Category Archives: Degree subject

Student Case Study: The University of Exeter

Psychology, Student Campus Partnership (SCP), ,

Name of Student: Zoe King

Degree Subject: Psychology

Job Title: Student as Change Agent Intern 

Company Name: The University of Exeter 

Description of Organisation:  

The Strategic Support Team at the university have 3 opportunities for Students as Change Agents (SACA) Interns.  This is the University’s pathway for empowering students to actively improve the university experience for themselves and their peers via leadership and participation in a series of impactful change projects. The internships provide term-time projects on themes that are at the heart of the student experience. These include promoting community and engagement, the university’s approach to student communication and improving academic support.  

This role was part of the Student Campus Partnership (SCP) scheme, based in a local team in Exeter. 

Type of Internship:  

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key responsibilities were gathering information on and developing tips on how students can utilise feedback. Also, I had to attend weekly meetings with supervisors. I provided a resource on helping students utilise feedback for Study Zone Digital from a Student Perspective. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

I gathered information from students and developed tips on how to utilise feedback. Then I produced a 900-word blog and an infographic to advertise the blog on how to utilise feedback from a student’s perspective. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

I made a poster with a link to a survey asking how students use feedback, but I was not allowed to put it up around campus as it did not follow the university branding guidelines, so I had to think of new ways to gather information. Instead, I sent out messages and ask people in person about feedback and managed to gather more than enough information. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication  
  • Teamwork and Collaboration  
  • Problem Solving 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Workload Management 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • Focus on Goals and Outcomes 
  • IT 
  • Decision Making 
  • Researching 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Commercial Awareness  
  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Motivation 
  • Personal Awareness 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 
  • Professionalism 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

From the beginning I was given a clear outline and a briefing sheet from my friendly supervisors on what was expected of me. I was given the option of making a blog/video/infographic but the beginning I wanted to do a blog as I enjoy writing, so I made a timeline of what needed to be done to help me plan and began gathering information from students so I could write the blog. I thoroughly enjoyed the 5 weeks, especially doing the blog and designing the infographic as the feedback was really positive when my supervisors read it. I would definitely work for the university again as I felt supported and empowered to take initiative. 

Student Case Study: Quirk Theatre Company

Liberal Arts, Student Business Partnership (SBP), ,

Free Empty Seats Stock Photo

Name of Student: Katie Foster 

Degree Subject: Liberal Arts  

Job Title: Assistant Producer for Quirk Theatre Company 

Company Name: Quirk Theatre Company 

Description of Organisation:

Witty, playful, and often anarchic, Quirk pride themselves on devising original work with a social conscience, offering a meaningful alternative to pantomime. They have built up a loyal following of family audiences and school groups and are proud that close to four thousand people come to see our Christmas show every year.  

Type of Internship:   

 Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)   

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

I created and maintained the first mailing list for the company with over 40 recipients. I also assisted in evaluation, feedback, and production meetings throughout the lifetime of the show. I constructed two phases of press releases for over 65 different organisations. As well as this I designed and published actor callouts, tailoring them for our Global Majority and Graduate Actor pathways. I crafted the initial design of the show’s programme, which contained over 40 individuals and undertook an accessibility and inclusion audit of the company and located DEI training for all its members. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was gaining a lot of confidence. One of my first tasks was to send out a press release, something I had never done before, and I was initially terrified. However, by doing things like that, I now have the confidence to talk to many more companies and individuals than I did before; what’s the worst that can happen?

Also, creating a mailing list with over 40 recipients has been amazing. Being able to craft and maintain it by myself has meant that I have a real sense of ownership in the company and enjoy the whole process. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

My main challenge has been learning the rules of the professional workplace. I’m autistic, and this industry is very much based on personal interaction, something I struggle with, so learning what I can do and when has been difficult – though not impossible. A main example of this is when I was at networking events with the company, and I initially found it incredibly hard. However, the company has been extremely welcoming and kind and has really helped me in those situations – for example, during two of the networking events, I had a job that I could focus on doing. I’ll never be amazing at social interaction but having to do it as part of the job really has helped me learn strategies of dealing with it. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Problem solving  
  • Negotiation 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and workload management 
  • Researching 
  • Networking  

Attributes Developed: 

  • Commercial Awareness  
  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Personal awareness 
  • Cultural awareness 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 
  • Professionalism 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

My experience with Quirk Theatre has been incredible. I never thought that I’d be able to do half the things I’ve done so far. It’s opened my eyes to the possibility of working in the theatre industry after University, something I had previously thought impossible. Being able to work remotely, and in a freelance style, has helped me develop the skills necessary to maintain work/life balance and given me an outlet that isn’t University work. It has been difficult at times, but the support of the company has been the main reason I’ve been able to do as much as I have done. 

Employer Case Study: Devon County Council

Employer Feedback, Geography, Graduate Business Partnership (GBP), Modern Languages, Politics and Government, Travel and Logistics, ,

Free Bird Flying over Bus Stock Photo

Name of Organisation: Devon County Council 

Description of Organisation:  

Devon County Council is one of the largest employers in the County. The County Council recently declared a climate emergency and post COVID-19 there is an urgent need to support the economic recovery. The Government continues to invest in infrastructure to stimulate activity on both these fronts with announcements for more investment in walking and cycling and in public transport. They are looking for enthusiastic people to step up to this challenge and develop, influence and shape the way people travel around Devon. 

Name of Employer: Hannah Clark 

Job Title: Transport Planning Team Leader 

Internship Scheme used:  

The Graduate Business Partnership Scheme (GBP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter 

Feedback: 

“Lauren has contributed towards researching economic benefits of active travel and provided support on public consultation activities. Lauren has also developed initial ideas towards the development of a Local Transport Plan. Lauren was an exemplar intern, and we are delighted to welcome Lauren as a full-time member of our team.“

 

Employer Case Study: University of Exeter Digital Humanities

Digital Hummanities, Employer Feedback, History, Information Technology, Student Campus Partnership (SCP), ,

Free Woman working retouching photo on laptop at convenient workplace Stock Photo

Name of Organisation: University of Exeter Digital Humanities 

Description of Organisation:  

The Digital Humanities Lab offers unique spaces, equipment and training for staff and students. They support innovative Digital Humanities research, offer training and teaching, and undertake digital preservation and display of historic material and artefacts using advanced technologies. They work with a range of university teams including Technical Services, Library, IT, and academic staff. 

Name of Employer: Gemma Poulton 

Job Title: Technical Manager 

Internship Scheme used:  

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

Our intern Isabel worked on a range of projects including digitisation, photography and 3D images. Her greatest achievement was her growth in confidence to work with academics on a range of projects. Isabel is a committed and enthusiastic intern and always worked with enthusiasm on the work she was tasked with.  

 

Student Case Study: The Falmouth Distilling Co

Advertising, Marketing and PR, Law with Business, Student Business Partnership (SBP), , , ,

Name of Student: Francesca Whetstone 

Degree Subject: Law with Business 

Job Title: Sales Intern 

Company Name: The Falmouth Distilling Co 

Description of Organisation:  

The Falmouth Distilling Co is a distillery on the Cornish coast creating multi-award winning small-batch spirits designed to enjoy in favourite company. With backgrounds in cheffing, science and design, their gins are uniquely distilled with fresh and foraged botanicals, with a focus on incredible flavour, sustainability, and careful craftsmanship. 

 Type of Internship:   

 Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)   

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key duties and responsibilities were market research into repeat customers and gaining understanding of customer base. I also completed detailed research into competitors, looking at customer journeys. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was completing a market research report which helped me develop new reporting skills as well as greater business awareness. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

I felt quite overwhelmed at first as I didn’t feel like I had the relevant experience to produce the report. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Ability to Work Under Pressure 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Work Load Management 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • Researching  

Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Motivation 
  • Initiative 
  • Personal Awareness 
  • Creative Thinking  
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“My internship has been eye-opening, exciting, and intriguing. I have loved every minute! The work I have undertaken has really assisted my development of organisation (working alongside my degree), IT skills, and general development of understanding what tasks may be given in a sales and marketing position.

I was given a thorough brief, which I have been supported by Ruth, Daisy and Chloe to meet. They have been a pleasure to work alongside and have been so supportive of any ideas I had. It has helped me to understand where I might see my career path direction, whilst fulfilling an interest of mine – the distilling process!” 

Student Case Study: Exeter Communities Together

Advertising, Marketing and PR, Business Management and Marketing, Student Campus Partnership (SCP), , ,

Name of Student: Jian Zhang Poon 

Degree Subject: Bsc Management and Marketing WIE

Job Title:  Project Coordinator Intern 

Company Name: Exeter Communities Together 

Description of Organisation:  

Exeter Communities Together (ECT) represents the coming together of a partnership of seven grassroots organisations, many of which have been run on a voluntary basis by community members, with the overarching aim of enabling Black, Asian and minority ethnic residents in Exeter to have a voice and increased visibility in the wider community.  

ECT will contribute to improving the health and well-being of ethnic minority communities and society as a whole by developing, as a partnership, shared knowledge and understanding, building sympathy and reducing fear between Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and the indigenous population and reducing social isolation. 

A key objective for ECT is to improve health and well-being for the City as a whole and to spread this benefit more widely in Devon. In this we are supported by Exeter City Council and Devon County Council. 

Type of Internship:   

Student Campus Partnership (SCP) | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key duties and responsibilities were designing posters, emailing partners, organising events, and doing minutes in board meetings. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement was holding 5 events with over 100 attendees, and increasing social media platforms following. 

Were there any challenges and how did you overcome these?  

The biggest challenge for me was working for a very small company so my role held more responsibility. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Teamwork and Collaboration 
  • Organisation 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • IT 
  • Networking 
  • Assessing and Managing Risk 

 

 Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Initiative 
  • Perseverance 
  • Creative Thinking 
  • Cultural Awareness 
  • Personal Awareness 

 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“Working for my first internship in the UK was a valuable experience; I learned a lot about how to actually put my marketing knowledge to use while learning how to work in a professional environment and for a non-profit. It was challenging as I was in charge of the whole marketing side of the company as my superior was on maternity leave. However, I got to learn and design marketing materials really quickly after knowing what each partner wanted specifically. I have gained knowledge from fellow interns as well as my boss and have learnt a lot from this experience.” 

Student Case Study: The Miniature Pony Centre

Advertising, Marketing and PR, Liberal Arts, Student Business Partnership (SBP), , ,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name of Student: Olivia Townend 

Degree Subject: Liberal Arts 

Job Title: Social Media and Marketing Creator 

Company Name: Miniature Pony Center 

Description of Organisation:  

The Miniature Pony Center is a farm-based tourist attraction based on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. They predominantly have miniature Shetlands and miniature horses. As well as several other animals including mammoth donkey, heavy horses, micro pigs, sheep, goats, foals and other horse breeds. They run daily activities including pony rides, grooming and talks. Also, they offer birthday parties and pony club days and run special events during the season. 

Type of Internship:  

 Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)   

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key responsibilities included creating content for Social Media sites such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

I managed to organise and facilitate a successful PR visit. 

Skills Learnt:  

  • Communication 
  • Teamwork and Collaboration 
  • Customer Service 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Work Load Management 
  • Strategic Planning 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Creative thinking 
  • Independence 
  • Work Ethic 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“My internship was very useful to me, as I haven’t had many chances to try work in fields outside of hospitality. It gave me a chance to put my interest in marketing to the test so that I have a broader knowledge and experience before I begin applying for jobs as I leave university.” 

“Furthermore, I have since taken the knowledge and skills on to apply for another internship (now completed) which I gained due to the knowledge I gained from this.” 

 

Student Case Study: The Nest Southwest CIC

Advertising, Marketing and PR, Business and Management, Student Business Partnership (SBP), Uncategorized, , , ,

Name of Student: Millie Graves 

Degree Subject: BSc Management with Marketing WIE 

Job Title: Social Media Coordinator and Analyser 

Company Name: The Nest Southwest CIC 

Description of Organisation:  

The Nest Southwest is a not-for-profit, social enterprise, community interest company. It was set up in Devon by local women to support other women and girls through the major life transitions of menstruation, pregnancy, birth and menopause by providing social, emotional and informational support. The organisation is mainly volunteer led with three directors, and a team of volunteers helping run support groups.

Type of Internship:  

 Student Business Partnerships (SBPs)   

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship? 

My key responsibilities included managing The Nest’s social media channels (Facebook and Instagram). Also, I created an online shop to help generate some revenue for The Nest, and creating downloadable products to be sold on that shop 

What was your biggest achievement on your internship? 

My biggest achievement during my internship was creating an online shop from scratch, alongside creating downloadable products to be sold on the shop. 

Skills Learnt: (Change as appropriate) 

  • Communication 
  • Organisation 
  • Time and Work Load Management 

Attributes Developed: 

  • Confidence 
  • Motivation 
  • Independence 

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector? 

“My internship with The Nest Southwest CIC enabled me to greatly develop my social media management skills, requiring me to plan content, create that content using Canva, and then schedule it using Meta Business Suite. Having had this experience, I now feel much more confident in applying to similar roles. “

Employer Quote and Link to Case Study:

“It has been great having Yasmeen support our social media. Her eye for detail and research into topics to add to our social media pages has created a lot of useful resources we will continue to refer back to.”

Employer Case Study: Evexia Home Ltd

Access to Internships (A2I), Employer Feedback, Information Technology, Mathematics, Mathematics and Data Science, , , ,

 Name of Organisation: Evexia Home Ltd 

Description of Organisation:  

Dr Tony Felton, Roy Margolis and Tammy Harvie are the founders and inventors of LifeAide. We have a passion to improve the quality of life of older people and those supporting them. Our backgrounds as a General Practitioner, software engineer and research expert in technology to support healthy ageing, have led us to develop this exciting new product, called LifeAide. We have incorporated a company called Evexia Home Ltd which is our start-up vehicle. 

Name of Employer: Dr Anthony Felton 

Job Title: Director 

Internship Scheme used:  

Employer Subsidies – Access to Internships | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

“We were lucky to have a high-quality intern student who had a genuine interest in the subject and both technical and vocation expertise in the area of development that we were working in. The experience was positive for our organisation and I hope we provided Martha with some useful experience that she can use to forge her future career.” 

Employer Case Study- Mousetrap Theatre Projects

Access to Internships (A2I), Charity and Development Work, Employer Feedback, English, Leisure, Sport and Tourism, ,

Name of Organisation: Mousetrap Theatre Projects 

Description of Organisation:  

 Mousetrap Theatre Projects is a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children and young people through theatre, especially those who are disadvantaged or have additional needs. 

Through projects designed for individuals, families, schools and youth groups, they open the doors to London’s world-class theatre and deliver transformative education projects that engage and inspire. 

Name of Employer: Elaine Grant 

Job Title: Head of Access Programmes 

Internship Scheme used:  

Employer Subsidies – Access to Internships | Employer Engagement & Student Employment | University of Exeter  

Feedback: 

“Jemima was invaluable to the programme and a great team member. She worked effectively in and out of the office. “

Student Quote – Link to Case Study  

“My internship has been life changing. Being at Mousetrap has opened the door to working in the theatre industry and highlighted the importance of working on a large scale project which changes so many lives. My internship was multi layered and gave me a 360 experience of working on a project from beginning to end. My skills have helped me get a full time job at Mousetrap. “

Internships | Access to Internships | Student-case-study-Mousetrap-Theatre-Projects