Marvellous Maps

Nadja Mundi,Christ Church,Final Year Undergraduate,BA Geography, Remote Working

Work Projects

I applied for the Marvellous Maps internship despite not having the experience with data management they were looking for as I have a passion for trivia and maps and thought it was worth giving it a go anyway. During my first interview, we discussed potentially tailoring the internship to instead play to my strengths in research that I have developed while at university. I then had a second interview with the founder and business development lead where we further discussed what I might bring to the company.

During my internship, I was given the task of brainstorming and researching for a new map idea. First, I spent time considering the different possible categories for the map, aiming to think logically about how the topic might be divided and the most accurate syntax to use to describe each group. I was also responsible for finding a list of sources which would provide the information necessary for the map. Once I had done this, I started collating data entries for the map. In addition to my role on this new map, I helped gather coordinates for the map they were finishing off. Furthermore, I helped with customer service, making sure orders went through smoothly. I had weekly catchups with the founder where we discussed my progress in relation both to the map and to my internship learning & development goals.

Daily Life

The internship was remote, not due to coronavirus but because, being a very small company, there was no office. This meant that the team was already accustomed to working and communicating online.

I was at home in France during the internship due to the lockdowns therefore I also had to deal with the time difference which caused a few confusions with meeting times etc. However, the advantage of the time zone was that I could start an hour later (at 10am) and finish later (at 6pm) which better suited my lifestyle. I made sure to take regular breaks and spend time with family and friends throughout the day. Furthermore, it meant I didn't have to miss out on family activities such as hiking, rafting or beach trips, as I could catch up on hours in the evening or at the weekend. This was particularly useful when I moved back to the UK during my internship as it gave me the flexibility to travel and settle in while still working.

Lasting Impressions

I really enjoyed my experience of the internship. I learnt all sort of things about all aspects of the business, from product conception to end product and sales. I liked working alongside a former intern who was working part time over the summer on anew project. It was nice to have someone to give me advice and for me to get in touch with if I had any small questions. I also really enjoyed working with the founder as he was a great manager and put a lot of time aside to talk through the project, company and internship with me. We had lots of catchups throughout the internship which helped confirm that I was interested in the sector and company.

Throughout the internship, we discussed the possibility of me staying on full time once itwas over. I remained open to the idea during the two months since everything was going sowell. When the internship was over, I took a week off and then returned in a full-timegraduate role. I am therefore now working for Marvellous Maps as a researcher and productdevelopment analyst. I'm currently still working on the project I started over the summerand I'm looking forward to seeing the end product!