Name of Student: Hanna
Pathway Programme: Pathways to Charity and Development (2024 cohort)
Internship Role: Social Impact Report Maker
Internship Employer: The Nest Southwest CIC
Summary of Organisation: The Nest is an Exeter based social enterprise, by and for women and people who have periods, focusing on the major life transitions of menstruation, pregnancy, birth and menopause.
Please briefly outline the project/tasks/responsibilities you worked on during your Professional Pathways internship:
“I was tasked with writing a report for the Nest. I summarised everything they had done in the past five years in a celebratory report and then created the design and edited the final report in Canva. I was given minimal direction and allowed to use my creativity and ideas to create the report how I wanted. I also had daily check-ins with my supervisor so we could discuss any changes she wanted me to make to the report.“
How has the Professional Pathways programme helped you in taking the next steps in your career?
“It has given me lots of choices as to what I wanted to work on during my internship. I was able to choose a part in journalism which is what I want to work in. I am hoping to transfer to journalism from psychology, but before this, I didn’t have a lot of practical experience. Professional Pathways has helped me in taking the next steps by providing me with a great experience in real life. Through being able to try a type of journalism, I was able to confirm for myself that this is the direction I want to go with my future career.
The training was amazing because those who spoke to us shared their journeys into their current careers and were always ready to answer any questions or speak to us one-on-one if we had more specific questions. They outlined jobs and ways of thinking so different from what I had previously encountered that it opened my eyes to several other jobs I would love to do in my life and will spend some time after pathways exploring.“
How do you think this experience will impact on your employability as you enter the job market as a recent graduate?
“It will certainly help. Even without looking at the specific job I did, any paid internship with a charitable organisation is greatly appreciated on a CV. However, because there was such a wide range of internships I could choose from, I was also able to do a job which is reflective of the sector I want to work in and the type of work I want to do. By having on-hands experience specifically in marketing and journalism in the real world, I am much more comfortable applying for a journalism master’s or jobs in the future.”
What achievement(s) were you particularly proud of during your Pathways internship?
“I was particularly proud of the editing aspect of my project. This was something I had struggled with in the past, and it was definitely not my favourite part of my work, but it was necessary and with the direction and check-ins my supervisor gave me, as well as a pressing deadline, I was able to edit my report and design successfully and am very proud of the final result.”
Given the Professional Pathways internship is 35 hours in total, what advice would you give to other students to ensure they gain as much as possible from the experience?
“Attend the training week and do as much as you are able within the 35 hours. I’d say never say no to a job. Try as many different things as you can. The employers are very aware that we only have 35 hours and are understanding if you don’t manage to finish a job due to time running out. Don’t take on too many jobs at once, but also try not to drag out one task over the 35 hours. Make the most of having the opportunity to work in different parts of the organisation. You can gain more experience and find out what you like doing within that workplace. This way you will know what to apply for after graduation.”
What advice would you give to a student who has to complete an internship via remote or hybrid working?
“Ask for daily check-ins with your supervisor and ask if there is any way you can meet the rest of the team. I worked remotely and it wasn’t bad at all. I quite enjoyed being able to work at the times I knew I was most productive, which wouldn’t have necessarily lined up with normal office hours. However having daily check-ins with my line manager helped me keep on track and made certain I was doing what they wanted me to. It means you won’t have to worry that you are doing something differently than how they expect it.
Right at the beginning I asked my line manager if there was a way I could meet the rest of the team, and she kindly organised for me to attend a conference where they would be presenting. It normally would cost a hundred pounds, but I was able to attend for free thanks to her and learn more about their work and organisation, as well as meet some of the team members. Furthermore, by asking where I could take part and how I could meet people, she invited me to the monthly team meeting they had online and introduced me to the team.
So I think the take-away is that networking is always possible, especially in the modern world, as long as you do your best to find those opportunities. And remember, they are just as keen to meet you as you are them, so they will likely want to organise an in-person meeting, just remember to ask.”
Why would you recommend the Professional Pathways programme to other students?
“I would recommend it not only because it is an incredible opportunity, or because the lecturers are phenomenal people who are always ready to talk to you one-on-one and support your career, but for the people taking part. All of the above is definitely true for pathways and I could list a hundred more reasons, but for me, the most important part was the other people who chose to take part. They were incredible, bright, passionate young people who had already done amazing things with their lives and wanted to do more.
I had struggled during my time at uni with group work as I always found people to be quite lazy and I ended up doing most of the work in limited time and handing in something I knew could have been better. Pathways was the first place at university where this wasn’t the case. Everyone was so passionate and excited to be working on our projects. We all put in our ideas and discussed how to go about completing them. We split the work up evenly and everyone finished and even went beyond their tasks. Putting our presentation together was a lot of fun where we laughed and bonded. But at the same time, with so many people having different insights, the presentation became a lot more creative and professional than any I had seen before.
The final presentations blew my mind. Everyone presented extremely professionally and answered questions easily, showing they knew their topic inside and out despite only having two or three days to work on this. Every single project went beyond the specs. When they were asked for a couple of fundraising ideas, the groups came up with specific plans including a budget, the number of organisers and volunteers necessary, how the cost could be lowered, and the potential outcome, and even made up posters and printed them out for our panellists. And that is just one example of many.
I think for me it was the level of hard work and passion I could see in my peers that inspired me to make the most of the internship. If this is something that interests you, likely you will find lots of others on this pathway who think just like you. It is definitely an experience worth having and you might make friends for life…”