My Internship With Queen¡¯s International Office
Olivia Anderson, an International Business with German graduate, tells us about her four-week internship with Queen¡¯s International Office as part of our Working Globally from NI Internship Programme.
Last summer, I completed a 4-week internship with International Office at Queen¡¯s. This was a great opportunity and set me up for life after graduation.
The application process
At the end of my final year, I applied for the internship as I wanted to gain some experience in this area before graduating. The internship gave me a great opportunity to work on projects with a global perspective right here from Northern Ireland.
I gained some valuable skills during the application process. I completed an application form and this was followed by an interview via video call, which really helped me gain valuable confidence and experience in applying to jobs.
What did I work on?
Four weeks sounds like a short time, and initially I was wondering how I would be able to get involved in projects in this timeframe. But, in the end, I didn¡¯t need to worry.
The internship was very much tailored to my interests and skills and the projects I was involved in were genuinely interesting. I got to work on research projects, carry out competitor analysis, write blogs and brainstorm how we can improve the marketing of Queen¡¯s to international student.
It was so valuable for me to work on these projects. I gained great skills and developed insight into how the university operates and attracts students from all over the world.
My experience of working from home
I also got the opportunity to connect with two other interns who were international students from China and India. We reviewed some of the university¡¯s marketing material together, which was great because we could hear each other¡¯s perspectives and see different ways of thinking in action.
Before I started my internship, I was unsure how it would be structured as I was working from home. However, I had several calls with my supervisor every week and I received clear guidance on projects and work assignments. I was also set clear objectives and goals to achieve by the end of my internship.
Throughout the internship I felt very connected to my colleagues and the programme, which was great as I was initially concerned that I would feel isolated because I wasn¡¯t working in an office.
My favourite thing about my internship
I really appreciated that the projects I was asked to work on were challenging. My internship really pushed me and helped me develop new skills, but I also received plenty of guidance to help me along. I felt that the projects I worked on were really adapted to suit my interests and skill set.
I am so pleased to have been accepted on to this internship programme and would encourage anyone to apply. You¡¯ll gain some great experience over the summer and you can carry this forward with you into your future studies and career.