Category Archives: Internship

Ask the Intern : A Q&A session via Facebook

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On the 19th of March, I went from observing webchats to actually answering the questions that people wanted to ask. I have recently finished my Social Media Internship at Macmillan Cancer Support and agreed to take part in a discussion about what I did and what I gained. You can view the actual thread here but I wanted to go through and answer a few of the questions again in full.

1. What is an Intern?

The answer I gave :
An internship is a great way to get involved, build on existing skills or explore a change of career. Some other interns have written about their experience as well as their roles http://www.macmillan.org.uk/GetInvolved/Volunteer/Internships/InternshipCaseStudy.aspx.

Additional thoughts
An intern is someone who is looking to gain experience within a certain profession, a little like going on work experience although it is often for a longer time frame and you have a little more responsibility. I didn’t end up making tea/coffee or just filing paperwork. I was involved in several meetings and given the opportunity to put forward my own ideas for projects.

2. What is it like and what do you do?

The answer I gave

I loved my internship, I got the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and at the beginning my line manager discussed what skills I’d like to develop and ways I could build on my experience. My internship was for a social media role so I got to learn more about the way that Macmillan uses social media to provide support, information and the planning involved in different projects.

Additional thoughts
Working for Macmillan is an experience in itself, with so many people passionate about their work it is hard not to get caught up and end up staying extra hours. I have had the pleasure of meeting people from many different departments and offices, in person, via email and even spoken to them on the phone. The office itself is very bubbly and the ever-changing posters bring a smile to my face. I work on social media, I wrote posts, responded to comments and found answers for those that needed them, I also got to learn about our regional pages and accounts as well meet some of the fundraising team up in Shipley. I had the opportunity to experience the ups and downs of working life as a member of the Social Media team.

3. What is the meaning of life?

The answer given
42

Additional thoughts

It depends which book you read.

4. More details please? Full Time? Part Time? All areas of support or focused area?

The answer given
My role was 4 days a week, mainly working on social media but I did have the opportunity to learn about all the various ways Macmillan provides support (here is the blog I wrote about it http://community.macmillan.org.uk/blogs/b/community_news/archive/2013/02/20/how-macmillan-supports-online-and-offline.aspx ).
Internships are fairly flexible, I work from the London office but there are internships available around the UK. Macmillan asks that you do a minimum 3 days a week and will ask what hours you are available to work.

Additional Thoughts
Social media has been integrated across all levels at Macmillan, so I found myself often asking other departments for information or how I could help out. I learnt a lot from the cancer information team and throughly enjoyed working on the recipe Pinterest board as well as trialing the recipes. So even though I only worked in the office for 4 days a week, I often caught myself thinking of new ideas and wondering how everything was going on even on my days off!

5. What qualifications do you need to apply?

The answer given
Internships are available to everyone, you are chosen on your experience and what you could bring to the role. So if you are interested get applying

Additional thoughts

Internships are open to everyone, that is one of the best parts of applying for one. No pressure on your qualifications just the knowledge of the role you are applying for. If I decided to intern for the fundraising department I would just need to evaluate the skills I have opposed to trying to work on another qualification. This part of internships amazes me.

6. I take that this is voluntary work?

The answer given
Yes an internship is a voluntary role, I was given a nice pin badge to say that I’m a volunteer which I wear proudly.

Additional thoughts

I volunteered my time and effort to gain experience so I could be a part of the work that Macmillan Cancer Support does. I also got a snazzy folder and badge. I was pretty chuffed with my starter kit.

7. Did you work in a PR capacity? If so, what’s the best way to get an internship?

The answer given
My role was focused more on social media, which meant we did work closely with the PR team for some projects. Keep an eye out for any opportunity to gain experience, previously I did some work writing for a local magazine which got me used to press releases and other things

Additional thoughts

Grab any opportunity you can to gain experience, I loved writing for the Ark Magazine but I also enjoyed the photography I did for the students union. There were lots of opportunities to get involved whilst I was at university and it gives you a chance to learn more about how different people work. It also gives you chance to see the way you work when placed in different teams/departments/companies.

8. What part of your internship have you enjoyed the most whilst at Macmillan?

The answer given
I’ve loved working on a variety of projects, seeing a project go from planning stages to launch has been fantastic! Learning about new ideas and working with some lovely people has certainly made the 3 months fly by.

Additional thoughts
There have been days where I wondered how people managed to stay so positive about their cancer experience, then there were moments of pure joy when I heard about how thankful someone was for the support they had and wanted to know how they could give back. The projects were great to work on and they did make time fly, though I do have to say some of the messages I saw re-affirmed why I want to work for a charity and how I can help others.

9. What campaign have you enjoyed working on the most? HINT #CharityShakeOff

The answer given
There have been a few projects like #AgeOldExcuse, #charityshakeoff and #notalone. I’m currently working on ‘A Really Good Night In’ so I’ll have to announce my favourite later on this year.

Additional thoughts

The shake off was pretty cool, seeing three charities work to raise awareness and have a bit of fun was certainly different. Video is a great way to portray messages without lengthy explanations, although simplicity is key. #Notalone & #AgeOldExcuse have very powerful messages that have left a lasting impression on those who have seen them. My current project ‘A Really Good Night In‘ is my first fundraising project and it has been hard work getting the planning and content together but I am thoroughly enjoying seeing everything develop.

10. Are there internships in the north-east of England? Is there an age limit on being an intern?

The answer given
There are internships available all across the UK so keep an eye out for them via http://volunteering.macmillan.org.uk/Search/AdvancedSearch . You have to be over 18 to be able to apply but other than that no age limit. Great that you’ve chosen to learn new skills, wishing you the best for the future

Additional thoughts

It is experience that matters not age, I was very surprised by this question purely as I believe you can change career or learn new skills at any age. I have always wondered if I have been rejected from jobs because of my age, I never considered that people may believe they’ve been rejected due to being too old for an internship. We all have to start somewhere.

14. What is the internship about ? What do you do? And what do you gain?

The answer given
There are a wide variety of internships across Macmillan. My internship was for Social Media, so I focused on the Macmillan Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+) working on different elements of planning and content. I have gained experience of working within a charity and the chance to work on some amazing campaigns.

Additional thoughts

I’ve recently been trying to explain to friends and family what I actually did during my internship, the simplest way to explain is that I work on a selection of social media platforms. Generally this gets me a bit of a blank look and “so you just sit on Facebook all day?”. I wish it was that simple, drafting up content for statuses and picking photos to upload is a lot more difficult, trying to be interesting and relevant all the time. I love it but trying to explain it can sometimes be tougher than if I was able to show them exactly what I do in an average day. I have gained a lot of knowledge not only about social media but also about cancer, medical support and financial support available.

15. What are your managers like?

Additional thoughts

I didn’t reply to this on the main thread as it was asked after the Q&A had finished. My managers have given me the chance to shine, with their feedback and knowledge I am not the same person that I was when I started my internship (in a positive way). With their help and encouragement I have spoken at events such as #barcampnfp and actively taken part in discussions both internally and externally about how social media should be incorporated. I have been very lucky to have been offered the opportunity working on ‘A Really Good Night In’ and look forward to evaluating what I have learnt after it has been completed. So I would like to say Thank You, to my Managers and the Online Community team for making my internship a fantastic experience. I hope the next intern brings you even more snacks.
Amy

Applying Pressure

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Half way through january, I’m kicking off 2013 in a similar way to 2012. Applications again and trying to figure out where I will be living in a few months time.

“Why do people move. What makes them uproot and leave everything they’ve known for a great unknown beyond the horizon. Why climb this Mt. Everest of formalities that makes you feel like a beggar.why enter this jungle of foreignness, where everything is new, strange and difficult? The answer is the same the world over. people move in the hope of a better life.” – Chapter 29 Life of PI

The only trouble with not having a set plan or direction is it adds some pressure, to what the next move will be. So I have 40 days until I have finished my internship and need my next step. The oddity is that I’m not in the rush I was last year. I know where I want to be and what I want to be doing.

Whilst I was sorting through one of many of my boxes containing the past 6-7 years of my life, school books, coursework, tickets, pictures and many pairs of shoes. I found a note which I presume is from many a history lesson where music was an attempt to remember huge amounts of information for the future. I’m humming it as I seek out new positions to apply for.

Wish me luck

It’s beginning to look a lot like december

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I’ve eaten 2 days out of my advent calendar and I am becoming increasingly aware that the year is drawing to a close. I have had an eventful year and look forward to the roller-coaster that will be next year.

The past week I have been settling into my new home, planning my commute on the underground and learning some of the baby steps of my internship. Including all the desk health and safety! Needless to say I am learning still about what social media can be used for. My most recent tutorial being on the online community. I’ve been a member of a few forums, generally for hobbies or about games. Never really a community that deals with more important issues, so this was an entirely new world. I’m intrigued to learn more about how this area operates independently to what is seen on more open networks.

I’ve already discovered that a lot of care and attention goes into multiple elements of social media on a larger scale. Previously I have worked on and created documentation on how you should conduct yourself on company accounts, even this part of my skill set has been developed in one week of being part of a larger team.

I am always looking a few steps ahead though, so I am back to looking through case studies to keep up to date with latest research and findings. Kicking this blog up a gear and staying focused. Keep an eye out as I update new sections.

That is all for now

Amy

My first #NFPTweetup

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May I firstly say thank you to all those who were at the #NFPTweetup, it has been an experience that wouldn’t of been the same without the attendees/hosts.

Secondly I ought to explain to those who weren’t there what the #NFPTweetup is about. The Not for Profit tweetup is a gathering/conference of individuals who are interested in discussing what is currently going on in the not for profit sector.

Their website describes the event as “a community of people who work at or with, charities and non-profit organisations who are interested in harnessing the power of digital and social media, and other new technologies, to achieve their strategic objectives.”

This tweetup was focused on content, with 2 guest speakers talking about their charity and events.

First up was the ladies from Women for Women UK @imsarahhaynes, @Lucy_Jade & @ilonqua. A brilliant presentation explaining about Ning and how user-created content brought their bridge campaign to new heights globally. Their approach to using a new social network to help maintain control and increase awareness of the work they do. Thousands of people across the globe stood on bridges, styles, in ditches, holding banners and even playing bridge. To show support for Women all over the world. The impact being able to show images of this support must have enormous effect on the supporters and those being supported by Women for Women UK.

Next up was Lucy from @Childsi who explained about the origin of Child’s I Foundation. How they use content to help save lives and find homes for children in Uganda. The work Child’s I is not as simple as just sending aid workers to look after these children it is connecting people together to find families for them. The slogan “We make families not orphans” is clear and concise. To emphasise the importance of how being online and accessible can and does help to save lives is viewable through Joey.

After the discussion groups had reformed back into the hall, it was time to see the examples of current work that is being done. 5 presentations that picked a different element of charity to be enthusiastic about. These 5 examples included Gamification, RNLI, KnowHowNonProfit, Charity Water and Blue Cross. Blue Cross for its focus on the pets and dogs, RNLI for the @outonashout which demonstrates how automated tweets can work. KnowHowNonProfit for its content that has been pulled from those people who know (not forcefully like a tooth being pulled) rather than a pushing information on people. Then Gamification the way that checking into a venue has been made “fun” by foursquare Living Streets helps each individual to work towards improving their street. Charity Water is a charity that focuses on bringing clean safe water to a variety of communities around the globe, you can see here. One of the main points about Charity water that was presented on the stage (other than the hansomeness of the founder) was the way Charity water thanked their donors and mantained contact with videos explaining what a difference your donation made.

The tweetup itself is an experience, I never could have imagined having the opportunity to meet so many people who are passionate about their job. It isn’t the kind of sector where work is work and play is play, work can be like play if you believe in what you are doing enough.

After the main event, the next place to chat is the pub. Extra time to just chat about anything you would like to the people you may not have spoken to during the event.

I have certainly met people who, I am not afraid to admit, I admire and aspire to be as skilled as when I am in a career within the charity sector. I was starstruck and lost the ability to answers questions several times!

That’s all for now

Amy

P.S Thanks to @CharityChap @Rach3w & @skipinder for letting me yammer

Friendtrend – The new fashion social network

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When I joined Friend Trend in February 2011, it was my first internship. The fashion network captured not only my interest but got me to engage with local fashion events as well. Once my probation was finished I was able to work on many different elements of the network. Here is an interview with the founders about my joining of the team.

I contributed to the Friend Trend blog (which has since been switched to a tumblr page) and spent a vast amount of time running the Twitter Feed .

Developing conversations and relationships with fashion influencers and companies.

I throughly enjoyed my time at Friendtrend and currently follow their progress. The event reporting was exciting and helped develop my skills as a writer.

That’s All For Now

Amy

Milk, Two Sugars, Yes Boss

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Work your way to the top, should be taught at nursery. Not because children should be career focused, not at all, they should be playing games and imagining adventures. If you told them at a young age and explained the concept. It might stop graduates expecting to walk into the £80,000 a year job, when realistically most graduates will be lucky to get a job that pays minimum wage even then it might not be their dream career.

The part that sticks out is that most starting jobs end in assistant. The is not a bad thing, I repeat, THIS IS NOT A BAD THING. Having someone checking your work when you start in your industry is a great help, they can give you advice that they have learnt from their experience! Once again, I repeat, THEIR EXPERIENCE . No matter how many internships you have done, or placements or even part time jobs, the experience within that company will be different to the rest.

When writing CVs it can feel like you are making yourself the best person for the job, even making yourself sound better than sliced bread. During an interview you have to appear confident and let you personality shine through your answers. As soon as you start your job the role should change, it’s a new start, new company, new staff, it’s impossible to think you will be at the top of the pile after 5 minutes of walking in the door. It takes time to earn trust and get your badges of honour within any company.

So I am preparing by getting the kettle on and learning about all the combinations possible for a brew!

Now back to those job listings

That’s All For Now
Amy
@MissAJBurton

How to Juggle

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We will start off slow. Holding one ball in your dominant hand and two in the other, throw one of the two balls in your subordinate hand to your dominant one. Like before, try and return the ball in your dominant hand, but this time, when you catch the returned ball, try and throw the remaining ball in your subordinate hand back.
How to Juggle

Like anything when it is written down it seems easy, but when it comes to putting what you know into practice it often becomes more difficult. I’m terrible at juggling but with practice i’m sure i’d get better.

Some of you may know I have just started an internship at S.E.E.D (You can follow their twitter on @SEED_Breathe ) during my internship i will be working through a series of tasks :

- Marketing strategy for Breathe and then SEED and then individual projects.
- Actual marketing delivery
- Corporate identity and branding
- Finalising Leaflet Designs to get everything matching
- Enquiry/marketing audits
- Web presence/ free advertising
- Google Adwords
- Advertising
- Information Packs
- Advertising for October Fashion Show event.

To use the metaphor, that’s a lot to juggle. But instead of starting by throwing all the balls up in the air, I will be working through as if i was learning to juggle with 4 balls instead of 3.

On top of this I am starting my reading in preparation to start my dissertation as well. For September I will need around 150 journal articles to reference from and understand for application of my question.

With effective time management I will be able to juggle both my university reading and the internship for S.E.E.D. Might even try squeeze in the time to learn how to juggle.

That’s All For Now
Amy
@MissAJBurton

Why is my room always a mess?

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Simply, because i have too much stuff. After spending yesterday travelling to and from one home to the next, the house looks like a bomb has hit it. But that preparation is the least of my worries!

I start a new internship tomorrow at SEED/Breathe, which is going to be very worthwhile experience and challenging all the elements I have learnt over the past few terms. Preparing all the information i need to be able to conduct all the marketing basics efficiently has meant unpacking all my notes and re setting up my computer again.

Note made : Need a desk, external hard drives are not as fond of duvets as I am.

Over the weekend I reported on Southport Rocks and I am currently in the process of re-organising all my pictures. Including figuring out whether a watermark is needed and how it should look. It was an amazing event and a fantastic opportunity to see a variety of bands both famous and local.

On sunday I attended Plug In Lancashire (to find out more here is an article from Blog Preston) which was a great chance to meet other women in the area who are knowledgable in their fields. Giving me a chance to find out more about the ways technology is used, also how it can be considered for future campaigns. I am excited for the next meeting and look forward to giving a more detailed description for you all.

Although a short post, hopefully next week will provide a more detailed description of the work I am doing at my internship as well as other preston networking events.

That’s All For Now
Amy
@MissAJBurton

How to write your own content

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Many people will tell you that you don’t have to write your own content. Which is true. But content writing isn’t done by a computer in the middle of nowhere. If you aren’t writing your content then someone else is! Someone is sat at their computer trying to create your perfect piece of 700 word content to be posted on your blog or website. How do they do it? How can you start writing your own?

What am I writing about?
Content writing is about a certain area or topic. So start by brain storming what you know about the topic. Get a piece of paper, write the topic in the middle then add words that your associate with that topic around it. If you don’t know about the subject then you can start with a google search to see what is currently out there to research and understand about your market. No matter what the subject there will be something online you will be able to read up about.

How can I write about it?
If you gather up some key points from your brain storm or research then start phrasing sentences around those points. It wont be easy, so don’t expect to write 100 words when you first put pen to paper, don’t even expect to write 10 the first time you attempt writing your own content. Just relax and type or write your first ideas. Then review and re-write. Before you know it you’ll have your first piece of handwritten content. If you keep writing every day then you will find it easier to write your own content. Saving you a little bit of money each month.

That’s All For Now
Amy
@MissAJBurton

I want an internship, Now.

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In the current job market, experience is everything. Within any profession your skills and qualifications are what get you noticed on paper. Having the right attitude is what gets you a job.

I’ve just finished my second year at university and because of this I am already looking at what skills I will need to get a job. From various searches across sites such as http://jobs.brandrepublic.com/ most the positions ask for good grades in english and maths and computer skills. Then they tend to get more specific to each role, management training, event management, account handling, all of these can be included under the sub-heading of experience.

Within the field of advertising and marketing many positions ask for a minimum of 1 years experience. Trying to get this year of experience whilst studying can prove to be problematic, if you are lucky you may have a placement year included in your course. Getting this experience may be difficult although there is always an availability for the person that is persistent.

So how much will i get paid?
Many internships are at present unpaid, some companies will pay for your travel expenses although this is becoming more rare. But what you can learn during these unpaid internship is of much more valuable that the ever rising price of petrol. I met a new employee at an advertising agency who described how he managed to get him dream job. He had heard about the position but when he called up to find out about the role he discovered it had already been filled, upon hearing this news he asked if it would be possible to work for a few weeks to prove his worth. 3 months later he was provided with a full time position within the agency and re-embursed for his previous spending. Just goes to show if you are willing/able to put in the time for a company you can earn a lot of respect, a glowing reference and contacts within the industry.

So where should i look?
You can start with on a wide variety of websites such as :

www.inspiringinterns.com
www.fledglings.net
www.milkround.com
www.reed.co.uk
www.step.org.uk
www.ratemyplacement.co.uk

Alternatively you can try create your internship. Contact a company you are interested in working for, do some background research, find out what they are about, who the key players are also gives a great opportunity to find out what is currently available. Remember to pick up the phone and ring, don’t just email or throw a cv in the post with a ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ style covering letter. Call up, speak to someone, strike up a conversation. Ask for some advice and try establish a meeting to meet them face to face. This will give you the chance to show off your skills and personality. You never know what might happen because of it.

Most importantly though make sure you are asking for experience and not demanding to be put on the payroll.

That’s All for Now
Amy
@MissAJBurton