Internships look great on your CV as they add that extra something to your profile that other potential candidates may not have, and could be important in getting you a job after graduating. The UK market is swamped with new, keen, freshly educated graduates but not all of them have the experience or evidence of ability that an intern can have. Economics teaches us that in order to compete in the market you need to stand out and have a competitive advantage, taking part in an internship scheme can provide you with just that.
I first became interested in taking part in the internship scheme offered by University Campus Suffolk after attending presentations given by representatives from the companies involved. The scheme itself and the areas both companies were offering their internships in, sounded very interesting and that they would be of benefit in helping me gain experience in the working world, something which I, being a full-time student, needed some serious help with!
I successfully achieved an internship place with AXA in their Project Management department, which dealt with both outside clients and improving the company internally. My day to day role was to support the other project managers within the team by doing extra work for them or note taking in meetings, but by the end of my internship I was reading potential scripts for television adverts (which I surreally saw grace the screen of my television months after my internship!) and running meetings for a call-centre quality project.
I became a real part of the project team and grew in confidence throughout my time there. On my last day my team took me out for lunch and presented me with cards and a present in order to thank me for all I had done over the past two months, and I didn’t want to leave!
My internship taught me a lot, not only did it teach me what it was like working full-time in an office environment, but how to apply successfully for a job by preparing a good CV and being successful in an interview.
It is mainly my confidence that has been changed by my internship experience as I now feel prepared for life after my degree in whatever career I choose.