Matthew: Internship with TBL Services

*This Blog post was created for the TBL Services website and has been included here with permission*

In early 2025, TBL welcomed Matthew Eddleston to the team to complete a marketing assistant internship. In this post, he discusses what made him apply for the opportunity, gives his take on the experiences he had whilst with TBL, and offers his advice for any undergraduate thinking about an internship.

Finding my internship

As a second-year linguistics student, when it came time to consider my university’s placement module, I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive. Most opportunities for my degree seemed to gravitate towards education or speech therapy, areas I just wasn’t passionate about. Instead, my interests lay in the communications and business world, particularly high-level business strategy. So, when TBL was recommended by my lecturers, offering a 40-hour marketing assistant role, I was very intrigued. I had just begun a marketing and branding module as part of my studies, and so the opportunity to test myself in a modern and enthusiastic company was very exciting.

I was nervous about how relevant my linguistics degree might be, and I was worried that I would be out of my depth. But I was also excited to put the textbooks down for a while and get some real experience.

My experience at TBL

On my very first day, those concerns quickly melted away. The team at TBL was incredibly welcoming and friendly.

My role as a Marketing Assistant was diverse and dynamic. Primarily, I was responsible for writing copy for various web pages. Each morning, I’d have a meeting with Colin, TBL’s Managing Director, who would articulate his vision for a page, and I would do my best to translate that into compelling words. Collaborating closely with the in-house graphic designer, I ensured the text and visuals aligned perfectly.

One of the most surprising and fulfilling aspects of this internship was discovering how my degree, and my background in creative writing, played a crucial role. TBL needed clear, concise, and upbeat tones in their communications, and my studies had equipped me to deliver just that. It was incredibly satisfying to apply what I’d learnt at university in a practical business setting, ensuring their messaging was effective and engaging.

I also had the opportunity to contribute to the research for TBL’s ‘Support the Goals’ initiative. This involved diving into the supply chains of various companies and rating their engagement with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was great to see major businesses interact with these global objectives.

What I learnt from my internship

While the experience was overwhelmingly positive, there were certainly moments of challenge. Writing copy for a company website was a significant shift from the academic writing style I’m used to. However, having knowledgeable colleagues readily available to answer my questions made all the difference. I gained an immense amount of knowledge by simply asking for help when I was struggling or unfamiliar with a particular concept.

The most important thing I witnessed while at TBL was seeing how real change actually happens. Before this internship, I admit, I was often sceptical about environmental activism and its ability to actually improve the future. Seeing the real-world implementation of these initiatives was eye-opening. Since this internship, I have become far more optimistic about our future.

TBL’s culture

The atmosphere at TBL’s Lancaster University office was great. Everyone was genuinely friendly, knowledgeable and supportive. While I only worked one day a week and didn’t directly experience their four-day work week, it was great to see the strong commitment to work-life balance from a company that cared about the well-being of its employees.

Two individuals had a particularly significant impact on my experience. MD Colin was an incredible source of daily guidance. He made me feel confident and supported in all of my tasks. I was also impressed by his ability to articulate big ideas and his vision for TBL. Rachael Davies, the Finance, HR & Sustainability Manager, was another key figure. Rachael served as my main point of contact before and after the internship. She provided me with valuable advice going into the internship, offered feedback throughout and even helped me with the essay I needed to complete for my university module after the internship concluded.

Moving forward

This internship has widened my horizons and shown me the unexpected careers a linguistics degree can lead to. It has reignited my interest in the business world and, perhaps most importantly, demonstrated what I am capable of when I set my mind to something.

I hope to one day work for a company as supportive and positive as TBL, and one that is actively doing good in the world.

Advice for others

To any student who, like me, is unsure about their future career, I think you should jump at this opportunity. I feel so much more confident about my job prospects and learnt so much because of this internship. The only advice I have is to ask as many questions as you can – don’t worry about being wrong or messing something up. Remember this is an opportunity to learn and build connections, so be honest and absorb as much knowledge as you can.