Internship Experience in Saint Petersburg - Essay Example

International business Internship Internship experience in St. Petersburg, Russia Section Company Background Nika, LLC provided me with an internship placement for the entire period of my internship. Fundamentally, Nika, LLC is a Russian-based company that deals with the distribution of print media. In essence, Nika, LLC is one of the largest players in the retail and wholesale markets not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Russia. Despite the fact that the company is barely two decades old, it has built for itself one of the strongest brands in the print media distribution industry. Currently, Nika, LLC’s network covers over one hundred channels of distribution. Besides the distribution of print media, Nika, LLC has other engagements that include advertising services. The primary advertising media for Nika, LLC are radio, television, digital advertisements, and outdoor advertisements. Nika, LLC plays a significant role as far as the extension of current market share of clients is concerned. If the customer has a magazine or newspaper that they would like to capture a larger market share, they will approach Nika, LLC for professional assistance. Nika, LLC would in turn formulate a workable marketing strategy, create distribution channels for its client, and carefully monitor the sales realized by its customers. The location of the central office of Nika, LLC is close to the business district of Saint Petersburg. Since the company engages intensively and extensively with its clients, it occupies two floors of office space in the building where it is situated. The implication is that the business has over 50 members of staff working within the building with the head management taking the second floor. Nika, LLC offices have the conventional office layout whereby the office space is divided into various compartments where members of different departments operate from on a daily basis. Nika, LLC is not exception to departmental partitioning albeit it is a Russian company. Its major departments include sales, administrative, accounting, operations, marketing, and advertising departments. The accounting department is tasked with the responsibility of bookkeeping whereby it tracks the company’s equity, expenses, and revenue for the fiscal year. In addition, the accounting department tracks employee salaries, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. Marketing and advertising department develop packaging of products, pricing of products, and creative materials for informing potential customers of the companys offerings. Besides, the department is responsible for conducting market research that informs its clients about sales analysis of its present clients and the demands of it future customers. The sales department handles the matters pertaining to sales Nike services. Its primary objective is to pitch new products, meet revenue goals, and coordinate a sales force that will build a strong customer relationship. Concerning the administrative department, it is worth noting that the president and top managerial staff were under the administrative department where they made strategic decisions for the company. Section 2: Internship Description During the period of my internship, I held the position of a marketing assistant whereby I was working with the marketing representative of the company, who doubled up as my supervisor. Since my major is International business, I preferred the marketing and advertisement department to the accounting department. In this position, I participated in a number of marketing and advertising activities that were not only relevant to my course of study, but they also benefited Nika, LLC. Since I was working directly with the marketing representative of Nika, LLC, I participated in many projects successfully. My role as a marketing assistant at Nika, LLC involved working on marketing projects on a daily basis according the clients’ requirements. In essence, I was part of a competent team that was responsible for developing product packaging and creative materials that would enlighten potential customers of the companys offerings. My daily task involved approaching or attending to clients who have advertising needs. I would write down the details of the marketing needs and forward them to my supervisor. My supervisor would then delegate various duties appropriately in order to ensure that everyone in my team had something to do. The environment was favorable and motivating in the sense that I would join my team members to analysis the sales prospects for a client’s product with ease. I acquired training in various marketing and advertising aspects such as product packaging and marketing research. My general experience with the internship position of a marketing assistant was excellent because of the good teamwork and favorable working environment. Section 3: Professional Growth I am pleased to report that I have grown professionally following my internship in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since Russia has a rich and unique diversity of work ethics, office culture, and labor laws, I got an opportunity to mingle with some of the renowned professionals in international business. In essence, I accomplished a number of objectives that I had set for myself prior to the internship. I am now well versed in marketing techniques and marketing research. These skills will help me in my future career as either a private practitioner/consultant or an employed businessperson. Additionally, I managed to network with various professionals while at my internship. I kept the contacts of everyone who mentored me, especially my supervisor’s contacts, so that I may use it in the future when need arises. In as much as I had a smooth ride at the attachment, I encountered a few challenges, which I managed to overcome. Since I speak English, I found it hard to relate to most of the Nika, LLC employees because they spoke Russian, which is the official language in Russia. With time, most employees learned to address me in English. Besides, I also learned a few Russian words that are essential to business communication. Apart from the language barrier, I also faced a significant challenge when it came to dealing with Russian clients, who portrayed a behavior reminiscent of the Russian culture. My supervisor enlightened me on a few facts relating to the business culture in Russia, and I had adapted to the work environment with time. Besides the professional accomplishments, I also acquired some business and technical skills that are essential in an international business environment. Since Nika, LLC is a print media distribution company, I polished my communication skills in order to produce quality adverts that would be eye-catching. Furthermore, I developed my interpersonal skills, especially when relating to international clientele and team members. I now appreciate various cultures of the world that I used to do in the past. It implies that I have acquired the necessary business skills to operate in a multicultural environment. Nika, LLC also taught me the art of customer attraction and retention, and I can make little effort in designing advertisements for clients, which will drive sales through the ceiling. Section 4: Application to my Major My studies in international business played a primary role in helping me to acquaint myself with international logistics, especially when it came to advertising. Since my course in international business deals with customer logistics, particularly on an international platform, I was able to apply some of the theories that I learned in class to marketing and advertising at Nika, LLC. In my internship position, I used to assist my supervisor, who was the marketing representative, with minor tasks whereby I extensively applied what I had learned in class. Since marketing and advertising, which Nika, LLC was focusing on, is part of international business, I blended effortlessly with the company’s policies and other employees. In my course study, I have acquired a number of skills related to international business logistics, whose relevance I was able to understand while in my internship position. Some of the business courses that I found extremely useful in my internship position were international sales & marketing, customer care and relations, market research, and risk & disaster management in business. Section 5: Conclusion I would strongly recommend Nika, LLC as an internship opportunity for other students who would like to have a wholesome job experience while they learn a number of aspects pertaining to international business. Whether the students are Finance major or Business major, Nika, LLC is one of the best internship companies to have an internship in, more so in St. Petersburg, Russia. Although I spent some time and effort to find an internship place at Nika, LLC, I cannot say it was difficult for me to find an internship. The main reason for this is because it all depends on how intensively and extensively a person searches for internship. My personal thoughts on the internship are that students ought to seek an internship in multicultural environments so that they can also learn the dynamics of dealing with multicultural clients. Furthermore, internships in companies dealing with international clients are the best because they expose a person to global business logistics besides honing their interpersonal and communication skills. Read More