04 July, 2017

Profile of Company

EazyCity provide Study & Work Abroad programs for young people worldwide. Set up in Cork in 2004, the focus was originally on international students and graduates coming to Ireland. EazyCity offered the students a range of English language courses, study options, accommodation solutions and work placements. In more recent years they expanded their focus to include Irish students and graduates who wanted to have an experience abroad. Looking forward, the plan is to expand the business to target young people in the UK and USA.

Problem to be Solved Although

EazyCity has always been very active in marketing, that was mainly focused on the Spanish, French and Italian markets. Once they decided to start working with the Irish market they recognised the need to bring in some fresh marketing talent with a good understanding of the target audience (Irish young people 14-26 years old).

How CIT Delivered the Solution

CIT’s Marketing Degree course offers students practical skills in the fundamentals of marketing in today’s fast-paced world. In 2016, EazyCity recruited two CIT Marketing Degree placement students, Eric Teahan and Margaret Urbanowicz. Eric initially conducted market research and worked in the digital space and when his placement period was over, he was replaced by Margaret who focused on increasing overall engagement with the target audience. EazyCity offered Margaret a role within the marketing team when her placement finished and she has since become an integral part of the EazyCity family. Her work is focused mainly on engaging with the Irish student and youth market through a mix of collaborations with influencers, social media management and content generation. She also carries out regular research and tests marketing activities to see what works best with the target audience. Margaret brings graphic design skills to the team and is often busy designing flyers, posters etc for the company.

Work Placement Advantages

One of the main advantages of the Marketing Degree placement is that the student learns how to apply what they have learned in a commercial environment. In business, marketing is very much related to lead generation and sales. Often marketing students don’t make that connection until they carry out their placement. They often see marketing on its own and they don’t see it as part of the overall business picture. The company benefits from fresh ideas and new ways of thinking, and increasingly are looking at work placement as a significant avenue for talent acquisition.

Company Testimonial

"Managing expectations in a work placement is vital. At EazyCity we aim to be very detailed from the beginning with the role specification and at interview stage. In this way we can find the right fit for us and for the student. We maintain an excellent relationship with CIT and this also helps to ensure everyone involved has a successful placement experience" (Julia Lynes, Eazycity Director).