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
