Tag: Internship

I would 100% recommend to other students to take up an Internship

Author lisafoote | Posted on

I would 100% recommend to other students to take up an Internship. The work experience was an invaluable contribution towards real-world relevant experience listed on my CV which, ultimately, I feel helped in me landing a fantastic placement job and permanent part-time work!  

Brody Wilton BSC (Hons) Computer Science, role: Web Developer, employer: Believe.digital 

Describe how you felt on your first day in your internship

On the first day of my internship, I was pretty excited to start working as a web developer. I joined university after having applied (unsuccessfully) for many web development jobs after being made redundant from my first web dev position. To start a paid internship within a year of starting University was a great feeling and showed that I hadn’t been unsuccessful due to lack of skills.  

What key skills have you learnt through your internship and how do they link to your course/ career goals?   

The main skills I learnt whilst working through my internship were how to successfully work independently and remotely as my role was primarily work from home; 3 days at home, 2 in office. I also refined my web development skills in JavaScript, HTML and CSS. I learned a lot more about developing within a PHP environment as a lot of the projects I worked on were primarily WordPress websites.  

Would you recommend other UWE Bristol students take up an internship and why?   

I would 100% recommend to other students to take up an Internship. The work experience was an invaluable contribution towards real-world relevant experience listed on my CV which, ultimately, I feel helped in me landing a fantastic placement job between my 2nd and 3rd years of University. I was also offered continued, permanent part-time work during my 2nd year as a result of a successful internship over the summer. Shout out to all at Believe.digital (especially Rob), it’s a great company with a brilliant working atmosphere and I’d 110% recommend it as a place for anyone to work at as an intern; everyone is super helpful when starting out and if you don’t know something, it really isn’t an issue, just ask.  

Boosting confidence, knowledge and CV through an internship

Author lisafoote | Posted on

I’ve learnt how to apply my knowledge from university in real-life situations and how the real engineering world functions as a business. Relevant skills I’ll need to be successful in my career

John Nicola BENG (Hons) Automotive Engineering, role: Mechanical Engineer Intern, employer: Emvio Engineering 

Describe how you felt on your first day in your internship   

I felt excited but also on the edge as it was before I knew what I would be doing. 

What key skills have you learnt through your internship and how do they link to your course/ career goals?   

I have learnt how to apply my knowledge from university in real-life situations and how the real engineering world functions in terms of business. These are both relevant as in my career I will need both these skills to be successful. 

Would you recommend other UWE Bristol students take up an internship and why?   

I would highly recommend other UWE Bristol students to take up an internship as it will boost confidence, knowledge and cv in the subject. 

Key skills learnt through an internship

Author lisafoote | Posted on

I would absolutely recommend taking up an internship, particularly with the support that the UWE scheme provides…While academic courses provide you with a basis in the necessary skills and knowledge for a career in industry, they cannot simulate the reality of the world of work, or prepare you for the expectations, standards, conventions, collaborations and consequences of working on real-world projects 

Brendan Ashby BENG (Hons) Architecture and Environmental Engineering, role: Architecture Intern, employer: Box Twenty 

Describe how you felt on your first day in your Internship 

I experienced a balanced combination of nerves and excitement on the first day of the internship. Obviously, there is a lot to set up and a lot to take in on the first day, and I felt as if I somewhat rushed through some of the administrative induction processes in my eagerness to get working on projects and prove my worth. The company itself was very welcoming and small scale with around 20 employees, which suited me as I was able to develop relationships with all staff and to benefit from advice and expertise from a range of areas and perspectives. Box Twenty make a point of encouraging an active social programme to facilitate team building and office energy. In my first week, I joined a team bike ride, which helped enormously to make me feel more comfortable. One thing I found very challenging during the initial weeks of the internship was having a substantial amount of coursework to do for a module resit. I would encourage any prospective interns to avoid this, if possible, as it is extremely helpful to allow yourself time in the evenings and weekends at the early stages to assimilate all the new information.   

What key skills have you learnt through your internship and how do they link to your course/ career goals?   

My internship was for a building services engineering firm, but construction projects are in collaboration with a wide range of related disciplines, so much of my work involved design team meetings and coordinating with architects, clients, planners, other engineering disciplines, utility providers, etc. One thing I have taken from this is the value of relationship building in this context, and the value of asking questions and raising concerns in order to share and accumulate detail and knowledge, and to clarify and coordinate all parties on the same wavelength. On a specific note, related to this as a building services engineer, the role as a consultant is frequently to check, warn and inform designers of spatial requirements and conflict issues, to avoid serious problems further into the process. This requires confidence in your own knowledge to raise concerns, but it is always better to speak up. The spatial coordination processes involved are often complex and have knock-on effects on other professionals’ work, so consistency and clarity of communication is key to this. The nature of construction design is iterative, so one valuable thing I learned is the necessity to design at an appropriate level of detail for the stage in order to avoid wasting time.  

I worked a lot on one project which I helped to develop through formal design stages during my time with the company. Much of my work was conducted on software such as AutoCad, BluBeam Revu and Revit, and I gained some very valuable knowledge in terms of drawing standards and modelling processes. Above all, experience of the collaborative workflow processes and practical familiarity with RIBA stages of work I feel will stand me in very good stead in industry. I am more encouraged than before towards the engineering side of the industry. However, the internship was invaluable in giving me an understanding of the perspective of all related disciplines.    

Would you recommend other UWE Bristol students take up an internship and why?   

I would absolutely recommend that other UWE Bristol students take up an internship, particularly with the support that the UWE scheme provides. While academic courses provide you with a basis in the necessary skills and knowledge for a career in industry, they cannot simulate the reality of the world of work, or prepare you for the expectations, standards, conventions, collaborations and consequences of working on real-world projects. An internship experience provides a great deal of clarity on future career plans by showing you not only which aspects of an industry correspond to your ambitions and skillsets, but also those which are less appealing. I feel this view of working roles is invaluable in preparing you for both the choice and the reality of future career paths.  

UWE Internships – a great way to spend the summer, gaining experience and money

Author lisafoote | Posted on

I would absolutely recommend the UWE internships, as a great way to gain experience which can really help you to find a job when you graduate

Lunda Dimbelolo BA (Hons) Drama and Acting, Internship role: Assistant Director Intern, employer: Bristol School of Acting 

Describe how you felt on your first day in your internship

I felt quite nervous but quickly found my feet at the drama school. I was welcomed by the project leader Sam Bridges, who explained what we would be doing which helped to clarify the role. It did feel as though the advertised was different to the reality, in good and bad ways. I found myself met with challenges as the actors were aged 16-18 and some had behavioural problems, but once a rapport had been built this proved to be a positive challenge and taught me a lot about observing behaviour, which is great when directing.   

 

What key skills have you learnt through your internship and how do they link to your course/ career goals?   

 Directing tools, exercises, people management. As well as a glossary of contacts that I can use, work has been offered.  

Would you recommend other UWE Bristol students take up an internship and why?   

I would absolutely recommend the UWE internships, as it’s a great way to spend the summer, gaining experience and money. It also really helps for final year having worked in the role you aim to graduate in.  

The Kickstarter to my Career in Illustration

Author Careers Team | Posted on

Tomoko Nishida undertook an internship for Ying Adviser (Linkelite) as a Creative Marketing Intern.

The UWE International Talent Scheme has been a great opportunity for me. It was formative in kickstarting my career as a professional illustrator. My tasks were realistic and achievable, and I was able to make a real difference to the company. I learned how to conduct business in the UK, and developed marketable skills.

Pale pink Chinese lanterns in the background with the outlines of two pandas in the foreground, with the title Ying Advisers

I was placed at Ying Adviser, a start-up consultancy. Ying Adviser provides information about China and its culture, to businesses wishing to expand their presence in China. Prior to my assignment, their online presence was under-developed.

My brief as a Creative Marketing Intern was to help develop an online brand to their specification. The brand would demonstrate their business’s understanding of China. 

Following a successful video interview: the supervisor and I arranged to meet in a cafe to discuss the placement. She was one of the company’s two directors, and told me the story of their company. We were interested in each other’s culture, and so I was excited to draw Chinese illustrations for use on their website. My working hours were flexible: I would work 3 days per week, for 4 weeks. 

I characterised the company’s directors as pandas. I worked on the general idea of pandas having fun, and provided a range of sketches. I had a lot of freedom to decide what to make and how to make it. The brief specified that I would work in red and greyscale watercolour, to evoke a traditional Chinese style. 

Tomoko talking to other students at the Celebrating UWE Talent Awards

The use of humour was the core theme of the illustration. For example: pandas being fried in woks, or riding paper planes or hugging one another. I had to develop techniques for Chinese watercolour in a short time.  Adding elements of Chinese calligraphy helped me to give my illustrations an authentic feel. I tried to depict humour and a sense of momentum by using strong brush strokes. Combining these new techniques broadened my perspective of painting and brushwork.  

This work experience gave me an opportunity to develop Photoshop skills, which directly improves employability. I have gained confidence in using Photoshop in a professional way. 

Once a week, I would work with my supervisor at her house. The rest of the time, I worked from home. This developed my self-management – a skill essential for any illustrator. I would write a daily report on what work I’d produced, and what my plans were for the next shift. The directors emailed me regular and useful feedback. 

I recognise that I would benefit from pursuing experience in a creative team, to complete my professional profile. It is important to learn from a teacher or fellow professional. 

The creative techniques and organisational skills that I honed during this internship, are already proving useful for my 3rd year personal project, and I have confidence that they will help me toward my dream of illustrating children’s books professionally.

The International Talent Internship Scheme provides you with a paid short-term work opportunity over the summer. Internships are a great way to experience the professional workplace and develop your skills.  

If you would like to find out more about International Talent Internships, then do get in touch on InternationalTalent@uwe.ac.uk.

Learning Science Ltd

Author Careers Team | Posted on

Ryan Cornwell, Biomedical Sciences at UWE Bristol, reflects on his internship for Learning Science Ltd as a Learning Resource Development Intern.

My work varied from Beta testing learning science resources, to reading and expanding my knowledge on scientific techniques and even creating my own learning science resource that will be seen in multiple universities across England. 

This is one of the best things I could have done to support my degree. I was met with interesting and varied work daily with the added benefit that no two days were the same. Work was never overwhelming as I had a solid support network provided by my work colleagues. I can’t recommend Learning science enough and the same for the internship scheme.

“We have gained hugely from having a student on the team who can provide real insight into learning needs and challenges.” Ryan’s manager found his knowledge and support invaluable. Following his internship, Ryan has been asked to continue working for Learning Science on an adhoc basis.  

You can read more about Ryan’s experience on the Learning Science Blog. 

Taking part in the UWE Bristol Undergraduate Scheme 

The UWE Bristol Undergraduate Scheme 2020 has now launched and is a brilliant way to gain work experience for your CV and earn some money over the Summer. This year internship opportunities will be offered online. For more details visit the Internships website. 

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