This summer, we’ve been graced with the company of a number of superstar-interns. Seb, Hardip, Gautier and Callum have all far exceeded our expectations and quickly became invaluable additions to our little team. We asked Callum to write about some of his best bits, and judging by what he came up with, it looks like we’ll have to come up with some longer looking task lists in the future! Enjoy.
“So what exactly is affiliate marketing?
I definitely had no idea when I set off on the journey from leafy Buckinghamshire, towards Shoreditch, for my interview with Skimlinks.
That having been said, I do like to be prepared (overly prepared some would say) so I had about a library’s worth of printouts on everything you could possibly know about the company: Alicia likes to do Yoga in the morning before work, quiet, mild-mannered Joe has a thing for Electronic rave music, and Ciaran likes to dance on tables. The internet’s a great place.
Unfortunately, as overly prepared as I was, I hadn’t accounted for the fact that, in arriving at Moorgate two hours before my interview, I was going to have to wait around outside…in the rain. Good old English weather: lord only knows why these Antipodeans choose to come and live in London!
Whilst I had two hours to kill before my interview, I somehow endeavoured to turn up late: upon ringing the bell to the building, I was buzzed in, only to find myself trapped in the entrance hall (the lift was out of order due to power cuts and you need a code to access the stairwell) Panic! Having eventually made my way up to the second floor, I did feel rather stupid decked out in suit and tie being interviewed by Mark and Hannah in jeans and flip flops, but everything went smoothly and 10 minutes after leaving the interview I got a call from my mum at home, saying Hannah had just rung offering me the internship. We do things fast here at Skimlinks.
I started two days later, and the following 10 weeks, leading up to today, have been a great collection of moments which I’ll never forget and which I’m going to try and sum up briefly (or not so briefly?!). Lest you get the idea that all we ever do at Skimlinks is have fun, I ought probably to add that we do work, occasionally at least, I’ve just chosen the more exciting stories from the summer to write about.
My first day at Skimlinks was quite an experience. Sitting behind me were the crew from lastsecondtickets.co.uk, who thought it would be appropriate to give me a bit of an education on topics that can’t really be discussed here. To think I thought I’d seen/heard everything at university!
I think I managed to horrify and slightly alienate the whole Skimlinks crew, when in the pub after my first day, I announced my trepidation at the prospect of my impending 20th birthday, and how I was ‘turning old’! Joe especially, recently an age that I can’t disclose since he’ll be editing this, was quite shocked I think.
Skipping a week or so, we had The Sway at the end of July. Somebody decided it would be a good idea to get me, the 19 year-old university student, to be the guardian of the free drinks tokens. Obviously I was very responsible and took the task very seriously…
One Friday in the middle of august ended with a group of us in The Fox, just across the road, after a powercut (yes, another powercut!) killed our internet. The antics of the evening shall go unspoken-about in these quarters, but I did manage to leave my bag, along with iPod, phone, wallet etc. on the train on the way home, only to find a message on Facebook the next day from someone who’d picked it up. Who says Londoners have no community spirit?
Most of September passed without much incident, mostly we were too busy in the office to be too outrageous out of it, but the crew wouldn’t let me leave without another incident of note and I duly obliged last night, falling asleep last night on the last train home after TechCrunch London, to be woken up at the end of the line in Aylesbury, a good 12 mile walk from home! Suffice to say I didn’t end up walking the whole way…
Hardip & Callum at the TechCrunch/Seedcamp party
I’m going to miss the whole Skimlinks crew:
Hardip, my fellow intern, who’ll start full-time next week having just been offered a position this week, will forever be remembered for leaving her mark on a train after ‘that Friday’ in The Fox.
Alicia, who (Hardip and I discovered last night at TechCrunch is known by the whole world), for what shall only be described as “that classic webcam moment”.
Hannah. Working with Hannah is like being at a fashion show every day, I don’t think she’s worn the same outfit twice in the ten weeks I’ve been here!
Matt, whose house we all invaded one morning after yet another powercut, will be remembered for his love of the less fragrant domain names!
Tamas, occasionally referred to as Thomas by some parties, for the hilarious moment when we found one of his dreadlocks lying on the floor!
Nicholas (call him Nick at your own peril) for the classic moments when he thinks his music is only playing through his headphones, but actually it’s being transmitted through his speakers too…especially when he listens to Alanis Morrisette!
Ciaran, with his homelessness, seems to be out of office half the time I’m in it…perhaps he’s just scared of me after ‘that Friday’?
Joe, who will use any excuse to dress up as his favourite celebrity…
And last, but definitely not least, Mark. Who wins the ‘most regularly hungover’ award [Cheeky! - Mark]. We may not be your ‘real friends’ [Cheekier!!] but it’s been really great to work for you this summer!
All in all, it’s been an amazing summer, and I’m really grateful to have had the chance to work for Skimlinks, and I wish them all the best for the future! With any luck you might hear from me in the future after I graduate!
Still, what is affiliate marketing?”
