Name of Student: Zainab Zafar
Job Title: Education/International Student Support
Company Name: University of Exeter
Description of Organisation:
The University of Exeter is a public research university located in Exeter, Devon, South West England. It is one of the top 150 universities in the world and ranked among the top 15 universities in the United Kingdom. The university offers exciting courses in beautiful and historic surroundings. It is a member of the UK’s prestigious Russell Group of leading research universities.
What was your biggest achievement on your internship?
Before my internship, I did not believe I was able to take initiative and have faith in running my independent projects. The independence given to me allowed me to have more confidence in myself and in managing a team. I do see these skills reflected in my other work. I currently run a website where I manage a team of writers and I feel I can manage the team better through the leadership skills I learnt in my internship and taking initiative.
Were there any challenges during your internship and if so, how did you overcome these?
There were a lot of hurdles in the second term in regard to engagement with the programme. The first issue was getting mentors to sign up which was overcome by setting up weekly Forum stalls to promote the programme and the benefits of mentors signing up. However, the second issue was we had too many mentors sign up in comparison to mentees. I was able to overcome this by working with peer support and trying to find alternative programmes for mentors to be matched to in order to ensure their training did not go to waste. I was also able to work with peer support with the potential to endorse mentors on LinkedIn as mentors not matched to any programme were given the position of Senior Mentor to help with event planning etc. As for our low sign-up for mentees, the events planned were done so keep in mind I might see a low turnout. Promoting each event more on social media hopefully will show the programme is active and next year there is a higher turnout.
What were your reasons for undertaking this internship?
- To improve my job prospects by expanding my CV and what I can draw upon in interviews.
- To gain experience and knowledge within a specific occupation or field.
- To earn money.
As a result of my internship…
- I have improved my communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
- My job prospects have improved by expanding my CV and what I can draw upon in interviews.
- I have developed specific skills that could help me in the future.
- My overall confidence has increased.
During the internship…
- I received learning and development opportunities which could be helpful for my career (e.g., online courses, research development or mentoring).
- I received regular feedback from my manager/supervisor.
- I received regular feedback from my manager/supervisor.
- Overall, this internship has been a positive experience.
Would you recommend this internship scheme to other students?
Yes, I would recommend this internship scheme to other student because I think this internship shaped my final year! I was able to meet so many amazing people I would not have otherwise met. Not only was I able to build new skills but I was also able to build confidence in my ability to execute these skills.
Do you have any other comments you would like to make about your experience using this scheme?
The Internship scheme offers a chance to balance studies and work experience very well. I think it’s an excellent chance to gain experience in a field you might not have thought to work in before, the internships are quite diverse and often do not have a restriction based on your degree. While the internship I took part in does not directly relate to my degree, I learnt skills I see mirrored in daily life and in my chosen field.