From December 2015 to March 2016 we have various intern positions which are unpaid but include a travel allowance.
Please read the information below and if you are interested in this opportunity, send your CV to hr@emiratesliteraturefoundation.org. Please state clearly in the subject li11ne that you are interested in becoming a Festival intern.
About Festival Internships
Being a part of the Festival team provides a unique opportunity for any determined student to enhance their resume and be a part of a professional arts organisation with particular emphasis on sharing ideas, learning and developing best practice within a dynamic marketing environment. The Festival offers broad hands-on experience and more specific training in event handling, PR and general administration.
The Festival is looking for people with an outgoing personality, can-do attitude with excellent attention to detail and commitment. Proficiency in MS Office is required. Maturity and reliability are a must as candidates will be dealing with VIPs, bestselling authors and our sponsors. An interest in books and culture is an added advantage.
About the Festival
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the Middle East’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together with authors from across the world to promote education, debate and reading in a celebratory and enjoyable way.
The Festival creates a wonderful opportunity for UAE nationals, residents and visitors to meet world famous authors, attend literary debates, listen to readings, participate in workshops and experience the exciting fringe and children’s events. With simultaneous translation in all sessions, the Festival is a meeting of minds where ideas are shared and friendships are formed – not least among the authors themselves, who whether festival veteran or novice have praised the lively atmosphere and the diverse, intellectually switched-on audiences.
What Interns can Expect
The Festival is a well-integrated, small team that is multi-talented, multi-faceted and adept at multi-tasking. The work environment is fast-paced, challenging, constantly evolving and changing, bringing out the best in everyone. The Festival embraces cultural diversity and provides an open, lively and an inclusive workspace where everyone has a voice and great ideas and good work are recognised and rewarded.
Success Stories
Salma AlSaadi
4th year student of Applied Communications at DWC and PR/Ad coordinator for Desert Dawn
“Every time someone asks me about my internship experience at the Emirates LitFest I get super excited and thrilled! One of the most amazing days of my educational stage was at the festival, I’ve met lots of authors that benefited my knowledge and really enlightened the way I think. One thing I really enjoyed is designing badges for the categories I’ve been given for the authors, media, VIPs, and more!
I also had the chance to design food vouchers, dealing with social media, VIPs and also escorted the authors at the hotel and back to the festival. All in all, I enjoyed every bit at the festival of literature experience and I recommended it when we had our ‘Work Experience’ presentation!”
FathimaNazeer
Administrative Assistant – Human Resources, HCT
“I applied for the Emirates LitFest internship opportunity just to get an extra bit of experience. The LitFest offered a more juicy role to play than the typical desk/telephone jobs. EVERYONE (people I was worked with for months and those I met only during the event itself) was brilliant. Friendly, helpful, caring, encouraging – I could go on, but I don’t think I could do justice to how great they were. My boss trained me well, slowly giving me responsibilities and monitoring my work to ensure high quality so that when we got close to the day of the festival, I was ready to run my part of the show. Before my internship, I was a bit hesitant with the word ‘ownership’, but towards the end, I had gained a higher sense of confidence and responsibility.
My time spent with the Festival and its team gave me a taste of a professional setting, as well as a fun, casual and friendly atmosphere – a combination that is hard to find. I am now working full time as an Administrative Assistant in the HR department of the Higher Colleges of Technology. The 6 months I spent with the LitFest will be one of biggest highlights of my life, and I will continue to carry the LitFest family in my heart.”
How to apply
Please send your CV and a covering letter to hr@emiratesliteraturefoundation.org. Please state clearly in the subject line that you are interested in becoming a Festival intern.