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

For the majority of my internship, I worked on preparations for the various careers fairs run by the team. This involved lots of administration tasks and paying attention to detail was paramount. I also worked at the fairs themselves, making sure they went smoothly and that nothing was overlooked. Alongside my work on the fairs, I also worked with the internships team, uploading vacancies and dealing with financials. Here, I had to prepare invoices and update spreadsheets with care to make sure employees were paid the correct amounts.

Towards the end of my internship, when the fairs were over, I began a project called the Internships Index. During this project I aggregated over 140 case studies from students who took part in University managed paid internships and uploaded them all onto a website for students and graduates.

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

I am very proud of the Internship Index project I worked on. I took it on from another member of the team who left very early on in its conception. Therefore, I was able to make it my own and ultimately decide on its direction. While I will not be here for its official launch in September, I have prepared much of the launch plan and marketing actions and will be pleased to see it being used!

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

My work on the fairs allowed others on the team liaise with employers and focus on generating revenue for the team. Event organisations requires a lot of admin tasks that are time consuming but need doing. I was able to fulfil this role.

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

Working on the financial side of things was a bit tricky at first, as I had not worked on balance spreadsheets before but the more I did them the easier it became!

“It was great having Sophia on the team, she was a real asset and was extremely flexible in terms of taking on dfifferent projects and working extra hours, when needed. She was efficient, reliable and hardworking and provided great support in enabling us to run our fairs and events smoothly.” – Employment Services Operations Officer