Chris' Student Experience Researcher Internship with the School of Economics and the Faculty of Social Sciences at UEA -- End of Week One

How did you feel about the internship leading up to the start?

I was excited to be coming back to UEA, having done my undergraduate degree here. I had done limited research work before, so I was looking forward to getting involved with a proper project where I would have real responsibility.

What was your first day like?

It was really interesting. Myself and Harriet (the other intern) sat down with our supervisor for 2 hours, talking over our roles, what we would be doing, and the wider issues of the subject of our internship. As we didn't have IT access yet, we spent the afternoon reading up on the National Student Survey, which is the basis of our internships.

What have you been up to each day in your first week e.g. what tasks have you been doing, have you learnt new skills?

We still didn't have internet or computer access at the end of the first week, so we have mainly been reading academic papers, writing summaries, and discussing our findings.

Has your experience of your first week been what you expected?

I didn't really know what to expect when I came here. I'm used to working in a profit/sales driven environment, so I wasn't sure what to expect when entering academia. It is a very relaxed environment compared to a profit driven environment, and I find it easier to work in this sort of setting.

What have you enjoyed the most about your first week?

Probably being back at UEA has been the best thing. As the internship still hasn't got fully started yet, I can't really comment on the work. But I have enjoyed the working environment here, especially as I have an office!

How do you think the next few weeks will be?

After doing the reading, I am quite excited about the project I will be doing. I have taken some good ideas from these papers, and hope to be able to put them into practise. I am slightly nervous about anything to do with statistics as I have forgotten a lot of the stats work I did in my degree.

Amy's Campaign Communications and Marketing Internship with Norwich for Jobs

How Supporting Norwich 16-24 year olds into Work led me into a Job to Help Norfolk 16-24 year olds prepare for work by Volunteering

I’m pleased to say that as well as thoroughly enjoying my internship with Norwich For Jobs, the city’s campaign to half youth unemployment, the skills I developed helped me to secure longer term employment with another initiative to help local young people. 

Through encouraging and supporting local businesses to offer employment and training opportunities to young people I discovered that I really want to help young people into work as well as making it easy for local organisations to benefit from the skills they have to offer. I also realised that Norwich truly is a fine city in which to work with lots of inspirational people who really want to improve community cohesion, opportunities for young people and business growth.

I developed the confidence to professionally communicate with a wide range of audiences in the public, private and charity sector; from 16 year olds to experienced business leaders. I recruited new supporters from each sphere, building up new relationships and developing existing partnerships. I improved my ability to manage correspondence and relationships with internal and external stakeholders efficiently and effectively through regular face-to-face, phone and email contact.

I also learnt the importance of and took the opportunity to network extensively; I was fortunate to meet a wide variety of really great people, working directly for and in partnership with Norwich For Jobs, many of whom I hope to stay in contact with both personally and professionally. 

By the time I met the friendly Manager of Norfolk Can Inspire at a meeting I had arranged to discuss how we could work together and found out that they were recruiting for a Local Coordinator for Norwich I was not only certain that I was very interested in this line of work but I also finally felt confident that I ticked every box of the previously dreaded person specification. Even better, I could back each requirement up with a recent relevant example which enabled me to write the quickest cover letter of my life, on the spot. Not only did I feel as though I could prove myself as a resourceful self-starter with a background in youth and community work my day-to-day role with Norwich For Jobs often included exactly what they were looking for: coordination between local young people, voluntary organisations and professionals.

Shortly after giving a presentation about Norwich For Jobs at the launch of a similar initiative in East London to a significantly larger audience and after practising with a Jobcentre Plus colleague I actually felt more excited than nervous to deliver my presentation to the panel of my Norfolk Can Inspire interview. For the first time, I actually enjoyed a job interview and it paid off.

I have no doubt that my success in gaining what I am sure will be interesting, long-term employment is largely thanks to the diverse experience that I have gained through working for Norwich For Jobs, supported by the UEA.

I’m also really pleased that I am able to continue with Norwich For Jobs part-time as the Employer Engagement Manager because my job with Norfolk Can Inspire is not quite full-time. I hope this will be beneficial for both myself and the campaign because the only negative aspect of a 3 month internship is that by the end of three months you can really learn a lot, add value to the project, be given a lot of responsibility and establish important relationships but unless the employer is able to keep you on it may feel as though it’s over just as you’re getting into the swing of it.    

I highly recommend the UEA Graduate Internship Programme to any graduates wishing to gain invaluable and financially viable work experience in a wide range of fields which not only makes you more attractive to employers but can also help with one of the most difficult aspects of career planning and job hunting; knowing what you’d like to do and what steps you need to take to get there.

Lucy's Marketing Internship with UEA Writers' Service -- Final Update

How have you found your experience? Was it what you expected? What did you enjoy the most?

These past three months have been an incredibly positive experience for me, I’ve been able to really engage with the University Writers Service project and gain invaluable skills in both marketing and employability which will benefit my future career.

I expected the scheme to meet with some scepticism from the students but ended up being surprised by the positivity and support that was shown. It also allowed me to see how the university functions on a daily basis and understand the level of hard work that goes into the student experience.

My favourite moment of the internship was our first workshop: this was an opportunity to see all my hard work come together and it far surpassed expectation with over 100 students turning up. From this, we were able to provide seven students with paid freelance employment alongside their studies.

What do you feel you have gained from your internship? Have you developed new skills?

I feel I’ve gained a lot more confidence in my own abilities by undertaking such a wide variety of tasks. Although I had some experience in event management and promotion as a social secretary, the internship pushed these skills further and I was able to learn about marketing techniques and how to maximise my social media presence.

I was also able to work closely alongside a local business, which helped me learn how to maintain a relationship of communication and trust. I had to see the scheme through the lens of our business partner and prospective clients and importantly, the lens of our students, making sure I had effectively tailored the marketing and promotion to appeal to both audiences.

Did your internship help you to put skills learned from your degree into practice?

As an English Literature graduate, I was able to relate to the students who partook and were employed by the University Writers scheme and this enabled me to provide effective support and assistance when needed. Also, being able to hone in my research skills were applicable when I was marketing to our target market and creating class presentations aided me when I had to promote the scheme in seminars and lecture talks.

I found the main thing that I found invaluable from my university experience, was my involvement in societies alongside my degree. Not only was I able to organise and manage my time to better use, I was able to use my student contacts to draw in a good team of people to assist with the promotion of the scheme.

What are you going to be doing after your internship? Have you secured employment? Do you think your internship experience helped you to this employment? How?

I was lucky enough to be offered an internship working with the Norwich for Jobs parliamentary campaign, a scheme which is designed to help reduce levels of unemployment amongst Norwich young people. My internship with the University Writers Service was an incredible help with the application in that it allowed me to gain experience in all three sectors this internship required of me: marketing, mentoring and employment. This felt like an ideal step as it will allow me to work with a greater number of businesses and provide a larger number of young people the chance to get paid employment. I can’t wait!

Brad's Internships with Zing Insights and Norwich Business School

How have you found your experience? Was it what you expected? What did you enjoy the most?

I have thoroughly enjoyed my intern employment since graduating in July with a First Class Business and Management BSc (Hons). Going into my internship at Zing Insights I was mildly apprehensive because I had no previous experience of working within a clerical environment. However, it was reassuring to discover that many of the skills I had developed throughout my degree were directly transferable to an active business environment. I feel as though my heavy emphasis on a study of marketing at Norwich Business School was particularly resourceful to me and overall I feel as though I developed considerably in areas of professionalism and other commercial skills.

I enjoyed the chance to co-ordinate Zing’s contribution to the GoGoGorillas project - organising the logistics of visitor research and negotiating with Norfolk businesses to allow Zing to conduct research on their premises free of charge. Then I and another intern took responsibility for creating a robust data-set for our research by recruiting over 2,500 visitors to take part in our survey.

What do you feel you have gained from your internship? Have you developed new skills?

I feel that my internships have provided me with a degree of experience and confidence that I didn’t have before. I hope these developments in my CV and personality alike will support me in cultivating a professional career in marketing. My internship at Zing provided me with experience that is very relevant to the career I aspire to have. Developing and implementing a marketing strategy with marketing collateral was my primary task. This included involvement with direct and database marketing utilizing addressable media, sponsorship, personal selling and PR. Similarly, my Social Media Marketing internship allowed me to implement a marketing campaign through digital and print media as well as building on, developing and implementing Norwich Business School’s social media strategy.

Did your internship help you to put skills learned from your degree into practice?

My internship at the Norwich Business School allowed me to creatively apply the marketing communications principles that I had developed academically (through my Business and Management BSc and CIM Professional Diploma) in a practical environment. I had the opportunity to communicate with various stakeholders of the Norwich Business School over a variety of communications channels.

What are you going to be doing after your internship? Have you secured employment? Do you think your internship experience helped you to gain this employment? How?

I am currently studying the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Professional Diploma in Marketing. Alongside this I have been looking specifically for marketing roles within a higher education environment and have been conveniently offered a Graduate Social Media and Marketing Assistant role within Norwich Business School. This position is particularly attractive to me considering my passion for business education and the domain knowledge I have developed from being an active consumer of business education myself. I am sure that my immersed and enduring involvement with business education will be resourceful to me in my new role within Norwich Business School’s Local Support Office - my internship experience has certainly confirmed that the career path I have selected is the right one for me.

Lucy's Marketing Internship with UEA Writers' Service -- October Update

October set the launch date for the University Writers Service project that we have been developing alongside Fountain Partnership.  In the weeks following up to the initial workshop, the focus was entirely on promotion from social media through to stalls in the Hive. Once we’d received our leaflets and posters, I set about pasting the message around the university and targeting students from all departments in their seminars and lectures.

We went from 2 places to 150 in one weekend and had to extend the number of seats to account for the extra interest. For the workshop, my responsibility was to provide packs for each student who attended which included putting together feedback forms and helping to edit our guide to SEO basics and resources. I was also responsible for media coverage, this meant updating social media, taking photographs of the event and arranging a student camera crew to film the event for those unable to make it. We received a lot of positive feedback after the event and ended up being featured in the EDP business section.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/fountain_returns_to_uea_to_help_students_1_2864357

The next few weeks will see my role change from marketer to mentor, my role will be to support our seven freelance writers and provide them with guidance so they can develop their copywriting skills and write to their highest standard for our partner, Fountain. I’m really looking forward to meeting the students and seeing their copywriting skills develop over the coming term.

Kieran's Social Media Internship with UEA -- First Week

How did you feel about the internship leading up to the start?

I felt a mixture of emotions. I was excited, optimistic, nervous – but mainly excited. I’m a Film graduate from UEA, and I was just so happy to be given an opportunity to break into a field that is somewhat relevant to my degree (I could tie the communicative aspect of my course to my new role – I am acting as a social media intern in the university’s Digital Marketing Team). I was, and still am, hoping that by spending time under the wider umbrella of “the media” it will help me to get where I eventually want to be: writing about and working with film.

What was your first day like?

My first day went really quickly! It was nice to meet everyone in the office (and others from A LOT of other departments). This is my first office-based, 9-5 job, so I was pretty content with just getting to work on time, learning about office etiquette and dynamics, and learning how the university operates! Of course, I was actually given proper duties. I was thrown in, relatively, at the deep end, and had to investigate the use and viewership of the university’s YouTube account (interesting to me, given my film background). I had to use YouTube analytics to create a report (made up of word documents and excel spreadsheets) of how successful or unsuccessful the university’s videos had been with users. I was also introduced to Meltwater (a system that manages all of the university’s correspondence through its main social media channels) and taught how to deal with the interaction coming in from around the globe.

What have you been up to each day in your first week?

Under the guidance of my boss (Jono Read, the university’s social media coordinator), I’ve been getting involved in, what I’d like to term as, PR tasks. I’ve been creating, monitoring and replying to content on the university’s media platforms. This is while using industry standard applications (like Meltwater), and understanding the intricate planning and the necessary reaction and evaluation that goes into a tweet, a Facebook message et al. I’ve had to create reports and statistics through research, and investigate whether the university is being portrayed in a negative or positive manner by people (students, parents, employees alike) on various outlets.

Using the university’s Facebook and Twitter is not as simple as how you’d treat a personal account, there are rules to go by and responses to understand; how and why have people responded to that particular piece of media in that way? How many people have actually responded? And so on and so forth. In the end everything you do, and everything you see others do, contributes to the overall image of the university – such is the importance of the virtual world nowadays.

What have you enjoyed the most about your first week?

Well, there’s so much you’re unaware of as a nonchalant student. Working here, you quickly begin to appreciate all the hard work of the thousands of staff that goes into making the “student experience”, and the university a great place to study and socialise. It really is one big ecosystem. That’s been a pleasant revelation.

Mostly, though, I’ve really enjoyed reading student opinions about the university. Seeing as I’m no longer a student (that wound is still fresh), there’s a slight sense of catharsis and melancholy in seeing a lot of people discovering things or going through the same experiences that I did. Sat at a desk and staring at a screen, you’re strangely exposed to it all. It’s great to see so many people caring and being positive about a place you have a great connection to. Understanding where the communication is coming from has also proved a source of enjoyment (Meltwater can show geographically where people have messaged from). One person tweeted the university from North Korea, which I found absolutely fascinating and slightly demystifying of that entire country. I hope that person comes to UEA one day!

How do you think the next few weeks will be?

I’m looking forward to them. It’s an exciting time to be working at UEA in any capacity, with the influx of new students, the term starting up again, and the university’s 50th anniversary all on the horizon (it means plenty of activity for the social media team). Personally, I’m really eager to start using photography and filmmaking based social media (we’re thinking of starting up a Vine account). I also get to provide my own recommendations for a new strategy on how the university can improve its social media output, so I’ll be analysing all the latest and best media tools, from Google+ to LinkedIn. By the end of my 12 weeks I think I will have a far greater knowledge of the online market than when I came into the internship, and that can only be useful when applying for other jobs in the future.

Fernanda's Research and Marketing Internship with Norfolk Network

On the road: the Norfolk Network

My journey to and with the Norfolk Network (NN) was filled with learning and excitement. At the first event, I felt catapulted into a world I knew little about: the world of business and business relationships. Nevertheless, I had a warm welcome to the Network and as soon as I had realized the immensity of the opportunity I was being offered, I felt really privileged to work within such a stimulating and entrepreneurial environment and to have access to ambitious and talented business people from all sectors.

 

The internship involved taking forward two projects. The first was to research the finer profile of the membership of the NN while the second was to evaluate the UEA sponsorship of the NN. As a result, I gained so much insight and knowledge of the SME culture and witnessed how education and enterprises play a vital role in generating wealth and prosperity in the local economy. One of the most important “eureka moments”, was the realization that a specific degree does not limit one’s career path. It was as though my visual field had suddenly amplified in relation to employment and careers. I know now that there are a myriad of different professions that are available, I only need to look closely.

During the fast course of 12 weeks, I was able to apply some of the skills learnt whilst studying for my degree as well as sharpening and developing new employability skills. Little by little, I started to see that other experiences (which I had mistakenly taken for granted) were also helping me along the way – organizing a youth event and performing at the local church, living amidst different cultures, traditions and industries – all of these had taught me something invaluable.

 

The NN taught me how relationships, quality and brand are important but, most importantly, how all encapsulate one vital element: hard work. To quote Edison, "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”, in other words, without a lot of hard work, a great business idea can almost mean nothing at all.  I see this reflected in the NN, in its members and sponsors; all the partnerships that were established and continue to thrive through a great vision and lots of concentrated effort.

 

Finally, I would like to thank the UEA careers and graduate internship team who gave me support applying and during the internship; many thanks the NN team for giving me this opportunity and leading me through my personal development; and, thanks to the member base of the NN for inspiring me. Finally, my journey in the role of a ‘graduate research and marketing intern’ has reached its end, but to quote one great band, “all ends with beginnings”!

Lucy's Marketing Internship with UEA Writers' Service -- One Month In

After one month on the Graduate Internship programme, I have settled into the swing of things and begun to make real progress with the establishment of the University Writers Service.

After the initial introductions in Week One, I quickly got stuck in and started to develop a plan of action for the following few weeks. Before our launch, our team alongside Fountain Partnership had to develop an effective marketing strategy which showed both our professional and corporate side, whilst attracting students to apply for the training programme.

During weeks two and three, I was able to attend meetings with both the UEA marketing team and local designers, Creative Sponge, which allowed the team to oversee the development of the logo and branding from the beginning drafts to the final end product. In these meetings, we had to consider where the publicity would be most effective and my first-hand knowledge, as a former UEA student, meant that I could help identify the best places to distribute our posters, find suitable lectures for talks and bring attention to the scheme via social media websites.

Throughout the internship, I have dealt with several different external companies and departments within the university and it has been a great experience to talk to such a wide variety of people on a daily basis. I’ve also had the opportunity to craft presentation and seminar talks and experience the ins and outs of event management, from room bookings to tracking down elusive cables!

So far the internship has really helped to develop my confidence in the workplace and will hopefully continue to improve my communication and marketing skills. I’m really looking forward to discovering what the next few weeks will bring.  

Amy's STAR experiences during her Campaign Communications and Marketing Internship with Norwich for Jobs

Competencies. One of the only near certainties at job interviews but one of my biggest fears. For some reason I find it difficult to clearly explain my ability to manage my own work load,   work in a team or overcome a challenge to interviewers. I’ve been told time and time again that the STAR technique is fool-proof but I still find it can be tricky to tell a coherent story to demonstrate every possible competency that an interviewer desires.  

I felt as though I had quite a wide range of experiences to draw on before I started my UEA graduate internship; from teaching English in Chile, studying for my degree, working as a Student Ambassador, being Treasurer of the International Students Society and various holiday jobs. Yet I would still find myself hard-pressed to tell the best stories to clearly exhibit my competencies during an interview. In a couple of interviews I felt as though I was asked for evidence to prove the same competency more than once which left me stumbling to give varied, rather than my best answers. When I started my internship I was therefore keen to ensure that I developed the competencies I felt I had little solid experience of as well as broadening my existing experience so that by the next time I am quizzed on my competencies I will have a wealth of examples to draw upon.

I’m pleased to say that my Campaign Communications and Marketing Internship has certainly helped me develop some STAR examples. Apparently something I was lacking experience of before my internship was managing internal and external stakeholder relationships. I found this frustrating because all my work experience had been very people-facing but it’s difficult to gain experience of managing relationships if no-one will give you the chance. I’m therefore particularly pleased that during my internship I’ve gained tangible experience of working with internal and external stakeholders, which pretty much sums up my day-to-day role with Norwich For Jobs.

STAR example #1: Managing relationships with internal stakeholders

*Situation:
I am working with Chloe Smith MP, Jobcentre Plus and local business leaders to halve youth unemployment in Norwich by January 2015 from just over 2000 18-24 year olds in January 2013.

*Task:
Ensure that the Norwich For Jobs steering group members are informed of the campaign’s progress.

*Action:
I record new employer details and commitments on the marketing and Management Information spread sheets.
I record the latest nomis labour market statistics representing the number of unemployed 18-24 year olds in Norwich on a monthly basis on the progress spread sheet.
I evaluate changes in the number of unemployed 18-24 year olds in Norwich in the context of regional, national and seasonal figures, and in relation to the number of young people going in to work opportunities committed through Norwich For Jobs.
I send a copy of the weekly progress statistics to key members of the steering group.
I report on the monthly progress of the campaign at steering group meetings.

*Result: 
I monitor and review the progress of the campaign on a weekly and monthly basis.
I inform the members of the steering group about how the campaign is proceeding so that we can evaluate our action.

STAR example #2: Managing relationships with external stakeholders

*Situation:
I am working on a campaign to halve youth unemployment in Norwich by January 2015 from just over 2000 18-24 year olds in January 2013.

*Task:
Encourage and help local employers to commit employment and training opportunities for young people.

*Action:
I respond to employers who express an interest in supporting the campaign through our website.
I aim to get in contact within 48 hours of receiving an email with the contact details of an interested employer.
Ideally I make an initial phone call to discuss what opportunities might be best for the company.
I sell the financial and social benefits of employing a young person to the employer.
I email Norwich For Jobs documentation.
If the employer hasn’t sent the pledge document within a week of the discussion, I contact them again.
Once the employer has committed an opportunity I ask for their logo to put on our website and arrange publicity for their efforts to support young people into work.
I maintain contact with the employer and where necessary arrange support to help them recruit a young person.  
  
*Result: 
10 new employers have committed 153 jobs and apprenticeships since I started working on the campaign.
7 new employers have pledged to support young people in finding work.

Lucy's Marketing Internship with UEA Writers' Service -- First Week

How did you feel about the internship leading up to the start?

I felt a mixture of excitement and anticipation before the start, but I’ve been really looking forward to getting stuck in and making this project a success for the university.

What was your first day like?

My first day involved a lot of introductions! Everyone in the LDC department was incredibly welcoming and it was nice to be able to return to the place I had spent many hours as a student.

What have you been up to each day in your first week?

The tasks have been incredibly various from attending brand meetings to creating engaging lecture presentations. I’ve learnt that enthusiasm goes a long way when getting new people on board with what you’re doing and to certainly not be afraid to put your voice across when you come up with any good ideas.

Has your experience of your first week been what you expected?

Yes. I expected the job to be varied and require a lot of organisation, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how accommodating my fellow staff members have been and how included I’ve felt in each stage of the project. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your first week?

My most favourite moment has definitely been being able to give my creative input into the branding of the service and seeing the ideas develop. As the Writers’ Service is a completely new development for the university, the project is very much what we want to make it.

How do you think the next few weeks will be?

I predict there will be lots of exciting breakthrough moments and no doubt trials and tribulations to overcome as we progress but I’m thoroughly looking forward to seeing how this project expands in the future. 

Amy's Campaign Communications and Marketing Internship with Norwich for Jobs -- Week 1

How did you feel about the internship leading up to the start?

I was excited about making a real difference to help get young Norwich working. I was also eager to develop my communication and professional skills and start a full time, paid internship.

What was your first day like?

I went straight to a Young Person’s panel meeting. I had been to the previous meeting before I started my internship but I was a bit nervous about this one because I was an employee not a volunteer. I learnt more about some of the challenges that young jobseekers face and the support available to them from Norwich based training providers. We also discussed how we can engage more young people with the campaign through publicising events, resources and the Young Person’s panel meetings through social media. 

Back in the office, I was introduced to the friendly team that I am working with and many more Department of Work and Pension employees working in different departments of the large Jobcentre Plus. 

What have you been up to each day in your first week?

I’ve been learning how to use various marketing spreadsheets, refreshing my knowledge of excel.

I’ve been to several meetings with inspirational business leaders who are keen to support young people into work in Norwich, developing my minute-taking skills.

I’ve replied to emails from local businesses who want to support the campaign, ensuring that I communicate in a professional and enthusiastic manner. 

I’ve drafted a short article for publication in the Federation of Small Businesses’ Regional Voice magazine and arranged to send out a marketing email to the Norfolk Federation of Small Businesses which I hope will enable us to engage with more employers to support the campaign.

Has your experience of your first week been what you expected?

It’s been similar to what I expected but there is probably more multi-tasking involved. I have definitely gained a greater understanding of why securing a commitment from local businesses is not as straightforward as I had thought and the importance of clear and targeted communication. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your first week?

I’ve been very fortunate to have a dedicated young person who has been working on the campaign since the start to guide me through my work. I’ve enjoyed meeting Chloe Smith and her team, Jobcentre Plus staff, business leaders, and young people who are eager to work together to halve youth unemployment in Norwich.

How do you think the next few weeks will be?

Norwich For Jobs has ambitious plans to encourage more local businesses to commit jobs, apprenticeships and work experience opportunities for young people so I will be busy preparing to launch a new marketing campaign. I’m going to continue to follow up communication with employers who have already expressed an interest in pledging their support to the campaign, over the phone as well as by email. I hope to develop my confidence and ability to professionally engage with business leaders.

Holly's Digital Engagement Internship with UEA's 50th Anniversary Oral Histories Project -- Week 1

How did you feel about the internship leading up to the start?

In a nutshell: thrilled. I was eager to begin the unique, challenging, creative and dynamic project, one that could allow me to help make a real contribution to the university. Having just finished my final year as a student at UEA, I equally saw it as a perfect opportunity to become acquainted with engaging, full-time work. The three-month full-time contract meant I could get a taster for the ‘9 to 5’ office role before plunging into a more permanent position. 

While I was mainly excited to embark on my internship, I was somewhat conscious of my in-limbo status as ‘no longer a student but still basically a student’. I had finished my undergraduate degree but was still waiting to graduate, which made me somewhat apprehensive about how I would fit in the office, or be perceived by my colleagues. Yet, on the whole, I was not nervous; more curious to see the hidden world of UEA through the eyes of a student (or ex-student).  I was keen to see how UEA functioned and networked behind closed doors, an opportunity I never really had in my three years at the university.

What was your first day like?

My morning began with a warm welcome from my team (who were later very forgiving about my forgetfulness of names). I then went to Café Direct for a meeting with my host, Anna, who bought me a tea and told me more about the project. This was followed by another meeting with my advisor, Diana, in the Bio Café (and more tea). By midday I was full of information and tea, and felt completely enthused by the job I had ahead of me – a feeling enhanced by the discovery that I would also help look for photographic material to accompany the audio clips I create (photography being a passion of mine).

One thing I was immediately impressed by was how I was treated as an intern. I felt like a genuine member of the team, with a voice that my colleagues wanted to listen to; not a beverage-maker who does the filing work nobody wants to do. They discussed with me my creative freedoms, and were happy to entertain any of my ideas and suggestions on the project – an approach which fully shot down any perceptions I had about the role of an office intern.

All in all, I had an extremely positive start to the internship, and left the building feeling a little exhausted yet elated about the coming months.

What did you get up to in your first week?

The first week of my internship was hectic, and never dull.  My team have been eager to get me involved with relevant activities where possible, such as audio software training with Robin (one of UEA’s media technicians), and attending the design pitch for the 50th anniversary branding. In between these and a number of meetings / introductions, I managed to listen to a couple of interviews – just a small taster of the roughly sixty hours of footage I’ll eventually cut down.

What did you enjoy the most about your first week?

The Oral Histories project itself! Having recently spent three years at UEA as a student, it’s fascinating to work with material that shows a different perspective on something already so familiar to me. Although I didn’t have the time in my first week to get fully stuck in, it has made me very excited for the quirky and interesting historical glimpses I’m yet to discover: whether a reflection on Denys Lasdun’s architecture or a fading snap shot of a 1960’s seminar.

How do you think the next few weeks will be?

Busy, with a tight schedule, but a challenge that I’m happy to take. I’m hoping to achieve a number of things by the end of my internship with the aid of a great team. These include a website showcasing the interviews, a four page spread on the project in Ziggurat magazine, an event on the festival anniversary weekend, and possibly more. With this amount to chew on, I also suspect I’ll face a few learning curves along the way. However, whether or not all these are goals achievable, I am at least hoping to illuminate the project in a way that it deserves. And to maintain an open mind on how this might be done over the next couple of months.

Caroline's Social Media Marketing Internship with the Norwich Business School -- First Week

How I Felt Leading up to the Internship

Initially I didn’t get the post and I was gutted, as I really wanted to get an opportunity to work full time in social media, but I just continued in my old job as a barmaid. I was just about to apply for another internship, my fingers poised at the keyboard to bang out a covering letter for my CV, when I saw my phone flashing. I had a missed call from Norwich Business School and a voice message telling me that the person chosen for the internship could no longer do it. I had been first reserve for the job and instead of readvertising the post, they wanted to give it to me.

So, obviously, I was completely ecstatic and excited! I had wanted this opportunity for ages and felt like I was finally getting a chance to gain some vocational experience. I didn’t really feel nervous at all because, from my interview, I knew the Business School staff would be nice, relaxed and welcoming people.  I was just extremely happy and wanted to start as soon as possible.

My First Day

My first day went really quickly. I was welcomed into the office and given a tour of the building. Everyone was lovely and friendly and I felt really comfortable being there.

I was then taken to the library to get my campus card and IT access form. I had to prove my identity because they reused my student photo for my new campus card and the IT assistant didn’t believe it was me!

After that, I was taken to meet UEA’s Digital Marketing Team in an office that I never knew existed and in a building that I never would have had the opportunity to go in as a student. I was given a lot to read about social media sites and I spent my afternoon reading the Marketing Team’s social media notes and a folder written by the previous Business School intern about their social media marketing strategy.

My week

On my second day, I had a meeting with Louise from the Business School office. She gave me tasks to do and explained the role of everyone in the office. She works closely with me and monitors what I do, to make sure I’m doing it right and to make sure I’m feeling happy with every task I am given to complete.

I am generally given tasks via email, on top of having a list of things to do daily.

My daily jobs are:

• update and schedule relevant content on Twitter and Facebook
• look for relevant content from emails, events happening in the Business School, UEA and Norwich as a whole. Also find business related stories on news sites and business sites
• manage new members on LinkedIn

As the week has gone on I’m amazed at the new skills I have learnt!

I’ve learnt how to…

• use a social media management tool: We use something called “Hootsuite” which means we can manage three twitter accounts at once, filter our twitter feed and schedule tweets.
• schedule Facebook posts
• use Outlook effectively
• use an office telephone system
• find information through events lists

On top of this, my colleagues email me various jobs to do. I have been asked to update an Excel events list, draft wording for congregation party invites and proofread the Norwich Business School Year Book as extra tasks. My work doesn’t just revolve around social media, which I like; I feel that I’m getting a good all round office experience, having a multitude of tasks to keep me busy.

Has my week been what I expected and what have I enjoyed?

I expected that I would find it very hard transitioning from being a barmaid to working in an office, especially having a 9-5 day rather than working shifts.

This was not the case at all. The day goes really quickly in an office and I always have something to do, which I really like! I expected I would take a while to find my feet but I’ve been given clear objectives and good initial training, so I’ve found it easier to get involved in my work than I thought I would.

I was also given the opportunity to go on a course by a local company called Yodelay, who teach businesses how to maximise their online presence. It was hosted in a pub in Norwich and I went with the previous Norwich Business School Social Media Marketing Intern. I really enjoyed meeting her and learning about her experiences of my current role. It was also fun to be able to go out and meet people in the local business world, something I would never have done before, and to go and learn about a new skill (Search Engine Optimisation), pertinent to my job. 

The next few weeks…

I think the next few weeks will be full of varied tasks and I’m feeling motivated and ready to take them on. I enjoy the fact that I am given a wide range of things to do and Louise, who I work closely with, has said she’ll make sure I am given a variety of jobs so I will always have new things to learn.

I have Liferay training this week, which is a content management system that UEA uses. I also have a team lunch in our school’s café, which I’m looking forward to!

My overall view of my internship so far

Some of the media portrays internships in a bad light but I am extremely happy that I have been taken on as an intern. The people I have worked with, thus far, at Norwich Business School believe that interns can offer their team fresh perspectives, especially when it comes to the role of social media within the marketing of the school. I am encouraged to give new ideas and suggestions if I have them, which has already made me feel like a valued and important member of the team.  I’m looking forward to the coming weeks and hope it isn’t over too quickly!

Alice's Project Management Internship with UEA's Student Enterprise & Employability Development Team

It is my last day as Project Development Intern for the Student Enterprise and Employability Development (SEED) Team. So I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to. My initial task was to put together some hand outs to help explain what exactly it is that the SEED team has to offer students. 
 
The process of reading up on SEED so as to be informed enough to write information on what SEED can provide students, then sending this over to marketing to be formatted for print was very satisfying. It allowed me to simultaneously get my head around what the team does and create something physical that would promote it.

After this introductory task, I began to coordinate the How to Build Your Business Programme which was run by two local entrepreneurs. This would be my main responsibility during the internship. The programme was an introductory course on how to start your own business, aimed at students with an enterprise idea. I oversaw each individual workshop, providing information and materials for the students and collecting attendance information and feedback from both the students and also from Erika and Robert who ran the course. It was fun hearing all the students’ ideas and Robert and Erika’s many tales. The course was the first of this kind to be tried at UEA so at the close of the programme I put together a report containing student feedback and ideas on how it could be improved for the following academic year.

One of the highlights of my internship was assisting the careers events team by accompanying twenty five students on a trip to Whitehall. This was a brilliant insight into the hard work that the events team do and gave me the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour of Whitehall!

I am very grateful to all those I worked with during my internship for allowing me to be involved in a diverse range of projects. I was trusted to work independently and creatively and was surrounded by brilliant colleagues who were happy to answer any questions I had. My time working with the SEED team has supported me in developing a range of skills which I can now transfer into a new role.

Laura's Event and Marketing Internship with UEA's Internship & Mentoring Team

My time working with the Internship and Mentoring team has come to an end, and I can happily say that my experience was extremely positive; from the range of tasks I assisted with to the people that I met, I feel that throughout the internship I was continually learning whilst being challenged but always supported.

I was involved in the organisation of a brand new style of Recruitment Event for current students. This was a day that consisted of a workshop, networking and interviews for those applying for internships. The new style of the event gave me the chance to have a very hands on role when it came to organising and making arrangements for all the guests and setting up the venue.

The day of the event required me to work in a very professional manner as I was meeting and speaking with employers from various companies. I also had to speak to the students who were attending to encourage and answer any questions they may have. Not only did this teach me to network myself but also helped me to build up my confidence in approaching people and to advise and solve any issues that occurred there and then.

Following the event, my role shifted to more of a marketing position. Evaluating the event, reflecting on what went well and what didn’t was just as important as the organising for it, as this will affect any future planning for the team.  Also within my Marketing responsibilities was updating social media sites with promotions of current internship opportunities on offer. Not only is this a current and modern trend that is useful to have today, I have developed my promotion skills too.

Finally, I have begun to set up a blog for the Undergraduate Internship Programme; a useful space for those students who are interested in taking part in the programme to read about current and previous Intern’s experiences to find out more.

My internship has been extremely helpful to me in making those first steps after university. I didn’t know what to do following my degree but I feel my role working with the internship team has been thought-provoking in that it has enabled me to realise certain things I enjoy doing and areas I would like to pursue further.

Emily's Marketing Internship with UEA's Research and Enterprise Services -- Week 7

It has been a busy week editing some copy writing for the Pure project website and developing the “How to Get Started page”. I had a Pure Marketing catch up meeting with the Assistant Director of the Research and Enterprise Services department and presented the changes I have made to the “How to Get Started Page”.

We mutually agreed that we no longer need a Hand Guide Book for Pure as one of the best features of the software is that it is easy to use.

However, a help sheet for Administration staff would be of more use. We discussed what needed to be included on the web in terms of invitations to 1:1 sessions and workshops. I have arranged a meeting with the Marketing Manager which I am really looking forward to, as it will allow me to share my ideas, narrow them down, and help to focus them towards the internal audience. I would definitely recommend working at the UEA as there are lots of opportunities to develop and progress within your chosen career.

Emily's Marketing Internship with UEA's Research and Enterprise Services -- Week 6

15-19 April

The weeks are flying by now. I have created a first draft of the logging in page for Pure users and gathered some information together for the Pure Help Guide.

My weekly meeting with the Assistant Director of Research and Enterprise Services was very productive. We discussed the copy writing that should be included on these documents.

I had lunch with the International Officer, Basma Hakim. Basma is a family friend and she let me know of other departments in the UEA that I may not be aware of.

Ever since Adobe Creative Suite has been installed, I have been experiencing a few PC problems. Hopefully the I.T Support department will be able to assist with this soon. I started to create a summarised time scale of the Pure Marketing roll-out plan to present in the Pure monthly meeting in May.

I made an appointment with a Careers Advisor at the UEA which I would recommend to anyone who is job seeking. I have recently updated my CV with my new Marketing Internship, and I wanted another pair of eyes to scan through. I arrived in reception and there were some leaflets on the table. One of them included my picture and quotation from my previous Internship with East Anglian Air Ambulance!

The Careers Advisor, Isla Hosking was positive about my CV and gave me some example CV’s to read while she read mine. They gave me some helpful pointers such as to focus my personal profile at the top of my page to a specific role when I apply for a particular job and to increase the line spacing between the bullet points in order to make it easier to read. The appointment definitely encouraged me into perhaps writing new sections in the future, such as an Achievements relating directly to work. I also mentioned that I would like a mock interview and they said to call up when I have my next interview offer.

Whilst I have been taking part on the UEA Graduate Internship Programme, I have noticed that the careers service at the UEA is superior and relevant to what graduates are facing today.

Katie's Customer Survey Internship with Flagship Housing Association

My time at Flagship Housing Association overall was a positive experience; especially after a long and frustrating search after graduating from university for a chance to prove myself in. This position was a perfect match to me as it not only gave me the great amount of personal responsibility and control over my work, but allowed me to develop within the role to my own pace. Basically in my internship I was responsible for finding out the levels of digital exclusion (specifically internet use) among Flagship’s customers through research. This was done through two methods, a survey and a focus group to gain a balance between raw data and the thoughts and feelings of customers’ experiences with digital technologies. However the focus groups did not fare as well as the survey as very few customers turned up in the end; a total of 3! Yet my activities, including the focus group, regarding the analysis were spread out among the three months that I was there.

January

January was one of my most hard working but least busy months with Flagship. It was hard because I had to find more work to do which involved me being proactive within my office to a great degree. Examples could be asking my fellow colleagues if they had spare admin work (often filing backlog) but most of my time was occupied with research on affordability and demand project on behalf of my line manager at the time. My lack of focus on the main project however was a result of not having any data to analyse and having most of the co-ordination in setting up the survey and focus group with more relevant departments after I have done my part in writing up the survey, focus group questions and chosen the relevant locations for the groups to be held. January was mostly a waiting game until the surveys started coming back in February and conducting the first focus group at the end of the month which only had two participants.

February

This month was quite busy, not that I was running around to different offices, I found that I didn’t need to travel all that much in my three months while I was there. I was busy doing the main part of my project which was entering the data from the flood of surveys that came through. Or maybe it just seemed busy as I was finally honing onto a project of my own after waiting for survey to be mailed. In the end more than 2000 surveys came back from customers provided a great basis for analysis and progress for research as well. However the final focus group was even worse than the first only one turned up! However I was not discouraged as they give us something worthwhile for the final report, even if it wasn’t for an urban / rural comparison, it just supported some of the correlations found in the survey data.

March

March. The final month. The hectic month. Month of nerves but of Triumph. This was the month that pulled all of my previous hard work to shame. Not only did I use previous research skills in the analysis of the survey data but I had to learn new tricks with Excel in order to correctly display the data in a chart. Also my writing skills were also tested as I had to exercise restraint in explaining what the results showed rather than attempt to write why some people had access to the internet or not. In the end the report came out beautifully concise and professional! Yet that was not the end of my internship there. I expressed that I wanted to do a presentation at the end of the internship to give a summary of my report to key members of staff whom would benefit best from it. It namely consisted of the entire marketing team some which helped coordinate the focus groups, IT staff members and the CEO who shook my hand after the presentation; so I think it went well!

My time at Flagship was an overall positive experience. I gained more confidence in my own abilities and how to conduct myself in a professional environment. Skill wise I found that I picked up at university, like my focused work ethic, organisational skills, and communication skills, all proved useful in the end. However I did learn the ability to ask for help in finding information, how to network and greater personal initiative. Even though I know the job market is not much better than when I started this internship I know I will be better capable for any future challenges.

Emily's Marketing Internship with UEA's Research and Enterprise Services -- Week 5

8th - 12th April

This has been my first full time working week at the UEA since I have started my Marketing Internship. I have had a meeting with Rachael Mold, Assistant Director of the Research and Enterprise Services to discuss the progress of my work during this week. I worked on the most frequently asked questions that are for the Pure help guidance sheets. I have now postponed working on the questions as we do not know all the relevant information to progress. I sketched a rough design of the Getting Started page. I asked Rachael Mold about the Pure web page and whether she would like the layout of the page to be updated or the copy writing. We went through the topics that needed to be updated. I also worked on the How to Get Started copy and we reprioritised my workload.

I have some great news! Adobe Creative Suite has been installed on my computer which means I will be able to start design work using Illustrator, Photoshop and Indesign. I read the original Marketing Communications plan I was given on my first week to see if I have missed any ideas that would be useful. I have been reading the internal design guidelines to check the ways in which the UEA logo is used, as I am starting to develop the Pure and UEA logo combined together.

I attended the Pure monthly roll-out team meeting which was led by Rachael Mold with a discussion of the progress being made by everyone involved. The Pure weekly working group meeting included a discussion on the progress of the technical side. The Head of Application support has set up my Pure account to be an Academic view which allows me to see what the Academics would be looking at when they log on which is really useful for the progress of my work.

I have looked through the instructional videos that are on the Pure site to see if I can understand how to use them, which will allow me to improve any manuals we create for Marketing collateral. I have tested the How to create a CV section and started to make one to see how easy it is to use, and to note any problems. My sister and baby nephew came to the UEA in my lunch break this week and we enjoyed the sunny afternoon.

Emily's Marketing Internship with UEA's Research and Enterprise Services -- Week 4

3rd-4th April

Well it has been a short couple of days because of the holidays. I have read a previous PURE article in October’s Broadview, which is the university’s newsletter. Published throughout the year, it covers a wide range of subjects concerning the UEA. I have also been logging onto PURE to familiarise myself with the system again.

I met with the Research and Enterprise Services Assistant Director and asked whether we can find out about the copyright of PURE branding so we can investigate whether we can use it on our Marketing materials. We went through an overview of the marketing documents I am working on, and prioritised them together. I shared some of my drawings in the meeting which included ideas for creating a visual of PURE and the UEA in one logo together.

I am also in the process of finding out whether Adobe Creative Suite can be installed on the PC I am using. My part time graphic designer work at Anglian Chemicals has come to an end. The good news is starting from next week I will increase my hours to full time during my internship at the UEA.

Emily's Marketing Internship with UEA's Research and Enterprise Services -- Week 3

25^th-27^th March

This week I have researched Marketing strategies from a variety of sources in order to give myself a better understanding of how to approach promoting the product. I have written an overview of the documents that need to be drafted up in the coming weeks. I have been looking at the layout of the weekly staff bulletin, as we may want to put some information about PURE in the future or advertise some workshops. I have been researching the different UEA twitter feeds just in case it could be another free route to promote PURE.

I have continued to research other University sites that use PURE and drafted a list of Marketing documents we may need and prioritise them. I have written a preliminary list of questions for other institutions to answer which focus on how they implemented the system across their University. I asked the Marketing and Communications administrator how long it takes to print internally which will help me with the timescale for the Marketing plan for PURE.

I have been finding out if I will be able to have access to the Adobe Creative Suite in order to draft some poster and leaflet designs to use as marketing materials as this would be a great chance to work on some creative ideas as well as the project planning. I am really looking forward to my break away to enjoy the University Easter holidays.

Emily's Marketing Internship with UEA's Research and Enterprise Services -- Weeks 1 and 2

Week 1 11^th-14^th March

My role on my 12 week Marketing Internship is to support the Marketing and REN department with the roll-out Marketing strategy of PURE. This is a system that provides real time information to individual staff and their academic managers. The University has purchased PURE from the software company Atira. PURE allows data about research projects, publications, research students and enterprise projects to be displayed in one place on a web portal rather than having access to many different databases.

The first week included being welcomed to the Research and Enterprise Services department. I was given a tour of various offices that I may need to use during my time here. In order to market this product, a clear understanding is essential.  I have been researching PURE documentation that the UEA have written and have access to the PURE portal in order to familiarise myself with it.

I have met with the Marketing and Communications manager from the Admissions Recruitment and Marketing department, who gave me an overview of the department. I had a practical session from the Marketing Administrator who gave me a run through of where information is on the UEA portal that I may need to access. I also had a meeting with the Communications Officer for internal communications within the University, who gave me a guide on the writing style of the University and explained her role.

I had a necessary Firewalk of the Arts corridor which is standard health and safety with anyone that is new to working in the building and had a meeting with the Science and Research Support Librarian to discuss her role with PURE and the current system of EPrints.

I had a meeting with a PURE working group. This was a discussion of the technical side of PURE. My week is split on working at two different desks in both the REN and ARM department. I found this a bit difficult finding my way in my first week but also refreshing being able to work in two different offices. I take every opportunity of being outside to enjoy the UEA surroundings in my lunch breaks.

Week 2 19^th-22^th March

In the second week of my internship I learned more about the PURE system and EPrints. I had a meeting with a Super user of PURE who discussed her role and involvement of EPrints, which is giving me a broader understanding of the move from EPrints to PURE and the way in which the product works. 

I also received some Life Ray Training from the Web Content Administrator from the Marketing department, which involved a practical workshop of how to use the CMS system. There were some technical problems when I received the training on the computer I was using; so I shadowed with a member of staff. However, I was assured that if I needed any help when using Life Ray in the future then I would get full support.

For part of my week I worked in the Admissions Recruiting and Marketing department so I have been settling in and getting to know more of the team. I had a weekly PURE user meeting where the technicalities of PURE were discussed. The system seems to be going ahead successfully which allows me to plan the marketing around the launch of it. I have spent some time drawing up a timetable of the work I will be doing for the duration of the Internship. It is a bit strange planning the next 10 weeks of your life; but I can see the benefits of writing down what you would like to achieve in a short amount of time. Part of my plan involves designing dummy printed marketing materials so looking forward to putting my creative hat on in the coming weeks.

Emma's Product Compliance Internship with Stephar UK -- Week 8

The good news is, my company are thinking of hiring me after my internship! Whoop!

The aftermath of the inspection left me with a lot to do, and yesterday I received my first ‘approval’ from the MHRA which was exciting! This meant that stock which has been shelved since October 2011, can now be put back on the market as a direct result of my efforts.

I’ve since developed a good relationship with the MHRA, which if upheld, will greatly benefit the company. The MHRA are after all the ones who decide on the frequency of the inspections, therefore keeping in their good books is definitely a bonus!

I feel as thought the work I have been employed to do, has nearly been completed. The work seems to be slowing a bit; with more organising and filing just to keep everything in order for the future. I work pretty independently, which has its benefits, but I do miss little work chats now and again. So that’s another thing I’ve learnt to keep in mind with regards to future employment.

I don’t know what the future holds for me with regards to Stephar, but I’m looking forward to finding out!

Aaron's Internship Working on Microbial Remediation of Biomass Wastewater -- The Halfway(ish) Point

2013 has landed in our laps, with all the optimism of impending cuts, austerity measures and other unfortunate circumstances. Times are harder than ever in the job market, and the most important thing that employers are looking for is experience. An internship is a decent way to fill in those blank spaces on your CV, and for those who don’t remember I’ve been doing mine in the Biological Sciences department, working on microbial remediation of the UEA biomass plant’s wastewater. I may be slightly late here (I distinctly remember promising to write in a fortnight’s time, on the 29^th of October), but here’s my halfway entry.

‘Halfway!?’ I hear you scream wildly, pieces of your favourite biscuit exploding from your outraged mouth, ‘internships are only supposed to be for 8 weeks, and yours started in the middle of October!’ I know this well, and I was supposed to finish on the 8^th of December. However, as my research project turned out to be less costly than anticipated (I realised I could perform my own analyses, rather than sending them to another lab), there were enough funds to stretch to another 4 weeks of interning, which is where I now find myself.

The six weeks of internship that followed my last entry passed much more quickly than I expected. I really got to grips with the aims of my research and what was needed to reach them, and settled in to the process of research reasonably comfortably. As with all scientific endeavours, there were plenty of false leads, technical issues and less-than-conclusive results, but in such a short time these things are to be expected, even wanted: I learnt a lot more trying to fix problems with processes and equipment than I would have if all was smooth sailing. I found my feet with the experiments I was performing, and liaising with the different stakeholders of the project made me feel that I had made a real contribution. After the 8 weeks was up, I faced a month’s break; my (Australian) supervisor was returning to her sunny climes for Christmas and the New Year, and we decided it would be better to break and reconvene in January, rather than me continuing unsupervised.

The month’s break saw the completion of many PhD applications, some real soul-searching, and an eventual decision to re-align my career aims. To cut a long story short, I changed my mind about pursuing a PhD. My skills and interests don't match up well enough with PhD research for me to really devote myself to it, and devotion and persistence are what a PhD is all about. I’ve decided that a career in science communication and policy would suit me better, so that’s now the main goal! I really think my time off was crucial, as it allowed me to really focus on what my priorities were, weigh up pros and cons, and finally make a call. My internship has also played an important part in this choice: although I’ve genuinely enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next 4 weeks, I’ve realised that other things hold more potential for me. Without the internship, I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience full-time research and probably would’ve made a different decision, committing to a path that I deep down wasn’t entirely happy with. This is an important, additional benefit of internships that are often forgotten in the new graduate’s quest for experience; experience is not just a paragraph on your résumé, it’s a chance to try a career on for size, and see if it fits.

So now I’m looking towards the next stage of the internship. I think it’ll be business as usual, more experiments and analyses. I can’t wait to be back on campus, because UEA is a great place to work. Who knows, perhaps I’ll start looking for another internship? It’s working out well so far!

Emma's Product Compliance Internship with Stephar UK -- Week 2

Following the immense excitement and excess of Christmas, I was almost relieved when Wednesday the 2^nd of January arrived. Back to reality, and with an impending site inspection, the work load and pace soared. The fatal combination of staff sickness’ and ample bank holidays resulted in an awful lot to be getting on with. I much prefer the busy, reactive side of the business and have felt like a real key team member in preparing for the inspection.

These last couple of weeks I have moved away from the product compliance aspect, and have been overwhelmed with operational elements. I have been fully involved in creating and amending official documentation such as System Operating Procedures, Site Master File, and training files.

I feel like I’m genuinely making a positive contribution to the company, and can see my work being put into place and utilised. I’m continually looking for jobs following the completion of my internship, and have been able to add so much to my CV and application forms as a result of this internship.