Chelsea Wijaya from Shanghai Business School Student Excelling in Branding Through Her Internship at Start Friday Asia Brand & Business Strategy Consulting
Hi Fripipel! Meet Chelsea.
Chelsea Michaelia Wijaya is an Indonesian undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Business Administration and Management at Shanghai Business School. With a global academic background and a passion for creativity, Chelsea didn’t limit herself to classroom learning. Instead, she sought real-world exposure through a professional internship with Start Friday Asia—a branding and creative consultancy with offices in Surabaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Istanbul
Starting Her Internship Journey
As a Social Media Specialist Intern, Chelsea dove straight into real projects involving branding, strategic content planning, and digital storytelling. From day one, she was welcomed by a supportive team and guided through a clear and collaborative working structure—despite the fully remote setup.
Her Role, Challenges & Responsibilities
During her internship, Chelsea was entrusted with key responsibilities such as:
Developing monthly content plans for multiple client brands
Planning and executing ideas for Instagram feeds, stories, and TikTok campaigns
Writing creative briefs for the design team
Researching trends to ensure fresh and relevant social content
One of the most valuable learning moments came when she supported a crisis communication effort for a client’s brand reputation issue—learning the nuances of tone, public empathy, and timely responses in a high-pressure digital environment.
Skills Gained and Strengthened
Throughout the internship, Chelsea sharpened both technical and soft skills:
Time and task management under tight weekly deadlines
Creative strategy and content ideation using social listening and trend analysis
Crisis response communication, with a calm, brand-safe approach
Cross-functional collaboration with designers, writers, and account managers
Recognition: The Best Junior Account Executive
Chelsea’s dedication didn’t go unnoticed. By the end of her internship, she was awarded “The Best Junior Account Executive” by Start Friday Asia—an acknowledgment of her consistent contributions, initiative, and professionalism
A Role Model for International Students
Chelsea’s story is proof that being an international student is not a limitation—it’s a launchpad. Her internship experience showed how global perspectives from Shanghai can be applied to regional markets across Southeast Asia. She successfully:
Bridged international business knowledge with local branding insights for educational and fashion.
Adapted to multicultural, remote-first work environments
Turned theory into real, strategic impact for client brands
Final Thoughts
Interning at Start Friday Asia offered Chelsea more than hands-on experience—it gave her a space to grow, explore, and define her professional identity. For her, branding isn’t just about visuals or social posts—it’s about empathy, strategy, and thoughtful communication.
To other students—especially international ones—Chelsea’s journey is a reminder: when you combine initiative with curiosity, meaningful opportunities will follow. That one internship might just be the first real step toward your dream career.
Fripipel can check out Chelsea’s Linkedin to know more about her experience during the internship at Start Friday Asia!
