I worked with adidas New Zealand over a 10-month period as a Marketing Intern while I finished my studies. Being the global company that it is, there is a solid structure in place to support Interns. That being said, internships in Australasia are much different to those in the States or the UK. Internships in this part of the world are largely unpaid, especially in the Sports or Marketing industries.

The perks are certainly worthwhile for a student, with product and sports tickets making the lack of real money reasonable. Being a much smaller office to its global counterparts, I was given the opportunity to work with many other parts of the business, as well as fully immersing myself in the different marketing departments the company has; Brand, Sports and Trade. I was also intrusted with the responsibilities of dealing with external clients, a task that you are usually hidden from, as companies won’t trust such conversations on a student/intern due to their lack of knowledge and the fact that they are learning.

I would highly recommend such an internship for those looking to get into Marketing, especially if you have an interest in sports. Be prepared to receive alternative compensation for your work, and if you’re interested, track an employee down on LinkedIn and go from there.