Hello! I am Adinda and I was the marketing intern at M-DAQ during my summer holiday in 2022. I am currently taking up a degree in Management and Digital Innovation from the University of London at SIM GE, and I'm a graduate of the Diploma in Engineering with Business at NYP.

When I received the email for the M-DAQ interview, I was excited as this internship aligns perfectly with my area of interest and combines my passion for technology with my creative inclination. As a tech-savvy individual, I have long aspired to work for a cutting-edge tech company, and this opportunity presented itself as a chance to bring those interests together.

As M-DAQ primarily operates as a B2B company, I was initially unfamiliar with the organisation. Furthermore, the fintech industry is a novel realm for me. As is customary for any interviewee, I conducted research on the company and was thrilled to discover that M-DAQ was honoured with the "Best Tech Company to Work For" award in 2019! This discovery intensified my curiosity about what my internship experience would entail.

My First Impression
My initial encounter with M-DAQ left a lasting impression of the passion of its employees. The company's unique seating arrangement of hot desking meant that desks are not assigned and departments are not strictly segregated, providing an opportunity for me to listen in to a diverse array of conversations and brainstorming sessions. I could be seated beside a general manager, a BD manager, a software engineer, or even with my fellow interns. Imagine the interesting things I've heard and seen! The exposure to such a dynamic and stimulating environment was truly inspiring, as it was evident that everyone believes in their work and the products they are developing. Personally, the daily chance to engage with a new set of colleagues and greet them each morning made this experience one of the highlights of my internship.

On Being Well Integrated into the Company
As an intern, I was worried about not being able to integrate well into the company — thankfully, the sit-where-you-like arrangement helped me intermingle with the team much better. My supervisor, Rebecca (who goes by Becky by people in the office), is also a strong advocate of being well integrated — she made sure I was well involved in the day-to-day operations of the marketing department, providing me the opportunities to regularly pitch ideas that I thought could be beneficial for the company. She included me in her meetings, walked me through her thoughts and creative process, and passed on the skill of communicating with other departments like Sales, Business Development or the Product Owners to fact-check the content we are putting out. This encouraged me to be more proactive in meetings, helping me feel heard in what I had to say and valued as a member of the team.

These have helped me to gain the truest insights into the day-to-day operations as a full-time marketer, from ideation and copywriting to website launches. One particularly notable project involved the behind-the-scenes work leading up to a much-anticipated launch, allowing me to witness the intricacies and mechanics of innovation. Once again, we worked with external companies, product owners and even the marketing department of Wallex, an M-DAQ subsidiary during this project, thus providing us with a diverse range of perspectives. Being involved in tasks like this helped better prepare me for the realities of collaborative work, and instilled in me a comfort and confidence in working with others.

Challenges I Came Across
One of the challenges I came across during this internship was comprehending the complex nature of the company's products, which required an in-depth understanding of the finance industry. My supervisor assured me to take my time in understanding them, providing me with various resources to study and arranged meetings with relevant people just to help me understand the products as the accuracy of the content we put forth as marketers is of utmost importance.

Working in a start-up may mean a tighter-knit community, but it is also a high-pressure environment that can really put you to the test. The fast-paced environment at M-DAQ kept me on my toes as my responsibilities and tasks varied from week to week. One moment, I would be engaged in my typical content creation work, and in the next, I might find myself in a rush to complete a critical press release within a tight deadline. This dynamic and ever-evolving atmosphere proved both challenging and exhilarating.

Moreover, the company’s flexible work arrangement nurtured my creativity by allowing me to work in different spaces. Some days, I could create content in a cafe to get my creative juice flowing. Other days, I get to the office when I need inspiration and have brainstorming sessions across different teams.

What Makes Working at M-DAQ Interesting
Having worked at M-DAQ, I feel honoured to witness many of its breakthroughs. Every week, there would be new announcements — and as part of the marketing team, we would often be one of the first ones to know. These announcements are usually milestones of achievements like upcoming partnerships or interesting projects M-DAQ are taking on. It is gratifying to witness the fruition of the efforts of my colleagues translated into tangible accomplishments.

M-DAQ's reputation for innovation attracts a wide range of important figures. A normal Thursday afternoon could be a visit from the Mayor of Fukuoka or the ministerial delegations from Seychelles. You'll just never know what a day in the office might entail.

I also liked that M-DAQ is very involved with the wider fintech community and the youth! While I was here, M-DAQ would organise various events like Case Competition in collaboration with SMU, hold webinars and participate in various industry talks. Through this internship, I was able to meet and connect with fellow youths who are particularly interested in fintech.

Overall, M-DAQ has provided me with a great place to learn and to have a jumpstart in my career. Working for a start-up pushed me to put on different hats when the time calls for it, allowing me to explore the different roles within marketing that I may be interested to pursue in the future.