Internships have become a big part of university life for undergraduates, recent graduates and people wanting to gain invaluable experience. The term internship is increasingly used to reflect a salaried placement programme, from three to 18 months, where people gain experience in an array of different departments (often for three to four months at a time). While there is no restriction on age (and I’m sure many of you will have seen both The Intern (Robert De Niro) and The Internship (Vince Vaughn) movies), internships are mainly opportunities for younger people to gain valuable experience and exposure to working life in different environments.
Peter McPartland: As UK Head of Bids and Presentations, I was asked in May 2024 to host Jamie Lewis, an undergraduate studying Business Economics at the University of Liverpool. This would be the first of his four seats in the Crawford & Company internship programme, spending four months in each. When the theme for BQ20 was announced, Jamie and I both felt his time with the bids team was something of an unexpected gift for us all.
Jamie confidently provided us with ideas from a fresh perspective which enhanced our thinking as he was not influenced by previous roles. His attention to detail and ability to patiently support people who needed more attention was invaluable. This meant we became even more productive and efficient and there was a visible positive impact on the momentum on projects. He also enriched the appreciation the Bid Execs within the team had of their own talents.
The reality is that I’d never given thought to what we would offer an intern or what they would contribute in return.
My message for all leaders of bid and presentation departments: you have a lot to offer an intern and they will bring a wealth of value to you and your teams.
Jamie Lewis: It became increasingly clear during my second year of university that while qualifications are clearly important, education gained through real life experience is vital. Seeking out experience is a big part of university life and placements or internships are extremely sought after. Expectations of employers and the high standard of applicants wanting to start careers means strong qualifications must be augmented with enriched experience.
This was my first ever 9-5 office job and I had very minimal knowledge of what bids were. Admittedly, I had always watched bids for the World Cup or Commonwealth Games with interest and I was intrigued to see if my thinking was on the right lines. On meeting Peter on my first day, he pointed out the internship was something new to both of us. We agreed both we and other members of the bids team should work hard to ensure we all learnt and benefitted from our time together.
The bids department showed me how important strong people skills and emotional intelligence are in enabling project teams to excel. Creating environments for constructive challenge and development of ideas was something that became apparent very early on. People working on bids all have different talents, styles and experiences. Leadership is needed to bring these individuals together and ensure the customer remains at the centre of the bid and pitch. This knowledge, amongst other things (for example the importance of creativity and psychology to maximise the impact on audiences), were real standouts from working within a bids department.
What also felt unique was that the bids team is both a very client facing and internally facing team. I was able to quickly understand what makes our propositions compelling and engage with a wide variety of functions. This was an added bonus to the first seat of my internship.
I genuinely could not have hoped for more as I reflect on my time with the bids team. I encourage interns to seek out opportunities within bidding environments. You have so much to offer and the experience you receive from an important area within a business will be incredibly rewarding.
Peter McPartland
Peter is recognised for his strengths in bid team leadership, innovation and performance improvement. One of the first law firm employees to achieve the APMP Certified Professional qualification, Peter is also a winner of an APMP UK national award for Innovation.
Jamie Lewis
Jamie is an undergraduate student studying Business Economics at the University of Liverpool. He is currently completing a 15-month Internship with Crawford & Company, where he began his time with Pete McPartland in the Bids and Presentations department. Jamie is recognised for his enthusiasm and positive impact towards bids.
