Category Archives: Sport and Health Sciences

Research Assistant – University of Exeter CEMPS

What were your main roles and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

I assisted my professor in putting together a presentation for a research consortium. This involved researching the area of injury biomechanics for the built environment and age friendly cities, an exciting area that I wish to pursue further. I made visual diagrams to help non-experts understand the subject, reviewed literature and identified possible research areas for grants. I then attended the research consortium where I met academics involved in the subject from a range of universities and made some good contacts. I was also involved in the design and manufacture of a headform drop tester. I made models and drawings on Solidworks and then used the mechanical workshop to make my design.

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

I learnt the process of putting together research proposals for grants, and how to create a presentation for a research consortium.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I helped my professor structure research ideas into a presentation to apply for grants. I started work on an ongoing project for the design of a headform drop tester, providing an initial prototype and engineering drawings to be developed further. I also identified relevant literature for the project.

What skills were you able to develop through the internship?

Teamwork and collaboration, research, networking

What attributes were you able to develop through the internship?

Cultural awareness, logical thinking, creative thinking

 

Research Assistant – University of Exeter

What were your main roles and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

My main role was to process and analyse research data using statistical software with the aim of developing research questions relating to dementia and hearing loss. I worked with research team members to develop a study proposal which I will develop into a paper over the summer. In order to complete the tasks that my supervisor and I set, I was required to learn the basics of SPSS, and the statistical methods that are required as part of the analytical approach.

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

I have not yet had the opportunity to develop a research project of my own, and have no experience in using statistical software to analyse large sets of data. During the course of my internship, I learned how challenging this process can be and with the help of the team discovered solutions to the many issues that were found. As a result of this internship, I have been able to set the foundation for my career in medical research.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I hope that I have been able to reveal some additional insight into their data so far. Over the next few months, I will also submit a paper to research journals for consideration.

What skills were you able to develop through the internship?

Statistics, problem solving, enterprise

What attributes were you able to develop through the internship?

Initiative, motivation, creative thinking

Trainee Mental Health Support Worker – University of Exeter

What were your main roles and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

My main responsibilities involved going on home visits with the well-being navigators to observe and support their one-to-one meetings with clients. I was also involved in co-facilitating the well-being groups across South Somerset offering support to people suffering with low level mental health problems. Alongside this I was carrying out a research project gathering information on the different support available for people with specific needs such as eating disorders, older people, bi-polar etc.

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

My biggest achievement was gaining practical knowledge of mental health and gaining the confidence to use this knowledge to support people who needed it.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I was able to carry out this research project that the other staff would not have had time to do without me. I was also able to fill in for people co-facilitating the groups when they were off sick or on holiday.

What skills were you able to develop through the internship?

Time and workload management, focus on goals and outcomes, research

What attributes were you able to develop through the internship?

Confidence, personal awarenes and work ethic

Research Assistant – University of St Andrews

What were your main roles and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

My role was to assist primarily with the data collection aspect on a project studying working memory in New World monkeys. Every day I tested brown capuchin monkeys on their ability to remember the location of food items in the specialist research facility at Edinburgh Zoo. I also assisted with reliability coding of data already collected for different projects and collected long term, observational data on chimpanzees.

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

I learnt how to work with capuchin monkeys in close proximity and conduct experimental, cognitive research with them. This is an extremely valuable skill for me and is a very rare opportunity to have. It will aid me immensely with a future career and further education in the field of primate research.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

As I was responsible for the data collection on this project, this allowed the principle investigator (PI) to have more time to carry out other tasks he would otherwise not have had the time to complete. My presence was also beneficial when the PI was unable to carry out data collection himself due to time away from the research site. I also spent a lot of time entering data on another project which no one had time to do before I joined.

What skills were you able to develop through the internship?

Assessing and managing risk, IT, research

What attributes were you able to develop through the internship?

Confidence, initiative, perseverance

eDNA Laboratory Internship – Applied Genomics

What were your main roles and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

During the course of the internship, my main role was to carry out general laboratory duties and perform eDNA testing on a variety of species from various locations. I was allowed to be completely hands on and I took part in all of the testing services that they have available as well as some of their research and development which consisted of some field work and gathering data. I also analysed various scientific journals to aid their research projects for further development.

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

I learnt a huge amount in regards to the business, industry and general day to day tasks that are required within an eDNA business. I also gained a huge amount of laboratory skills working 1-1 with a very skilled technician.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I aided in their research as well as assisted in the laboratory to complete daily sampling tasks.

What skills were you able to develop through the internship?

Problem solving, focus of goals and outcomes, networking

What attributes were you able to develop through the internship?

Confidence, motivation, independence

 

 

Sport Science Executive and Sales Assistant – Rugged Interactive

UoE Internship, SCP, SBP, GBP, A2I

What were your main duties and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

I helped to develop specific exercises and training programmes to complete whilst using Rugged Interactive products. These were taken to professional football clubs and gyms where I learnt about how they used our products and how their athletes benefit from using them. I researched and developed information for the website to inform potential customers about the benefits and background of using our products. I helped set up an experimental trial in a school in Cornwall. This was to gain an understanding and information on how our products could help motivate children to exercise through using interactive equipment and see if there were any benefits gained from using the products daily. I attended exhibitions with Rugged Interactive – including sport specific conferences, disability and physical activity promotion conferences. I supported my manager with sales and the administration of sales. This involved discussing with customers what products could be most beneficial to their organisation and talking them through the process of ordering a bespoke product.

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

Working in a small company has meant I gained insight into all areas of this business. I was given the responsibility of setting up a physical activity trial in a school in Cornwall. It was exciting to see how our products can benefit children both physically and mentally.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I helped update and improve the content of the website ensuring there was in-depth detail about how the interactive products can benefit a range of customers – whether it be elite athletes, disabled users or personal trainers. I used my knowledge at exhibitions to discuss the physical and psychological benefits of using our products. I helped with the sales process, ensuring this ran smoothly and helped with the sales process. I even made my first independent sale for the company!

Did you encounter any problems during the course of your internship and if so, how did you overcome them?

As with any job that involves customer service, ensuring the customer felt supported and valued at all times was important. There were occasional problems where we were short of stock for a certain delivery and therefore, this meant a slight delay for a customer. However, ensuring I kept the customer informed of where their order was and at what stage of production we were at was important. This has made me realise how important it is to let the customer know what is going on at all times.

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Recruitment Consultant – Meridian Business Support

Universtiy of Exeter Internships, UoE Internships, SCP, SBP, GBP, A2I

What were your main duties and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

My main roles were to do with:

  • Compliance and completing administration within the business
  • Answering the phone and dealing with client and candidate enquires
  • CV searching for candidates
  • Completing adverts and creating window advertisements

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

I overcame my fear of the telephones, by answering it confidently and calmly I was able to deal with the enquiries.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I was enlisted to complete compliance within the branch, going through all of the registration packs and making sure all of the information was correct and presented correctly.

Sales Executive – Yellow Fish

A2I, UoE Internships

What were your main duties and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

  • I was involved in a cold call sales campaign.
  • I researched and identified key target companies.
  • I developed a new CRM system, generating leads and creating a meaningful sales pipeline.
  • I assisted the creative team on marketing strategy and communications.
  • I carried out specific research and duties for other departments when required.

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

I learnt the fundamental logistics that are required for a business to be successful and grow at a fast pace.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

The new CRM system I developed will improve the company’s chances of securing new business.

“Nick was a great addition to the team for the 3 months he was with us. His work ethic was consistent, and he brought in cake on his last day!” – Office Administrator, Yellow Fish