Student: Sarah-Jane Whitehill

Degree: BA Hons Marketing and HRM, University of Strathclyde

Company: The Reef Resort, Grand Cayman

The Saltire Foundation offers students from Scottish universities the opportunity to work with some of the biggest and most successful companies across the globe. The Saltire Foundation road show was advertised on the Careers Service website, and out of curiosity I went along. Probably the best thing I have ever done. As a result I was given the opportunity to go to The Reef, a prestigious beach resort in Grand Cayman as part of the undergraduate internship programme. The undergraduate internship programme is an 8 week placement abroad, and summer 2008 saw 24 students in placements from Dubai to Singapore. My project at The Reef involved looking at CSR practices, and promoting them to guests of the resort, as well as providing new ideas to be greener! I was also involved in the re-branding of The Reef.

I worked directly for the Managing Director of The Reef, who is also a Scot. As soon as I arrived I was immersed in all the workings of The Reef, spending a day with each department including housekeeping, food & beverage, front desk and the reservations team. This was essential for me, as I had to quickly learn about ALL aspects of The Reef for my projects. I was given 2 main projects to work on over the 8 week placement, and a few sub-projects to keep me busy. I was involved in the re-branding of The Reef, which included everything from changing the physical logo to developing a new ethos behind the brand. During this project I worked with designers from Florida and marketing gurus from Canada, all through email and telephone calls. This certainly was a challenge with time differences. I was not solely responsible for the rebranding, however my input was greatly appreciated from all parties. The second project was to develop a CSR policy and communicate this to all involved in CSR activities. This included guests, staff and even suppliers. One of my recommendations was to introduce recyclable cups, straws and cutlery at the beach bar. The Managing Director liked the idea, however was concerned about cost. I put a business case forward to the MD highlighting the advantages of recyclable products and also provided ideas of how to absorb the additional costs, all of which was positively received by the MD.

Overall the rebranding was a success with all written communications for guests and staff changed according to the new brand logo. A 'green policy' was created and put in every room for the guests to understand their lessened impact on the environment during their stay at The Reef. This was a fantastic experience, and one which I will never forget. I have refined my communication, leadership, self management and time management skills. There have been advantages of the internship for both The Reef and myself. I gained invaluable experience which stands out on my CV and will definitely be influential in finding a job after I graduate. I was able to put the theory I have learned throughout my degree into a real life situation. The Saltire Foundation Internship Programme lets you meet new people, immerse yourself in a different social and business culture and work in a real-life environment. I would highly recommend it to anyone, no matter what type of degree you are studying.

Update November 2010

Sarah-Jane Whitehill is currently the Marketing Coordinator at The Reef Resort.  She was honoured as a Rising Star at the Cayman Islands Tourism Association's Stingray Awards. 

She writes:

"Personally, I was extremely honoured to be nominated for one of these prestigious awards, let alone be nominated for one of the special awards "Rising Star 2010". The Gala evening was hosted at the Marriott Beach Resort on Tuesday November 9th 2010. TheReef had 5 employees nominated in various categories (http://blog.thereef.com/) and we were thrilled to have 2 staff win their awards categories - Linera Grant won accommodations Employee of the year and I won the Rising Star 2010. It is a great privilege to be honoured by my peers in the industry and I was truly surprised to win the award as I was up against some stiff competition. This award is proof that the skills, experience and confidence gained through my Saltire Foundation internship has taken me to the next level of my career."