Tapping Talent

Zakiya Hamood Al Ghammari, Change Management and Engagement Senior Analyst, Nama Group shares details about the media internship programme

Please share an overview of the internship opportunities being offered by Nama Group?

Nama Group’s media internship programme was designed to meet the emerging needs of the market. Digital media and marketing, which is a new field, plays a significant role in the government and private sector. Therefore, there is enormous need for companies as well as graduates to make use of the potential that it offers. Fresh graduates need experience in this field and hence the Group came up with an internship opportunity with sustainability as its main objective. At the conclusion of the programme, graduates could do freelancing or even venture into a digital business.

Who is eligible to apply for these programmes?

Firstly, we look at the specialisation of graduates. We make sure that they are graduates from communication, media and marketing field. Students who have completed a communication certificate programme with a digital element are also eligible for the internship. Later on, we announce the list of the eligible candidates and follow the HR process for selection to make sure that everyone gets a fair opportunity. Finally, we conduct an interview and in certain cases, we ask them to make a presentation. Having the right attitude is very important in this field. During the interview process, we also make sure to find out if they possess a flexible approach to work. Those in the communication and digital marketing field are required to work at any point of the day and hence work ethic is important.

What skills do interns learn over the course of the programme?

Graduates are eligible to apply for Nama’s one-year media internship programme. Once they complete the HR process, we set a KPI for them. All the selected candidates are full time employees and not trainees. We trust and give them all the support. All those managing the channel, are open to decide and set a plan of action for the overall growth in the digital media space. Currently, we have the second batch of the internship programme going on. In 2022, we had the first batch of interns. Two interns secured employment opportunity outside Nama Group. We do believe that the skills and experience they get from us have enabled them to get employment elsewhere.

How has the Nama Group’s digital media internship program benefited the company and its interns?

The department has a strategy to train a number of interns every year. At the end of each year, we evaluate our progress to identify areas where we can improve. While our interns gain knowledge from us, we also benefit from their fresh ideas and trending insights in digital media. As digital media specialists, we have implemented many of these innovative ideas at Nama Group, resulting in improved social media channels and an increase in views on our internal platform, ‘Yammer.’ Knowledgesharing will remain an ongoing process because we invest time and resources in our interns to ensure they are equipped to enter the job market or start their own freelance careers. Our ultimate goal is for them to be able to train others and create a cycle of continuous learning and improvement, which is a great outcome for us as well as for the interns themselves.