Business today is increasingly confronted with the need to participate in and manage a real-time digital environment. Entry-level marketers are expected to adopt digital mindsets while being fluent in digital business strategies and skills that help them take advantage of technologies right out the gate from University.
This partnership between Yoghurt Digital and Macquarie University Business School means students participating in the Digital Marketing unit, led by Lecturer Dr. LayPeng Tan, allows students direct access to an industry-leading digital marketing environment.
Dr. Tan, Senior Lecturer, Department of Marketing at Macquarie University Business School, has worked closely with Yoghurt Digital over the last 12-months to find methods of collaboration to give her students real-world knowledge and experience.
“This is an opportunity for collaboration between the university and industry to create application-based learning opportunities for our students to engage with current issues in digital marketing, leading to real career development that will enhance our students’ employability.
As interns, students will be exposed to a wide range of practical digital marketing skills while being in a supportive learning environment. This alignment with Yoghurt can be credited to the generosity and spirit that shines through their leadership team, and this gives me the confidence that students will be in good hands.” says Dr. Tan of the alignment.
“My teaching philosophy is that I am an enabler of student success, helping my students develop their full potential and capabilities so they can achieve their goals both within and beyond the classroom. And it’s this partnership with Yoghurt Digital that enables me to do all the above with great joy.” adds Dr. Tan.
Michael Laps, Yoghurt Co-Founder and Strategy Director, says of the initiative, “In the midst of a global pandemic and recovering economy, students are faced with major hurdles to finding employment at the end of their degrees. I still vividly remember the stress of trying to find a job towards when I finished university shortly after the 2008 financial crisis, when jobs in marketing and advertising had taken a hit. Competing with seasoned professionals even for junior roles was stressful and created a lot of uncertainty.
This partnership with Macquarie University is the perfect opportunity for us to change the narrative for students, giving them a direct path to employment after getting real-world experience and learning the practical skills they need for a role in the digital space. At a time when so many doors are closing for students, we felt it was important to open our own.”
Michael Laps finishes by adding, “The marketing community gave us so much in our early years, and it’s an enormous privilege and a source of pride for us to be able to do the same for the next generation of marketers. We’re incredibly grateful to Dr. LayPeng Tan and to Macquarie University for working so closely with us on this, and for building such an exciting and meaningful shared vision.”
How Does It Work?
The internship program will be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum with students participating in several rounds of activity in order to secure a coveted position as an intern at Yoghurt Digital.
Round #1: Students have the opportunity to submit a 600-word assessment that challenges their knowledge of digital marketing and strategic thinking. This assessment counts towards their final unit score at Macquarie University, but is also sent to the team at Yoghurt to review.
Round #2: The team at Yoghurt will select the students who they feel submitted the best assessments and invite them to submit a 2-minute video to introduce themselves, talk about what interests them most about digital marketing, and to make their case for why they should be offered an internship at Yoghurt.
Round #3: The team at Yoghurt will select the students who they feel submitted the best videos and invite them for a formal interview, giving them a taste of what it’s like to go through a job application process. They’ll then select at least one student – but possibly more, depending on the level of quality submissions – to go through a 3-month internship program at Yoghurt Digital.
What Do Past Interns, Turned Full-Time Employees Have To Say About It?
Matthew Corless, Biddable Executive:
“One of the aspects I have appreciated most from my experience at Yoghurt Digital is their continued focus on up-skilling employees across all digital marketing channels. Yoghurt’s structured approach of organising training, lunch n’ learns and learning-based KPIs was exactly what I was looking for to kick-start my career.
This is where I have found Yoghurt different from other internship opportunities, which preach a learning experience but don’t have the necessary processes in place or highly skilled employees across different channels to be truly effective and ongoing.
Another area that has differentiated Yoghurt from my past employers in the industry is that there is a genuine culture of care. While this may sound like a cliché aimed at enticing graduates to become employees, it is true of the way Yoghurt deals with both clients and peers. Within the business there is a camaraderie that only comes together when you have a team that looks out for each other and are passionate about what they do.”
Danya Mawass, Biddable Coordinator:
“As a university student, being offered the opportunity to work with a growing agency in an industry that’s evolving daily was incredibly exciting. Despite beginning my internship in the midst of my final year of uni and strict NSW lockdowns, the team were extremely accommodating and made me feel so welcome!
I’ve learnt way more than I could have imagined back then. Growing with the agency both personally and professionally is something that I’m incredibly grateful for, and now that I’ve completed my degree, I couldn’t be happier about transitioning into a full-time role with such a driven and exciting business!”