibilities involved online marketing and the maintenance of the social media presence. I had learned a lot about online marketing in the classroom and different course texts. However, I had not gained familiarity with online marketing challenges. Online marketing is perceived as an easy task. However, the internship program helped me realize that one has to set goals and objectives before embarking on online marketing. I gained remarkable experience in online marketing specifically using social media. I maintained the company’s social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I learned how to maintain relevance on Facebook and Twitter and how to track feedback systems on social media platforms. Notably, I learned that the success of online marketing depends on the number of resulting leads as well as the conversion rate of followers into potential customers. The company had established numerous followers on the different social media platforms (Pfeffer, Zorbach, and Carley 118). Therefore, my main responsibility was to maintain a constant presence of the company in order to establish a positive a positive reputation for the company. Communication on social media platforms proved to be different from the messages in other advertising platforms. Relying on online marketing requires an individual to frame messages effectively and include visual images in an effort to persuade followers to have an interest in the company’s products and services. Although it took me time to develop competence in this sector, the one-month experience proved to be a worthwhile challenge that helped me develop sharper communication skills. In the classroom content, I learned that online marketing can be used as a strategy that gives a company competitive advantage. I sought to apply this theory for my internship. Therefore, I spend time gathering both positive and negative feedback, as well as employee experiences and views concerning the company’s products and services. I was able to make recommendations to the company depending on the feedback I received. Worth noting is the fact that Nahil Computers can benefit immensely from such feedback systems. I gained experience in managing real-time conversations with potential and real customers (Pfeffer, Zorbach, and Carley 120). In addition, some situations compelled me to handle customers who presented negative feedback to the company. The experience was challenging, but it opened me up to the realities of the workplace. As a student, I did not figure out that online marketing required high levels of commitment and devotion as well as creativity. The one-month internship altered my perspectives and gave me an opportunity to experience the real responsibilities of social media managers and marketers. I have the conviction that in the future, I will be more critical when analyzing classroom content and applying it to independent companies. The experience made me recognize the real life challenges of the modern business front and the efforts that companies have to put in to stay at the top of the game. The Nahil Computer Company is one of such companies that put in a lot of effort in order to satisfy its customers and maintain its market position. The internship assignment presented me with an opportunity to conduct myself in accordance with the professional code of ethics that defines the marketing field. When discussing the code of ethics in the classroom, ethical issues did not appear as critical factors. However, during my internship, I realized that maintaining ethical values in the workplace deserves a priority and determines one’s success in a specific career (Pfeffer, Zorbach, and Carley 123). Professionalism cannot be compromised in the workplace. Throughout my internship, I learned the value of maintaining professionalism when dealing with my bosses and supervisor. Being at the bottom level of the organizational structure, I learned the value of maintaining structural protocols. The internship assignment helped me develop event organizational skills. One of my responsibilities was to organize Nahil events that required the company to display its expertise in providing companies with solutions to computer related problems. I realized that the organization of events required open communication channels so that all the participants in the event are well informed of the agenda and purpose of the event. The organization of events required the collaboration with my colleagues. Throughout the internship program, I recognized the importance of teamwork within an organization. Classroom conditions seem to be different and do not portray teamwork as important as it should be. Many students take the significance of teamwork for granted. However, in a real workplace, teamwork determines whether an organization will achieve its goals (Pfeffer, Zorbach, and Carley 125). Unless all the teams work towards organizational goals through effective collaborations, some tasks are left incomplete. The internship opportunity helped me learn how to collaborate with team members and participate effectively in an effort to achieve team goals. As part of the marketing team, I recognize the responsibility of creating brand awareness and promoting the company’s services and products to a larger number of people. I became well aware that the company was relying on my team in an effort to create positive brand recognition and awareness. Therefore, my team had to work relentlessly so that it does not fail the organization. The teamwork experience was a lesson I will never forget. I have the conviction that I will be more productive and committed to the classroom teamwork in the future as well as in my future workplace. A marketer who cannot work with a team faces numerous challenges in the workplace. It is of critical importance that I learned this lesson during my internship assignment. Before I went for the internship, my perspectives concerning, many issues were limited because I had a closed mind (Pfeffer, Zorbach, and Carley 126). However, the internship served to open my mind to new perspectives and realms of possibilities that I never thought exhibited. Therefore, it served to lay a strong foundation for my career progress.Worth noting is the fact that I developed a new marketing idea for the Nahil Computers Company. I created a shopping bag with the company’s logo that can be used to package products for customer. The bag can serve to create brand awareness in different areas. The availability of the bag on social media contributes to positive brand recognition because people will learn to associate the bag with the company’s outstanding products and services. The Disadvantage of Advertising on Social Media The 21st century business front has changed immensely with the increasing emphasis placed on online marketing. The emergence of online marketing has compelled companies to change their strategies and adopt marketing strategies that can take advantage of the company’s virtual space. The emergence of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook has introduced more possibilities for many companies. Companies can develop a virtual community that follows the brand closely. Twitter and Facebook followers have the potential to become customers of any company. The maintenance of such followers determines the company’s success in gaining competitive advantage using the social media platforms. With many companies adopting social media platforms as virtual spaces for advertising, there are potential challenges that companies do not envision. This research seeks to identify the main disadvantages of using social media platforms for advertising. According a research conducted by Sprague and Wells, it is evident that online marketing has several disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is the fact that online marketing lacks metrics. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain the level of success resulting from online marketing. In addition, followers of a company on Facebook or Twitter may choose to vent their negative experiences a factor that can affect a company negatively. Failure to manage negative feedback effectively can contribute to decreasing sales for the company. Modern research reveals that there is a salient need for companies to brainstorm sufficiently before launching any campaign online especially on social media. Sprague and Wells place emphasis on the fact that regulation of online buzz marketing requires expertise (430). It is possible for consumers to face a bombardment with skeptical information concerning certain brands. However, marketers need to have the expertise of passing the correct message by relying on testimonials from customers. Brands may maintain a constant media presence in an effort to convert followers into potential customers. However, the buzz of defeat may counter the efforts of a company. Online marketers need to ensure that the online buzz does not counter company messages disadvantaging the brand. According to Orzan, and Platon online marketers need to give attention to consumer opinions if they are to succeed in online marketing. Since social networking platforms are open virtual places, consumers may decide to believe or perceive company messages in their own way. It is critical for marketers to understand the perceptions of consumers before indulging in online marketing. It is difficult for any company to understand the perceptions of consumers online successfully because only a few of the consumers reveal their true opinions on social networks. It remains evident that marketers need to carry out extensive research on how to minimize the challenges involved in online marketing. 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American Business Law Journal 47.3 (2010): 415-454. Business Source Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. Read More