Louise Lavery

What do you see as the benefits of an internship with a smaller organisation?

My internship with a smaller organisation was extremely beneficial as it gave me a lot of responsibility within the organisation. This added responsibility allowed me to feel that I played a key role within the company and that my work was valued.

• Being part of a smaller organisation allowed me to recognise my strengths
• My hard work and successes were recognised
• Being part of a small organisation allowed me to work on my weaknesses
• It enabled me to build a strong working relationship with my employer and colleagues

What did you enjoy most about the internship and why?

The most enjoyable part of my internship was having so much responsibility. This gave me confidence that I never had before in my ability when I achieved a specific outcome. It made the work meaningful and made me feel I was valued within the organisation. 

I really enjoyed taking part in board meetings and other client meetings as it allowed me to meet a wide range of people with very different views and careers. This greatly improved my confidence as I had to speak to people I had never met and have long discussions with them.

How do think the internship has helped towards planning your future career?

The internship helped towards planning my future career as it allowed me to see how an organisation works. It allowed me use the knowledge I had gained in university and apply it into a real working organisation. It also allowed me to recognise parts of work I would like to be involved in and also certain aspects of an organisation that I would not be interested in pursuing a career in. 

It allowed me to see the high standards organisations work against and the tight time constraints. This is very beneficial to the future as it has made me more prepared and knowledgeable on an organisations expectations.

What skills do you feel you have gained from the internship?

• Communication; my communication skills have greatly improved through my internship as I worked with lots of different kinds of people.
• Leadership; I had to help manage a small team which allowed me to gain leadership skills I was never aware I ever had the capability to have
• Problem Solving; I definitely gained problem-solving skills throughout my internship as many situations occurred that I had never been in before

What advice would you give to students considering applying for an internship through this programme next year?

Apply for any role that you are interested in! Go into the process with an open mind and although it may be daunting, go through the process with confidence.

You need to let employers know your strengths and how they would be applicable to that particular role.

Show your personality!