Tag Archives: London

Communications Assistant – Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope Charity

Advertising, Marketing and PR, Biosciences, Charity and Development Work, Employer Feedback,

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

Within the charity Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope, my main role was Communications Assistant. I was also involved in promotion and organisation of ticketing for fundraising events. As part of communications, my responsibilities included keeping the charity website updated, search engine optimisation, social media, and coverage on the website of recent or upcoming fundraising events. I also had a role in the promotion of a charity concert and the upcoming Christmas Carol Service. Finally, I supported the charity manager with research into suitable trusts and foundations as potential new sources of funding for the charity.

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

My biggest achievement was that I learnt a lot about the organisation and management of charities, and also about issues in global health and development, which I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to study during my degree.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

During the internship I completed side projects, such as designing new logos and info-graphics, which the other members of the team wouldn’t have had the time to complete. Also I helped make more communications and publicity work towards the charity take place within the time available. Overall I hope my work brings more donations and success of fundraising events to Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope.

“Hazel joined our small charity team for four weeks and supported us with event planning, communications and design, making a valuable contribution to our team and impressing us with her wide range of skills” – Charity Manager

Summer Intern – Green Evolution Capital LLP

Banking and Financial Services, Employer Feedback, Energy Engineering,

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

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

During the internship, I participated in all aspects of the company’s activities, including meetings with lawyers, fund administrators, accountants, etc. My main task was to compile a comprehensive study on the 15 countries including the political, macroeconomic data, a review of the regulatory regime, renewables landscape, etc.

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

The work was challenging and interesting and I am very proud of the resulting study that will be genuinely useful to the firm and published in the University library as a reference tool for the dissertations of fellow students! Working closely alongside the two partners of the firm developed a keen sense of professionalism and inspired a range of possible routes and opportunities for career development after university. Getting involved in the surrounding company activities such as contributing to the investor presentation and informing the fund’s senior advisor on key policy mechanisms broadened the experience, skills and networking opportunities that I gained from the internship.

“Matt did an excellent job with the study and was very helpful in many of the meetings he attended with his knowledge of the renewables sector and the UK regulations. The 300+ page study that he completed continues to be an important reference point and marketing tool for the company” – Line Manager

Impact Strategist – SportInspired

Charity and Development Work, Employer Feedback, History, Social Guidance and Community Work,

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

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

My role was to make sure that each Community Games worked to ensure that all communications with various partners: corporate clients, sports providers, schools, parents, young leaders and volunteers, were as effective as they could be. I also made sure the delivery of the Games always went above and beyond expectations. On the day of the Games themselves, I briefed the sports providers and made sure that the volunteers and young leaders were mentoring their children effectively.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

It has been an absolute pleasure to work for SportInspired. The SportInspired team are AMAZING! They are extremely hard working, passionate and well, inspiring! I routinely smashed the 35 hour minimum for the working week not because there was huge pressure on me to do so but because I really enjoyed what I was doing and where I was working. I often found myself on evenings and weekends brainstorming ideas for how to streamline the processes for each Community Games and pitching to family and friends to get their employers to sign up with SportInspired. In the first week my role was defined as: ‘making sure each of our Community Games (multi sports festival) had as much impact possible.’ This wide ranging brief gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in all things SportInspired and know that what I was working on would have a lasting impact on the processes surrounding the Community Games. Inspiring children to take up sport is extremely rewarding and the Community Games days themselves are indescribably brilliant. There is no better feeling than what we describe in the office as a ‘mini Win’ – when you turn a child’s day around and with it their perception of sport. Following on from my internship, I hope to continue to work for SportInspired. I would just like to end by thanking Exeter and the Access to Internship scheme, for yet again demonstrating why Exeter is such a fantastic University.

“Felix used a successful blend of his array of skills and talents to be a valuable member of the team throughout the internship. This has been demonstrated through high level analysis of potential client organisations, demonstrating his ability to deal with complex and high level material, through to his boundless enthusiasm with supporting kids trying sports at our multi-sports festivals. He is a classic ‘go-getter’, combining his infectious enthusiasm with an impressive ability to use his initiative, and stay committed to what he is trying to achieve” – Managing Director, SportInspired

Felix

Account Assistant – Arnold KLP

Advertising, Marketing and PR, Employer Feedback, English, History,

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

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

The primary responsibilities of this role included aiding the account handlers in research, creative briefing and client relations.

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

The internship has greatly improved my employability and career development. Over the past six weeks I have been able to progress alongside projects, see them materialise and directly learn from them. It has given me a variety of transferable skills and has taught me that I am capable of immersing myself with a professional environment. I have learnt an exceptional amount about Arnold since being here; about the ethos, the people and the business and it has given me the confidence to pursue this avenue after I finish at University.

An extremely significant experience for me was being given the responsibility to liaise with clients directly and to write and deliver briefs for the creatives. For me this was a true indication that I was trusted and deemed responsible enough to move the projects forward. Essentially, this experience uprooted the stigma about interns for I felt much more integrated, trusted and part of the team, so I am incredibly thankful for that.

“It was a pleasure having Alice here, and she would be welcomed back should the opportunity arise” – Line Manager

Alice

Summer Intern – Institute of Economic Affairs

Economics, Education, Teaching and Research, Employer Feedback,

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

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

Working for the IEA involved writing my own research project on a topic of my choice and supervised by one of the senior research staff. I also attended lectures and seminars, contributed towards debates and discussions

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

I feel that having completed this internship, I have a more informed career plan than I did before. I have learned really useful employability skills such as problem solving and teamwork and collaboration.

“Alex was an important part of our Summer Programme and made a valuable contribution to the Institute’s work” – Line Manager

Diversity Intern – Civil Service

Politics and Government, Politics and International Relations,

Parliament

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

This internship was primarily about the interns learning and understanding more about the fast stream and the role of a civil servant in government. Before I arrived I was allocated a fast streamer to shadow in the DEFRA department. I was meant to shadow her duties on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then take part in some other activities on Monday and Friday. However, as the project she was working on was too sensitive and confidential (about the EU referendum) I was not able to, but she arranged for me to talk to various civil servants and other professionals instead. I met senior civil servants, professionals in Behaviour Insight Team and fast streamers in the Department of Health, Education, Work&Pensions, HM Treasury and DEFRA. My role was mainly just to network.

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

I don’t mean to sound too generic, but I really did overcome my alienation and fear of networking. Every interns experience was different, as it depended on the agenda that your fast streamer had set for you. My fast streamer set up meetings for me to speak to loads of people, so I was forced to reach out of my comfort zone and be bold to ask lots of different questions.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I think due to the nature of the internship, the benefits of the intern were limited as it was an internship where interns gain an insight into the world of a civil servant. However, during the week a lot of emphasis was placed on the civil service wanting to achieve diversity within its organisation. It was stated that even though their current workforce comprises of a minority ethnic background of 10.1% which is nearly reflective of general population (around 11%), there isn’t diversity among the senior roles. The civil service accentuated that the promotion of diversity it not just limited to moral reasons, but strategically they need to ensure they reflect the society to know how best to serve them. So, I brought insight into an ethnic minority’s viewpoint of the civil service and a chance for them to promote careers available to me that I may not have considered.

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

Not so much a challenge but an adjustment. I decided not to stay in Westminster (or nearby), but to commute from home as I thought it would be manageable. However, I found the travel draining, so I had to be very vigilant and organise my time well to ensure I was on time to all the events.

Campaigns and Research Intern – Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust

Charity and Development Work, English,

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

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

I was working within the Advocacy and Communications team. I spent my time writing articles, researching pieces for HART’s news and blog; researching relevant issues affecting the communities with whom HART works to inform their advocacy, campaigns and communications teams. I monitored the political situation in countries where we work, and prepared internal and external briefings; designed and coordinated campaigns, events, and other advocacy activities; engaged with HART’s Parliamentary work, including preparing briefings and attending debates. I attended a House of Lords Sudan debate, which Baroness Cox was speaking at, and a Burma APPG meeting.

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

I did extensive research into the issue of human trafficking in India, Burma, Nigeria and Sudan, and wrote an article that has been published in HART’s newsletter. I then went on to research and write a blog post on the link between ethical clothing and modern slavery.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I had my main research projects that I worked on over the four weeks I was an intern, but I also helped out with my colleagues’ workload by proof-reading, forming documents and writing sections of the annual report.

HART is quite a small NGO and they therefore do not have the time to go into extensive detail on many serious issues that affect their partner countries. My human trafficking project  therefore allowed me to find out and put this horrific issue into manageable information, thus raising awareness.

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

I was commuting for over an hour and a half every day, which was definitely a new experience for me! It took me a while to get used to, but I learnt to use this time well.

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PR and Marketing Assistant – Arthur Online

Advertising, Marketing and PR, Employer Feedback, English,

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 and responsibilities included writing content for the company’s online blog, proof reading others’ blogs and uploading them all onto the website. I also managed their social media channels by engaging with others, updating the news feeds and trying to promote more engagement on our pages. I wrote articles on behalf of the company for a newsletter and found sales leads. I also attended an exhibition in Cardiff with the company, in which I helped to promote the software to landlords. Meetings were also held fortnightly with the Directors, in which I had to present my research and findings to them.

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

Broadening my knowledge of the marketing industry and gaining a strong insight into a career I had never even considered prior to this internship.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I managed to secure the company a monthly slot in a Newsletter with 100,000 + readership, which has raised their profile in the property industry, and helped them to stand out above their competitors. Taking on the management of the social media channels reduced my manager’s workload, enabling him to get on with other important tasks and marketing projects for the company.

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

My main problem was getting things completed too quickly, then worrying that I didn’t have much left to do. I overcame this by taking more time over tasks, and allowing myself to take a break if I had completed things early.

‘Imogen was a responsible, hardworking intern’ – Line Manager

arthur

Games Manager – SportInspired

Charity and Development Work, Employer Feedback, English,

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

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

In the early stages of my internship I was heavily involved with the delivery of SportInspired Games. This included recruiting and briefing sports clubs for multiple games in the summer, one of their busiest time for games! It was great to be able to hit the ground running and be a part of the action right from the beginning. I helped with data entry, compiled impact reports and prepared paperwork for games. On game days I acted as a Deputy Director. I helped with the smooth organisation and running of the event including the set up and  delegation of tasks to assistant directors.

As the internship continued I was put in charge of managing and developing their intern programme. This included contacting universities and intern providers and interviewing potential interns.

I also took control of social media, posting regular updates via the Twitter and Facebook accounts. In line with this I was given a project to manage. The focus was on Digital Stories. I was involved in the planning stages, carried out the task and wrote up conclusions and created a “how to” pack on Digital Stories.

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

The Digital Stories Project because it gave me the opportunity to lead my own project. I was able to shape the project as I went and really take ownership over it. I worked with lots of different people on it, all who were vital support to its success, but seeing it through from start to finish and seeing the outcomes gave me a real sense of personal achievement. I also created a pack and taught the rest of my team through the process in order to pass on the knowledge I had acquired. It was empowering to lead the meeting and overall, it gave me confidence in my own abilities.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I helped lighten the work load in the summer when they were at their busiest and an already small team was stretched to its limits. I took on a new project that they hadn’t done before and wrote up a report to incorporate it into the work they do. I also re-ignited their social media platforms, increasing reach to current and new follower, which had been neglected in the recent year. I acted as an effective communication source and demonstrated a strong ability to multi-task so was able to help in all areas of the company that was needed.

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

I found that being assertive does not come naturally to me. My line manager was very honest with me and helped give the confidence boost I needed. I learnt that communication is also key to any task you do. Often you encounter barriers because others are poor at contacting you back. I learnt to be pro-active and persistent.

“Kat is absolutely fantastic and has taken up a full time role after her internship” – Felix Sullivan

International Programmes Assistant – Teach A Man To Fish

Charity and Development Work, Education, Teaching and Research, Philosophy,

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

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

I was involved in a wide range of tasks related to programme management, however the main activities I was involved in were:

  • creating a new safety and security policy framework, suitable for projects in insecure environments;
  • undertaking safety and security research in relation to a number of new projects;
  • liaising between my organisation and a number of other stakeholders to sort out details of new projects;
  • helping to create or amend materials for schools to use as part of the projects;
  • helping to oversee the organisation’s registration as an NGO in Uganda and Nicaragua; and
  • helping out with other general tasks, such as project monitoring and evaluation.

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

I ended up contacting and speaking with a very wide range of other organisations as part of my role (particularly as part of the safety and security research I undertook), from speaking to lawyers and to officials at the Ugandan Embassy, through to contacting NGOs and UN agencies working across Africa. I was given genuine responsibility over the course of the internship, which although daunting at first, was a great experience and helped to improve my confidence.

It was also a wonderful opportunity to gain professional experience in a foreign language, since a lot of the work I did was in French.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

I helped the organisation by being diligent and hardworking, and thereby helping to reduce the workload for my colleagues at what was a busy and exciting time for the organisation due to a number of new projects being established.

The fact I was able to work in French was also of assistance.

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

I was lucky that there were not any major problems during my internship.
However, we were often working to tight deadlines, and on occasion I faced small problems in meeting these for work I had been delegated. For instance, sometimes I had sent documents off to be officially translated, and there would then be a delay in getting these documents back, which would have an impact on our ability continue the work and meet the deadline.

However, as a result of regular meetings and communication, my line manager was kept updated about the projects I was working on, and as such the slight delays we sometimes faced never ended up creating a significant problem.