IEP - Corkscrew, Business Start-Up

"Corkscrew are an innovative provider of internships and business startup programs located all over the world. We’re based in the vibrant city of Exeter, UK, and our focus is clear. We want to create the best opportunities for personal and professional development on the market."  - Corkscrew

The Internship:

This was a 14-day international experience which took place from the 7th - 21st of February 2016, I got a taste of entrepreneurship and learned how to start my own business from scratch. I didn't go with a business idea in mind, extensive mentor support was available for idea development throughout the program.

I needed no knowledge of business prior to starting the program and each section was designed to leave us with a broad working knowledge of several key business areas shown below:

• Chapter 1: Here we learned how to find a viable business idea, creatively think outside of the box,  find gaps in the world around us and create a business solution for it.

• Chapter 2: We learned fundamental business skills and learned how to tell if an idea has the potential to be a feasible business.

• Chapter 3: We learned the technical skills needed to kick start our new business by starting small and growing big, when we finished this we built a website for our business.

• Chapter 4: Here we improved our professional skill set and learned vital employability and networking techniques that helped us stand out from the competition.

• The Finale: Worked on our idea throughout the program and pitch our idea to creators at the Pitch Day finale for judgment.

• Worked On A Real Client Project: Here we were consulting on a live business project for a startup company while on the program.

Why I did this Internship:

I did this internship because it was suitable for any person with an interest in entrepreneurship and business startup. The whole trip my accommodation, travel, and training was all provided for me so I didn't have to worry about anything. I learned new skills that will aid in future employment, entrepreneurship and further education.

During the Internship, I got to live with a local family and experience a new culture. The Internship was suitable for a range of career interests including hospitality, business, tourism, HR, and marketing. Overall it was a fun and worthwhile travel experience that I'm so thankful for.

On this program, I got to work with 24 other students of all ages, experiences, and backgrounds. The Internship was 9 to 4 daily, five days a week with weekends off so I really got to socialize outside of the workplace.

We were all in the same situation so it was easier to connect and work with them. After we finished our day we would either go for dinner together, the cinema or a lot of pubs and clubs. I didn't just take away a range of new business skills but I came back to Ireland with a lot of new close friends.

If you'd like to ask me any other questions about my experience please don't hesitate to ask in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading, Mark.