Emily: Intern at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Emily is a Politics and International Relations graduate and completed a Masters of Laws. During their time at university, they undertook 2 internships with the Faculty of the Arts and Social Sciences at Lancaster University. The initial placement was in 2016, assisting the FASS Placements Officer and in the final internship in 2017, worked as the Placement Scheme Assistant. 

For the 1st placement, what was the application process like for you? 

After being invited to interview and being the successful candidate for the FASS Placement Scheme Assistant role, I was overly excited as it was the first time I had attended an interview for a role since starting University and the placement scheme was the first internship I had applied for.  

Before starting the internship, I was aware of the stereotypes towards internships, mastering the making of tea and being the printing assistant. After completing my internship, I can not stress enough just how wrong the stereotype was, not just in my case but for the other students I engaged with during my internship, undertaking internships on the FASS Internship Scheme.  

What were your responsibilities in the 1st Internship? 

Everyday was different in terms of what was expected to be done. Primarily, my role focused on helping orchestrate the FASS Placement Scheme itself for students who wished to apply for summer internships. During the start, I assisted with the scheduling of interviews, attending careers events to promote the scheme, and suggesting and creating a LinkedIn page for the scheme, so students could post blog entries about their time on the scheme as a reflective exercise. I was surprised at the amount of responsibilities I was entrusted to complete and the acknowledgement and value of my opinion, allowing me to learn and develop skills such as effective communication, how to engage with different audiences and how to liaise correctly with staff and external organisations.  

Towards the middle of the internship, I hosted interviews for other students who wished to gain a placement on the scheme, which consisted of meeting and greeting the interviewers, escorting them to their room, and then welcoming students about to go to interview. I liaised with external organisations and students, set up catering and interview packs for interview panellists and set up Skype for London-based interviews. After a short while, I was given permission to handle the event alone, which I found to be incredibly rewarding. 

Moreover, I implemented the recommendations I had provided during the interview, including the LinkedIn blog, to ensure the scheme was as rewarding as possible for students. This is through providing a CV boosting activity, allowing students to link with their host organisations and develop their LinkedIn profiles. In the final stages of the placement, I completed a competitor analysis report on student internships at our rival institutions, and what can be done to improve the placement opportunities and how to advertise such opportunities more effectively.  

This part of the internship I found particularly interesting, allowing me to see the amount of organisation in driving the FASS Placement Scheme.  

What skills did you develop in the internship? 

I developed my report writing, networking and time management skills as I communicated with employers. I felt valued in the team as my feedback saw serious consideration and I was provided with numerous opportunities to develop my skills as I was asked regularly about tasks I wished to complete. 

For the 2nd internship, what did you do? 

The role required me to assist the FASS Placements Officer with the tasks needed to run and market the FASS Placement Scheme and, on occasion, assist with tasks that help assist FASS Careers. In the first month of my internship, I assisted Rachel, the FASS Placements Officer, with organising and hosting student interviews by the placement hosts. The interviews demonstrated the process of engagement with people in professional environments, and I promoted the placement opportunities open for application, through a variety of methods. As a result, I gave a presentation about the FASS Placement Scheme at the Lancaster University Politics Society Careers event, providing me with the opportunity to refine my presentational skills. 

After the students are placed, I developed new ways to promote the scheme, refine the placement opportunities available to students, and track current students on placement and their progress. I came up with a marketing plan for the next year, including a marketing timetable to map out the current ways they market the scheme, and added ideas to be incorporated into next year’s marketing strategy. Through this responsibility, I have become creative and inventive with the ideas, but being realistic through factoring in a budget, allowing me opinion to feel valued as part of the FASS Careers team.  

I set up a Facebook Page and WordPress blog, remained active on the social media pages, compiled and analysed the data from 2017’s applicants, identifying hosts for work experience degree modules, and assisting Rachel on the Open Days, which I thoroughly enjoyed as I engaged with prospective students about FASS Careers opportunities. As a result, I developed my presentational skills in a professional environment and learnt how to tailor my language to different working environments.