Name of Student: Priyankha Khindri
Degree Subject: BA English and History
Job Title: SCP5538 Research Intern
Company Name: University of Exeter
Type of Internship: Student Campus Partnerships (SCPs)
What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?
We hosted the morning meeting a couple of times each over the course of the internship and gave presentations to our group on areas of our research that we found most interesting We had a choice as to what topics we would research and were then responsible for compiling the research and creating a powerpoint of our findings We created and scripted a presentation which we gave to the Exeter City Council.
What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?
The two main outputs of our work were a template for an ARCGIS Storymap website and an interpretation board to be placed in Exeter A major outcome was looking at what our next steps would be in terms of the continued development of a website and interpretation board e.g. what other teams/people would be necessary and how would the relevant funding be secured
What was your biggest achievement on your internship?
The biggest achievement for me personally was learning to work in a team. At university the work you do is your own and through the majority of your academic work the tasks are independent. However in this environment you shared your ideas and had them built upon by a myriad of other people and someone else had the power to improve and work on your outputs or ideas. The changes to my work and ideas were initially incredibly disheartening however by the end of it – as a result of group conversations and individual reflection – I came to understand that in a team no one person can have ownership of an idea or output. This resulted in me enjoying collaborative work and feeling prepared to join the workforce where team work is crucial.
What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?
As a result of how incredible our manager Nicola was and how wonderful the team were there was nothing that did not go well. One of the challenges was travelling to the Downes estate in Crediton where we were subject to some cultural insensitivity but Nicola had ensured there was a plan in place to address any unhappiness.
Skills Learnt:
- Ability to Work Under Pressure
- Organisation
- Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Researching
Attributes Developed:
- Logical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Independence
- Work Ethic
- Professionalism
Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?
“The experience was unique and unlike any other internship I know of other people having undertaken. It was eye opening and transformative as our team ranged from 18 year old students to people in the Devon community who were 60 years old. The diversity of the team made for a working experience like no other. It was also incredibly rigorous as a lot of the research we were undertaking had not been done before which made it tough but exciting work.”