Arcadia Australia

Over the past six weeks, I had the opportunity to intern at Smart Mango, a global trade consultancy based in Sydney. As a Business Development Intern, this was my first real-world experience in the business field, and I was both excited and nervous to apply what I’ve been learning in my university courses to a new environment. This was an experience that included not just a new city, but also new markets and industries.

My experience at Smart Mango exceeded every expectation I had going in. I initially hoped to gain insight into how consulting firms operate across borders and industries, but I walked away with so much more: technical skills, cultural fluency, and a deeper confidence in my ability to contribute to a global team.

I joined the company during a particularly fast-paced period. Smart Mango was working with the Turkish Ministry of Trade to coordinate COSMEET, a B2B cosmetics event that aimed to connect 12 Turkish cosmetics exporters with Australian distributors and buyers. With just weeks until the event, we were under pressure to generate qualified leads and secure attendance from key Australian wholesalers, distributors and retailers.

A large part of my role involved lead generation and outreach. I conducted market research, identified potential Australian partners, and tracked communications using tools like HubSpot CRM, Microsoft Excel, and Slack. This hands-on exposure to real clients and live data helped me better understand the Australian business landscape, particularly in the beauty and wellness sector.

What made the experience truly transformative, though, was the team culture at Smart Mango. The office operated with a non-hierarchical structure, where interns and senior leaders exchanged ideas freely. Doris Dunon, our CEO, was especially supportive—she encouraged us to start each morning discussing current global events and their impact on trade and consumer markets. These conversations not only made me feel included but also pushed me to think critically about the broader forces that influence business.

The COSMEET event, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney, was an incredible opportunity to see all the work we had been doing over the past few weeks come to life. In addition to supporting overall event operations, my primary responsibility was overseeing B2B meetings between Turkish manufacturers and Australian buyers, ensuring that the matchups were relevant and making real-time adjustments as needed.

It was a challenge at first, but with guidance from my team, I developed a system to track the meetings in real time and contribute meaningfully to the event’s success.

By my final week, I was able to reflect on how much I’d grown as a business student, team member and problem-solver. The collaborative, global nature of Smart Mango taught me to approach problems with empathy and strategy, and to always stay curious. I’m grateful to have been part of a workplace that values learning, diversity, and impact. I look forward to applying what I’ve gained from this experience in my future academic and professional endeavors.