At Keen, we believe in supporting young talents on their journey of exploration and development in the industry. Our goal is to spark new thinking methods, inspire creativity, promote communication, facilitate personal growth and fuel other talents around you.
An internship is one of the recommended experiences to acquire as an undergraduate in Malta. Gaining valuable work exposure is a critical element to your future. It provides a wealth of knowledge, a playground to try out and explore different areas, and the foundation for both professional and personal progression.
Meet Miriana, a final-year University student from Malta who interned at Keen for ten weeks.
Before entering the working world, I have always dreamed of doing an internship during summer to bridge the gap between my university studies and the actual work environment. However, I was hesitant in previous summers because I didn’t know what to expect. Trying to overcome my fears, I contacted Keen and such emotions faded quickly. As soon as I stepped foot into the Keen offices in Gozo, I could feel the warmth and positive energy emanating from everyone on the team. This is what captured my attention most, that welcoming feeling even though I was starting as a student. When it came to working as an intern, the first task that I was assigned was part of the current projects which in turn made me feel that I was contributing to the team and real life projects.
What have you worked on, at Keen?
There is no such thing as repetitive tasks at Keen! The work which I was assigned to do ranged from research to social media, public relations, branding, and even learning about some tools used at Keen, such as Illustrator. I have also gained firsthand knowledge of what attracts and repels viewers when it comes to social media content and was also invited to participate in brainstorming sessions and meetings to discuss the research conducted on specific tasks.
What have you learned at Keen?
This experience has greatly helped me in a variety of ways, including broadening my knowledge and gaining firsthand experience. With the assistance of the various teams established within Keen, I was able to not only learn more about marketing tools and methods used in this sector but to also improve my communication skills and character development.
What have you enjoyed most about your time at Keen?
The amount of respect shown for interns and student workers really impressed me. There are some companies that take their interns’ ideas or creativity for granted or even worse do not hire them just for the sake of them being interns. This was not the case as everyone at Keen encouraged us to express ourselves and be creative. They have never put a stop to anyone’s creativity and this has been extremely beneficial to me because, prior to joining Keen’s team, I was always afraid to speak my mind and show my true self.
During my time at Keen, I had the opportunity to work with a variety of project managers from whom I learned different skills. With each passing day, they supported and respected me and assigned me more tasks and responsibilities. As a result, my confidence in my work and my personality has grown substantially.
One thing that really stood out is that my colleagues were always willing to help me when I ask for assistance or clarifications. During my time at Keen, I witnessed their core values being incorporated into their work with both their clients, among themselves and even towards their trainees.
What advice do you have for young talents thinking about an internship?
Take the chance! Don’t pass up an opportunity to gain more knowledge and exposure. Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way and believe in yourself because it is worth the experience!