So We Decided to Hire an Intern (BTS at Office Mango)

I'll be honest - the decision to hire our first intern wasn't really a business decision at first.

It was more personal.

My apprenticeship completely changed my life. The hands-on experience, building a portfolio of real projects, developing relationships - it gave me everything I needed to eventually start Office Mango.

And I'd always said that when I was in a position to give someone else that same opportunity, I would.

The fact so many talented people are stuck in the no experience > no job > no experience loop is so frustrating.

So when the opportunity came up this summer, it felt like the right time to try to help in a small way.

WHY WE HIRED AN INTERN?

Fresh Perspective:

When running a small business: you get really good at doing things your way.

You find a rhythm and just keep doing what you’re doing because you’re spinning too many plates to think about taking time to fix something if “it works”.

When it's just you and your co-founder making decisions, you develop patterns, assumptions, and blind spots that you don't even realise exist.

We needed someone to come in with completely fresh eyes and ask the questions we'd stopped asking:

"Why do you do it this way?"

"Have you tried this approach?"

"What if we looked at it differently?"

We’ve done a lot of workshops (special mention to Business Ready) but it’s different having a 2 hour deep dive of talking about processes, vs a 6 week program going through them with someone.

Budget Reality

Let's be honest about the financial side: we're a small business. We can't afford to hire a Senior Marketing Manager with 10 years of experience.

But what we could afford was to invest in someone's development while they helped us grow.

This was not about getting cheap labour - it's about creating a win-win situation where we get fresh thinking and energy, and they get real-world experience they can't get in a classroom.

Marketing Gap

Specifically, we needed help with marketing and content creation.

As Excel specialists, we're great at solving business problems, but we knew our marketing could be more engaging, more consistent, and more strategic.

Honestly, we find it challenging to market something that most people find drains them of energy and causes them headaches.

On socials, it’s so easy to scroll - why watch an Excel Tips video when you can see funny and cute dog videos?

We needed someone who had an understanding of social media, could bring creative ideas, and wasn't afraid to experiment with new approaches.

Obviously not an expert, as the whole idea was to give them experience, but they needed at least some understanding already.

Commitment to Development

I genuinely believe that giving someone real work experience is one of the most impactful things you can do.

I remember what it felt like to be given that chance.

The confidence it builds, the skills you develop, the network you create - it's transformational.

And building a portfolio for not only future employers to have confidence in you, but so you can see all the work you’ve done and the things you’ve been a part of.

And if Office Mango is going to be successful, we want to be the kind of company that creates opportunities for others and use our resources (even if limited) to make an impact in some way.

HOW WE STRUCTURED THEIR PROGRAM:

When we decided to bring on an intern, we knew we didn't want this to be another coffee-fetching, photocopying experience.

This stereotype that interns/apprentices should just be doing these menial tasks is so frustrating to me.

We wanted a structured program that would give genuine value - both to our business and to the intern's professional development.

So I tried to reflect what I would have done on my apprenticeship - lots of placements, little bit of everything, and build a portfolio of tangible evidence I can use in the future to showcase my expertise.

Each week had a specific focus, building skills progressively and allow them to get a little experience across a variety of marketing department roles:

Week 1: Deep Dive Analysis The intern started by becoming our most objective observer.

They reviewed our existing LinkedIn and TikTok content, identifying strengths and weaknesses we'd grown blind to.

They analysed competitor content and market trends - bringing fresh perspectives we'd missed.

By the end of the week, they presented their insights in a full report we’ve given them permission to anonymise and use as evidence of these analytical skills.

Week 2: Campaign Strategy

This wasn't about following instructions - this was about creative ownership.

They developed their own mini-marketing campaign strategy from scratch.

Brainstorming ideas, writing scripts, thinking of shot lists.

We wanted them to own this process and have their ideas be brought to life. We didn’t suggest anything, we let them run with it and gave them a bit of guidance on things we liked/didn’t like - but that was all.

Week 3: Production Management

They managed and directed our video shoot sessions. Handled lighting, staging, technical setup. Coordinated with team members to ensure our brand's quality standards were met.

This was hands-on leadership experience.

I said they have full authority to direct us to get the result they wanted.

They were tentative at first, but they really came into their own and by the end were telling me we needed to do ‘another take’ because I wasn’t sticking to the script.

It was a cool experience from our side. They absolutely smashed this aspect.

Weeks 4-5: Content Creation

Editing videos, creating supporting graphics, uploading and scheduling content across platforms.

They actually never had editing experience before this, so although we have our own tools and workflows, I’m a firm believer in learning first hand.

So we said “All you need for video editing is to pick one tool and stick with getting good with that”

So they taught themselves using a tool of their choice and made changes based off feedback - but again, all the edits were their original ideas, we just suggested tweaks.

Week 6: Performance & Portfolio

The final week wasn't just about wrapping up, we wanted them to really reflect.

Analysing campaign performance, creating a comprehensive report, building their personal portfolio. They presented their results and recommendations to our leadership team.

The Learning Philosophy

Our approach was simple: treat the intern like an actual team member, not a temporary helper.

Give them real responsibilities.

Provide genuine mentorship.

Create an environment where they can fail safely and learn deeply.

We really wanted them to have ownership and the entire thing was about bringing their ideas to life:

• They analysed our stuff and told us what to improve

• They then used their findings to come up with ideas of a campaign

• They scripted and planned the entire campaign

• They edited it using tools of their choice

• They analysed their results and reported back to us.

Now, they have evidence of some experience (and the key is some) in a variety of marketing roles so that they can:

a) think about what avenue they would like to pursue

b) experience a variety of roles including leadership

c) have consideration of how painful hearing “just a small tweak” is to different teams and the wider impact it has

HOW WE MANAGED THEM (AUTONOMY):

Trust vs. Oversight Balance

When you're a small business, letting someone else take control doesn't come naturally.

Every project feels personal. Every process feels sacred. And suddenly, you're meant to hand over significant responsibilities to someone who's just starting their career?

However, what I learnt from my own apprenticeship was that trust is the fastest way to build capability.

We didn't hover. We didn't micromanage. We set clear expectations and then stepped back, allowing space for creativity and potential.

On Mondays we would outline the expectations for the week.

On Fridays we would go over how they got on.

We’d of course be available if they needed us, but we let them guide it, we didn’t keep popping up with ‘Hey, just checking in…”

Giving Genuine Project Ownership

We gave them the entire marketing campaign - from initial analysis through to final performance report.

Not pieces. Not fragments. The whole journey.

Their brief wasn't "do what we say" - it was "show us what you can do".

We wanted to see their thinking, their creativity, their problem-solving approach. Not just their ability to follow instructions.

Psychological Safety & Mentorship

Mistakes were going to happen. And that was okay.

I made it explicitly clear: this internship was a learning environment.

When something didn't go perfectly, we'd sit down and discuss. "What did you learn? How would you approach it differently next time?"

No judgment. No criticism. Just genuine curiosity about their thought process.

Every time they asked something, my first response was “well, what do you think?”

I remembered how terrifying it was during my apprenticeship to think I might mess something up. I didn't want to recreate that fear.

Instead, I created a space where trying was more important than being perfect. Where questions were welcomed. Where vulnerability was seen as strength, not weakness.

The “well, what do you think” might have been annoying sometimes, but I really wanted to build them up and not just rely on me telling them to do something.

WHAT GOES INTO HIRING AN INTERN:

Partnering with The Right People

We didn't want to handle recruitment alone.

So we partnered with Rahul from The Job Shop in Coventry.

He and his team pre-screened candidates, conducted initial interviews, and put forward 7 potential interns.

We were clear it wasn't about finding the perfect resume, we wanted to find the right potential.

Our Scoring Matrix: More Than Just Grades

We thought of a scoring matrix that was probably not like traditional hiring metrics:

• Experience

• Knowledge

• Coachability

• Vibes

• Preparedness

Each category mattered, but some mattered more than others.

Beyond Technical Skills

Technical skills? Those can be taught.

What we were really hunting for was something harder to define: potential, curiosity, and genuine enthusiasm.

The Interview Approach

Our interviews weren't interrogations. They were conversations.

We didn't stick rigidly to a script.

We wanted to understand their thinking, not just tick boxes.

Some questions happened out of order.

We followed the energy of the conversation.

Cultural Fit: Coachability and Vibes

Two things really mattered to us: could they learn, and did we enjoy talking to them?

Coachability was crucial. We wanted someone who:

• Was eager to learn

• Could take feedback constructively

• Showed adaptability

• Demonstrated a growth mindset

And "Vibes"? (Yes, we based our decision on “vibes”)

This was about how the conversation flowed.

Did talking to them feel natural? Or was it awkward and forced?

FINAL THOUGHTS: SO, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT AN INTERN?

If there's one thing we learned from this experience, it's that internships aren't about getting free labour - they're about creating opportunities.

What We'd Do Again

We'd absolutely do this again. But we'd do it with even more intentionality.

The key isn't just having an intern - it's creating a genuine learning environment where both the business and the intern grow.

Advice for Other Small Businesses

If you're considering an internship, here's are the main things we've learnt:

• Don't just see an intern as a task-completer. See them as a potential source of fresh perspective.

• Be clear about your expectations, but flexible in your approach (it’s an intern after all)

• Give them real responsibilities - not just busy work. You have a real chance to help each other out!

• Create a safe environment where they can ask questions, make mistakes, and learn.

The Bigger Picture

Internships aren't just about what the business gets. They're about what the intern becomes.

We didn’t focus on developing marketing skills.

We focused on giving the intern confidence to come up with their own ideas, trust their gut, ask questions and teach themselves what they don’t know.

It was about equipping them for whatever they want to go into.

Ready to Explore?

If you’ve made it this far, then I want to do something different.

If you're a small business wondering how to bring fresh talent into your organisation, we offer a free "Let's Explore" consultation (usually for Excel stuff).

But in this instance, it would be great to have a chat about what you’re thinking about interns?

If you want more on our thoughts, or you have some advice yourself, it would be great to have a chat.

📧 Email: info@OfficeMango.co.uk
🗓️ Book directly: Let's Explore Consultation

Your next great team member might be just an internship away.