Scholarship / Managing the internship program - CHEVENING - LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE SKILLS [3]

Hi everyone! I'm currently arranging leadership essay for Chevening Scholarship to pursue my master degree on digital marketing. Wish I could receive some feedbacks on this. Thank you!

Mohammad Hatta, the First Indonesian Vice President, once said, "What matters most is not what people say about a sermon, but what they do after hearing it." He has been a source of inspiration for me, especially when I reflect on leadership. I believe a great leader is someone who can inspire others to transform limitations into innovations.

Life after COVID simply gives back many opportunities for fresh graduates to kick-start their career because they don't have much experience while studying online. I considered hiring the intern as part of my team to unleash youth potential in the creative industry. Since hiring an internship team and providing a good program wasn't a thing for a marketing or advertising agency at that time.

In 2022, while serving as the Social Media Officer at Boleh Dicoba Digital, a digital marketing agency based in Bandung, I noticed that the services provided on digital platforms were lacking in quality. I discovered that the information provided by companies on social media is often uninformative, boring, and irrelevant. I was responsible for managing the social media presence for Boleh Dicoba Digital and other business branches related to digital marketing education, specifically Boleh Belajar. I had the task to generate ideas for monthly content on Instagram and LinkedIn. In Boleh Belajar, I led three interns for three months and guided them on how to make a good social media presence, both for personal and commercial purposes. In Boleh Dicoba Digital, I only led one intern focused on content writing for LinkedIn articles. After three months of managing social media presence with a total of four interns, the management is satisfied with the progress, leading to the continuation and adaptation of the internship program to other divisions.

After finishing my first internship project, I considered hiring more interns with different programs to get along with bigger KPIs. After about a month of composing the entire program, I proposed to the management that I would lead 4 interns for Boleh Dicoba Digital and 3 interns for Boleh Belajar for a period of approximately 6 months. In Boleh Dicoba Digital, I generated subtopics for the interns to achieve certain objectives, including annual content planning and content writing for various online channels. I formed two groups, each consisting of two interns, and guided them through the next project, which involved maintaining social media content across various platforms, with a monthly focus on different topics. Every week, I conduct offline meetings to ensure their progress and facilitate open discussions about the challenges they encounter when managing their clients' social media accounts. I'm also giving them my time to present the materials and modules to learn about digital marketing.

Managing the internship program and daring to challenge established norms will significantly impact my personal life by demonstrating that leaders prioritize the future of their followers over their own interests. With the Chevening Scholarship, I will broaden my knowledge, competencies, and networks to offer digital agency solutions to more Indonesians.