When I reflect on my experience working as an Intern at SoolNua, so many thoughts come to mind. It would be difficult to capture my whole experience and to detail everything that I am grateful for as I have gained and learned so much in my time here, but I will share some of my experience with you!
When I started working here, I didn’t know what to expect. I had known Pádraic over the years and I trusted that the experience would be worthwhile but I was venturing into the unknown a bit. I’m so glad that I did decide to give it a go and to see what it would be like to work at SoolNua.
First, I discovered that there is a whole Industry called the MICE Industry that I had not known about before! Then over the course of my internship, I was exposed to many different aspects of meetings, events, digital marketing, social media and blogging.
Social Media and Digital Marketing
I have learned so much about social media while working at SoolNua. There is always something new to learn and I feel that as time went on I got better at navigating the various platforms. Aoife is like a fountain of knowledge and I was lucky to have been able to ask her any questions that I had. I also had the opportunity to go to the Social Media Live event in the RDS which gave a fantastic overall sense of what social media is about and how it can be used effectively. Feel free to have a read of the blog I wrote about it: https://soolnua.com/blog/social-media-live-event/
Travel
I have come to realise that travel plays an important role in the meeting & events industry too. It was quite interesting to experience an ever changing dynamic in the office due to the travel requirements of the job. Over the course of my time in the office, Pádraic, Pat and Aoife have travelled to so many different destinations such as Chicago, Barcelona, Las Vegas, Killarney, South Carolina, Dubai and Oman!
Events
I also had the opportunity to work at events outside of the office including the Airfield Food Series in Dublin as well as the IGBF Christmas Charity lunch. These were really enjoyable experiences which offered variety and a break in routine and it was fun to do something different that involves interacting with lots of different people and engaging with social media. The last event the team worked at was the IGBF charity lunch at the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road, Dublin. It was great to be given the opportunity to be thrown in the deep end and given the trust to perform. I knew that once I had the blue t-shirt on with IGBF written on the front that I was seen to be an expert and I that I had no choice but to act like the expert too!
Everyday Experience
I really enjoyed the day to day experiences and the general vibe in the office. From the conversations and interactions I had in the office to the unique spontaneous surprises over the course of my time. It was a great experience to be working alongside people with such enthusiasm, positivity and humour. The day we spontaneously decided to pick out the christmas tree for the office on the 29th of November (which I initially thought was quite early to put up a christmas tree!) quickly made me realise that it was the perfect opportunity to embrace the festive spirit. It was nice to be influenced by the positive energy that the festive season can bring.
Changed perceptions
The name SoolNua which means to have a different perspective in the Irish language suits the company so well. This experience has definitely changed my own perception of what a 9-5 office job can be like. I see how SoolNua really does have a unique way of working that is innovative, forward thinking and that genuinely does take a human approach whilst being highly professional. It is invaluable for me to now know that a workplace can be inspiring and motivational in a unique way. It has opened up my own perspective too about the possibilities that a workplace can have.
I want to thank Pádraic, Pat, Aoife, Gerard and Hannah for creating such an inspiring environment to work in and for so generously offering their knowledge and guidance during my time at SoolNua.
If you want to get in touch with me, please feel free to contact me at mary@soolnua.com I also have a Twitter account, so please follow me @marysoolnua.