Artemis: An internship report... a lifetime experience!

An internship report... a lifetime experience!

Hi everyone,

My name is Artemis.  I started an internship last May with Klik2learn, a start up e-learning company based in Glasgow.  The internship was advertised on the Adopt an Intern website.  After applying and having a brief discussion/interview with Joy  (CSPP, Adopt an Intern) on the phone...there I was at my interview with Klik2learn. Thankfully everything went well and my journey began.

First day at the office...

The company is based at the Strathclyde University, Incubator. The moment I walked into my office for the first time, I faced this poster quoting E.E. Cummings: 

“ To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight. Never stop fighting.” 

I had a flashback of the year that passed me by: Graduation/New possibilities/Excitement/Economic crisis facts/Numerous job applications/Unemployment/Disappointment/Economic crisis myths/Fear for the unknown future/Stress and Anxiety/Depressed feelings/Acceptance/Decision making. That moment I realised that no matter how difficult things had been or might become, if you just keep fighting, eventually something good will happen.

Now back to the internship...

The exciting part of working with a start-up company is that along the way you can mould yourself into different roles whilst the company itself changes (unavoidably). This can often be confusing because focusing only on one thing is difficult and finishing things seems impossible. But it can also be a rewarding experience since you get the opportunity to improve your skills in many different fields at the same time.

My degree is in Computer Science but my career aspiration is to become a digital designer which is the reason I attended a Master Degree in Design and Digital media.  Yet as an intern at Klik2learn I was given the IT Coordinator position. My focus was on more technical stuff. But, throughout time more creative tasks came along and I had the chance to show my design skills. That led to the point where I am at the moment, working mostly as a designer for the company.

Things get rough sometimes. Decisions need to be made and my knowledge doesn’t always apply to our issues. I can proceed comfortably with some tasks but many others are unknown to me. When I am being asked to do something and I am not sure of what I am capable of, my typical reaction is (which probably my bosses are fed up of hearing): “I don’t know but I can research this and find out”. If there’s one thing that I’ve learnt from this experience is that knowledge comes when you research and try things out. Plus my stress is less from the moment I decided to admit that IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW EVERYTHING. And that’s how I make it through the day. But in case I forget (my lack of memory can be really tricky), I turn my head to the next poster in front of my desk, this time with a quote by R.W. Emerson:

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

I will leave you with that, whether you are someone struggling to survive in a working environment as an intern or someone that is looking for an opportunity out there.

Tweet me @artemisnft and feel free to comment here.

Best wishes,

Artemis

Quality Internships Part 1: Paying a living wage

The European Youth Forum has a campaign called ‘Quality Internships’ which aims to encourage organisations to sign up to a charter demonstrating their commitment to providing quality internships to individuals.  Amongst the commitments is one to provide a wage which is in accordance with the minimum wage set by that country.  A few weeks ago I spotted an internship advertised with EuroDesk that looked interesting (my MSc is in European Public Policy, so it is an area that I am interested in working in).  Unfortunately the renumeration for the post was only around 700 Euros (approx. £600) per month so it meant I immediately couldn’t apply for it.  Although not as expensive as some other European cities, Brussels is still the headquarters of the European Union, as well as many other large organisations, and the cost of living is quite high.  This level of wage is not uncommon for European internships.  Although not officially signed up to the charter, EuroDesk had ‘liked’ the Quality Internship Charter on Facebook.  This prompted me to email EuroDesk and question why they offered such a low wage if they supported the work that the EYF carried out in promoting quality internships.  The reply I received was that EuroDesk, as a non-profit organisation established under Belgian law, followed the ‘Convention d’immersion professionelle’.

The ‘Convention d’immersion professionelle’ is used by Brussels based organisations when hiring an intern.  Unlike an employment contract, this Convention is not concerned with the provision of services by an employee and subsequent payment for these services, but instead with the training that the intern receives by being ‘immersed’ in the work of the organisation.  The level of ‘compensation’ provided to an intern is set in this Convention – for anyone over 21 (the majority of graduates) this is set at a minimum of 721.80 Euros, though there is nothing to stop organisations paying more.  For comparison the European Youth Forum pays their interns 1441 Euros per month.

The issue with this, as with all unpaid/low paid internships, is that even though it may be legal (which is in dispute in the UK, at the very least), it is not necessarily ethical to pay such a small amount.  There seems to be a disturbing growth in the number of individuals and organisations taking advantage of the high graduate unemployment rate by recruiting unpaid or low paid interns.  John Caudwell, a British billionaire businessman said recently that minimum wage should be lowered to encourage more employers to hire younger staff.  I do wonder if John Caudwell would be able to live off the current minimum wage of £6.08 an hour, never mind less than that.

Furthermore, as I pointed out to EuroDesk, it is not particularly beneficial to them, by depleting drastically the talent pool from which they can recruit.  This position had 545 applicants.  There are certainly other factors which would limit the number applying (namely language skills) but I have applied for many jobs in Scotland, with a population of approximately 5 million, which have had over 250 applicants.  EuroDesk, advertising to the whole of the European Union, with a population 100 times the size of Scotland, managed only slightly more than twice as many applicants.

EuroDesk have been mentioned here because I have had a recent experience with them, but this issue is not limited to them.  Organisations across the UK and wider into Europe, detriment individuals who cannot afford to support themselves while working as an intern, but they also negatively impact themselves by severely limiting who they can recruit from.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that those individuals who can afford to cover the costs of their internship are not the best person for the job, but until we start paying interns a fair wage, we will never know.

Is there too much hypocrisy when it comes to internships?  Organisations, politicians and charities frequently come out against internships or low paid work, but use unpaid/low paid interns themselves.  Do you have examples of where this has happened? 

Comment below or tweet me over @InternSiobhan

The end in nigh!

Hi folks, after several re-extensions to my contract, the final day of my internship as a countryside ranger has arrived.

About 3 weeks ago, I had an interview for the countryside ranger post, however, I was unsuccessful. It all came down to the same old nutshell…..experience (or lack thereof). And so, as of Friday, I will be officially unemployed for the first time.

It’s a rather daunting prospect, but I was the one who gave up their weekend job knowing full-well that my internship was only temporary. But hopefully now that I have some relevant employment experience, I’ll have a much better chance of getting a full-time job that I enjoy and that’s relevant to my degree.

I have gained mega amounts of new skills and experience in the 4 months of my internship, and loved every minute of it. From organising events and volunteer days, to tagging trees and teaching kids and adults about the wildlife and nature right on their doorstep, come rain, wind or shine!

I have learned how to tackle anti-social behaviour, tree fires, poorly owlets and a class full of first years! All really great experience with a few challenges thrown in along the way!

Aswell as working at the country park, I also had the opportunity to help out the Whitelee countryside rangers with different things including their Stroller Striders walking group (above, in my frumpy jumper, or 'frumper', with the biggest dog I have ever walked!) and at their den-building event 'Dirty Dens and Bivvys'.

It may well be the end of my internship, but I shall stick around on the blog and twitter front, offering advice and blogging about my experiences as a graduate with internship experience looking for full-time employment.

As always, you can find me at @kate_intern

For now, adios!

Kate

Should you be complaining?

CSPP Adopt an Intern programme offers paid internships.  Personally I think it is a sad state of affairs when that is a surprising sentence.  For many graduates these days the assumption is that an internship is unpaid unless told otherwise.

I remember vividly my frustration while job searching and seeing all these fantastic sounding jobs that I couldn’t apply for.  Not because I didn’t have skills, experience or enthusiasm necessary, but because I am not rich.  It is rather galling to know that you have worked hard to get good grades and go through university only to come out the other side older, wiser and poorer and yet discover that actually the most important qualification for getting an internship is how much money you have.  Is it 2011 or 1911?  Social mobility be damned.

Despite this, many unpaid interns are not rich.  The competition in the job market has become so fierce that despite graduating from university in quite a lot of debt, undertaking an unpaid internship has become something of a necessity in certain sectors.  Some interns are fortunate enough to live near good opportunities and have supportive parents.  Some have saved up for months on end.  Some work evenings and weekends to pay the bills so they can work for free through the week.  Is this fair though?   The results are large portions of young people in society are unemployed, underemployed or being forced to live as hermits so they can afford to be employed.  Is it any wonder that the number of young people suffering depression is on the rise?

The Economist seems to think that working unpaid is nothing to be complained about - you’re getting an education aren’t you?  Except isn’t that why most people go to university in the first place - to get the education to obtain a good job?  Students are leaving Higher Education with more debt than ever before.  Now they are expected to work for free and put themselves in even more debt.  At what point is it ok to expect to be paid for doing a job?  Graduates - the majority of whom are young people in their early to mid twenties - aren’t greedy, all they ask is for enough money to pay rent, buy food and maybe go to the pub for a drink with their friends every now and again.

I think that it is important to remember that employment is not a one way street.  It is a relationship.  Yes graduates gain valuable experience but employers likewise gain an employee with up-to-date skills, knowledge of new technologies and a desire to learn and contribute.

The article highlights ‘serial interns’, but this situation exists because there is nowhere for interns to go.  People do not repeatedly work for free because they want to.  Unfortunately an internship does not guarantee a permanent position at the end of it.  Graduate jobs are few and far between, particularly in certain sectors.  Earlier today I was frustrated at seeing internships advertise for people with previous experience - missing the whole point of an internship surely?

Internships are a great opportunity to gain experience and learn within an industry but an intern is still contributing to the work of the organisation.  They deserve to be paid.


Agree?  Disagree? Not sure?  Put your comments below or tweet them to me @siobhan_intern

Excel is my new best friend

Hi everyone!  Siobhan here.  I thought it was time to update on how my internship has been progressing.  As is the nature of the public sector, in a state of constant flux, so are the projects that I have been working on, so I have had a bit of a refresh lately!  I am currently working on three different projects.

1)  Continuing my work with Neilston Town Team.  I am working on some feasibility studies for projects just now and looking at funding opportunities

2)  Working with Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire on an Enterprising Third Sector Strategy document.  This is a really interesting and exciting project to work on as I get to be involved in all areas of the third sector from small community groups through to large social enterprises.  We are currently analysing V.A's healthcheck surveys to get an idea of how the third sector looks in East Renfrewshire.  Spreadsheets galore!

3)  I am also looking at funding and project opportunities for East Renfrewshire Community Enterprise Trust (ERCET).  ERCET manages the internship programme on behalf of East Renfrewshire Council and I am looking forward to being involved in some of the projects that they have planned.

My days are really busy just now but I am enjoying learning more about funding.  Working in the public/third sector, this is an essential part of any work that you want to do and will be a really useful skill to have going forward in the job market.  As all of these roles have in depth funding research, I am currently building a funding database that should hopefully cross over and be useful in all of these areas.  More spreadsheets!

Adopt An Intern has been advertising some really interesting roles lately.  I'm excited that graduates are being given the opportunity to gain new skills and bring their own skills to the work place.  What have you thought of the jobs that have been offered?  Have you applied for any?

As ever, you can find me over on Twitter @siobhan_intern.

Siobhan

Countryside Ranger Internship Update

Hi everyone, Kate again.

I know everything has been quiet on the social reporting front, however, I have been mega-busy over the last wee while. A countryside ranger’s work is never done!

Anyway, I just thought I would give you all an insight into my internship.

My first day, as with any new job, was very daunting. I felt really out of place and nervous as I sat in the council planning office awaiting my fate in my ranger outfit and outdoor boots. I needn’t have felt this way, as I received a very friendly welcome from everyone I met. After all the necessary paperwork was sorted out, I was then shown around the country park by the project officer, Stephen. Now I felt more at-home.

After a couple of hours walking through the country park, I was then taken to the ranger office. Now I really felt at-home as I met the rest of the countryside rangers working for East Renfrewshire Council. Finally….some like-minded (and dressed) people.

I soon settled into the office, and for the first time in my working life, I have my very own desk and computer.

The rest of my first week absolutely flew by. I met the health walkers for the first time on the Wednesday, and got stuck in with the volunteers on the Thursday in the pouring rain.

Since then, I have been on a really steep learning-curve, but I do love a challenge, and in the end, isn’t that what an internship is all about?

My first day without my colleague Eilidh was very daunting.

That day, I rescued a baby owl which had fallen out of a tree.

I have noticed a pattern, every day that I am left to my own devices, all hell breaks loose.

The second time, I had to deal with a tree which had been set on fire (see photo) and a sick swan which was impossible to catch.

And only last Thursday, I thought I had totally got away with a drama free day, until just after my health walk, I spotted a fire engine, Scottish Water emergency van, a police van and an unmarked police car all heading up the dead-end road through the country park. It turns out a teenage girl had managed to get her head stuck in some bars near the old waterworks.

I have also faced the deluge of school groups coming to visit the country park. It is nice to get the kids enthusiastic about nature and wildlife, and see their little faces light-up as they explore nature, even if its pouring with rain. There are some who are less enthusiastic, but we usually turn them round a bit by the end of the day.

I feel that in the last month or so I have settled into the internship properly. I have finally put the finishing touches to my own little project, which was to plan and design some safety/distance marker posts to be installed around one of the reservoirs in the park. The plans are now in the capable hands of the suppliers, and will hopefully be winging their way to me shortly (fingers crossed).

After attending the Adopt an Intern Social Reporting Workshop, I was given the task of creating a facebook page and twitter feed for the country park. Both have been up and running for the last couple of weeks now.
Just search 'Dams to Darnley Country Park' and click the 'Like' button on Facebook or you can follow the country park on Twitter @Dams2Darnley.

So…..thats how my internship has gone since May. I am now in the final month of my internship.

I will write again closer to the end.

As always, you can follow my daily activities as a Countryside Ranger Intern on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kate_intern, and I am always happy to answer any questions anyone has about my internship, my experiences between graduating and becoming an intern, or anything else related to graduate experiences.

Cheerio!

Kate

Third Sector Development Internship

Hello everyone, I’m Siobhan and I too work as an intern at East Renfrewshire Council. My job is different from Kates, (no sightings of Yogi Bear for a start!) I work as a Third Sector Development Officer within the Economic Development department. The role is really varied, which is brilliant, as I get to work on a number of different projects carrying out a number of different tasks. At the moment the two main projects I am working on are developing a training centre that is based at Rouken Glen Park and working with Neilston Town Team on implementing some of the projects in their Town Charter. On any given day I can be found researching business plans, budgeting, meeting with partnership organisations or researching and applying for funding amongst many other things.


Rouken Glen Park, East Renfrewshire



                                             

My road here was a little convoluted but as Douglas Adams says “I may not have ended up where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be” (yes, I am one of those people who has a quote for every occasion!). I graduated in 2007 from University of Strathclyde with a law degree and no desire whatsoever to practise law. After a few months of working in a cinema, I was fortunate enough to obtain a paid internship with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) where I was based in their policy, research and communications department. I enjoyed this a lot so afterwards I went back to Strathclyde to study for a Masters in Public Policy. A year later I was in a fair bit of debt and smack bang in the middle of the recession. Luckily I had a shop job which allowed me to keep paying the rent, if not exactly fulfilling the aspirations I had set for myself. After many months of job hunting and an increasing feeling of failure I started volunteering at a charity called Spinal Injuries Scotland one or two days a week which helped keep my CV up to date and diluted that failure feeling a little. A few months after that I managed to find a part time admin job at another charity. Between two part-time jobs, volunteering and the continuing treadmill of job applications I could find myself working weeks without a day off, but I told myself it would be worth it in the end if it helped me find a job. That all brings me to here! I saw this internship advertised with CSPP, had a telephone interview with Joy and a couple of weeks later I had an in person interview with my current manager at ERC. I started my internship in March for three months and have since had my contract extended until March next year. I am looking forward to getting involved in a lot more projects and learning as much as possible.

You can follow me on Twitter @siobhan_intern where I will be sharing my experiences, thoughts and opinions on internships. Feel free to ask me any questions you have or share your thoughts, I’m always interested to hear them.

Siobhan