Think that offering an internship is only viable for big organisations? Think again, says Frank Chiang (MBA, 2024), former intern and now Business Analyst at Whiskybase, the world’s largest online whisky community and marketplace – which is run by a dedicated team of just 14.

“Having an intern is a win for us because we’re a growing business which values every perspective from our team,” Chiang explains. “Interns always bring in fresh ideas and different ways of thinking, and we make sure they have the space to share them. Their input really matters to us as a small business.”

Internships are also the perfect way to find your next superstar. Chiang is living proof of that: he started as an intern in 2022 and has been with the team ever since. And following in his footsteps is Chirag Jhamb (MBA, 2025), last year’s intern and now Marketing and Partnerships Manager.

“I had already worked with a startup so I know that when a team is small, it’s more dynamic,” says Jhamb. “You get to don multiple hats, you get more hands-on exposure, and you can actually make a very tangible impact on the company’s growth.”

He cites his first task as an intern: getting more retailers to sign up for the sponsored listings programme, designed to help retailers reach more customers and maximise their sales. “It took me right back to my marketing slides,” he remembers. “‘How do I segment them? Who’s my target audience? What content do I write?’ I was also taking ideas from a course called Irrational Lab, where we focus more on behavioural science and how psychological methods can influence decision making.” 

Within three months, Jhamb had increased the number of companies paying for sponsored listings from 14 to 27 – and at the time of writing, it’s 39. “It was particularly meaningful because it really validated my approach – take your classroom learnings, apply them in the real world and see them work.”

Of course, the internship had its challenges – balancing work and his studies, for one, though Jhamb emphasises his colleagues and tutors were very supportive on days when he had to leave the office at 5.30 pm and then sit in classes for another three hours.

The other challenge was simply getting to know a unique and fascinating business. “Whisky is an incredibly complex category,” he says. “It has its own production process. You have brands with their own heritage and storylines, but there’s also a very diverse set of players in the supply chain – retailers, distributors, bottlers and so forth. I needed to understand them from a marketing perspective: how do they think, what do they value? But it’s a good challenge because it pushes you to get more immersed in your industry.” It was this proactive attitude and willingness to learn that made Jhamb stand out as an intern – and what earned him the offer of a job once his internship had ended.

“He was already a great prospect, based on his past working experience and how he fitted our culture,” says Chiang. “But in a small enterprise we also encourage everyone to discover what’s needed for the business plan or a particular project – it might sound a bit disorganised! What it means in practice, however, is that we value people who identify and execute improvement independently rather than asking what they should do today. Chirag looks for ways to add value. He’s never afraid to ask questions – and he never waits for instructions.”