b'Post Sixth Form Internship opportunitiesFormer Ellesmere College student, Alex Lovn, founder and CEO of successful international business, Net World Sports, is offering Sixth Form students the opportunity of an internship with his company.The business internship is based at Net World Sports Head Office in Wrexham and runs for a period of 12 months. The programme has been created as an alternative to higher education, giving Ellesmere College students the opportunity to gain practical work experience across several different departments; from sales to customer services, web development and accounts, or logistics and marketing.Josie Evans left Ellesmere in July 2020 in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, and decided to defer her place to study Physiotherapy at Liverpool University to gain some workplace experience and to help her decide whether or not university, or indeed physiotherapy, was the path she would like to follow. Josie was Net Worlds first post Sixth Form Intern, with Daniel Cooper, current Head Boy, taking on the opportunity from September.We visited Alex and Josie at Net World Sports and asked Josie about her experience as an intern.What made you decide to take an internship?Mainly because I didnt feel the same excitement about going to university as my friends did. Whilst others were keen to talk about their offers and courses, I was more intent on getting some experience by working in a business. Something holding me back was that I wasnt 100% set on my university course, so getting an internship offered me the ability to try out a few roles before making the big decision of which career route to go down.Tell us about your time at Net World Sports.When I joined Net World, I started off in Customer Services, then moved to the Content Team before transitioning into the Product Team. In CS, I was taught how to use NAV (the computer system) and I got to see how the products we sell are received by the customer whilst helping with any issues or queries. To help create effective listings, the Content Team ties in with Marketing and eCommerce, so in this department I was shown how to use SEO techniques when writing content for the Website, Amazon, and eBay platforms. Within this rotation, I also got to experience going on a photoshoot, witnessing the behind the scenes as well as being in some images for a four-person paddleboard listing. My role in the Product Team was also new to me; I was given freedom to carry out market research and source suppliers for a new product range and I also helped with daily sales reports and garden furniture samples. As each has been so different and I have enjoyed the variety. Has the experience shaped your decisions on future career / study choices?This internship has helped me to identify the different parts of a job which I like, and those which I cant see myself pursuing. As the internship has progressed, I have gained confidence in my choice of university course, Physiotherapy, and I believe this is down to feeling satisfied in having tried out other jobs before following this route.Have you learnt anything unexpected?Not everything I have learnt has been computer skills; I have also had hands-on opportunities including honing my drill skills when assembling wooden garden furniture and even working as a picking operative in the warehouse for a day. For a taste of HR experience, I got to sit in on an interview, and I developed my spreadsheet skills through using Excel regularly. From being on the Customer Service side of LiveChat, to writing a Darts Buyers Guide, to researching different types of steel, I feel I have picked up plenty of life skills and random knowledge along the way. What advice would you give to students considering an internship? I would personally recommend it. Not only will it look great on your CV, but an internship lets you gain valuable experience whilst earning some savings at the same time. Due to the nature of an internship, you get the chance to explore different roles without a great deal of pressure on you. It is also a great way to get used to being professional in a workplace as well as to grow in maturity and self-confidence.We wish Josie and Daniel the best of luck in their future endeavours and thank Alex and the team at Net World Sports for their continued support.Ellesmere College Newsletter Summer 202117'