We recently caught up with Lamina who worked as an Intern in the Communications directorate at the Health Foundation. She told us all her insights for what her internship has involved, including what she didn’t expect from the role and her tips on how you can follow in her footsteps.
What do you typically do throughout the day?
My work varies on a day-to-day basis. As I'm situated in the digital and editorial team, and I usually assist them with their work in delivering content on behalf of the Foundation.
What are the main tasks associated with your job?
I mostly copy edit short-form content like blogs. This includes uploading said content to the website. I help out with social media and assist with the podcast.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned so far?
I can't emphasise how important it is to put yourself out there. To talk about any ideas you may have or to put yourself forward for tasks and projects. An internship is only as valuable as the effort you put into it.
What’s one thing you didn’t expect?
How friendly everyone is! My colleagues really want me to do well, and are willing to step away from their work to assist me with any problems I might have and I'm incredibly grateful for that.
Is there a project or task that has stood out to you?
I created an e-learning module for our house style guide for internal circulation. It was a type of medium that I never expected to use that came with its own interesting challenges and rewards. It was also my first project, so it holds a lot of importance to me!
What’s been the highlight of working for the company so far?
Even though I have my core responsibilities, the nature of working with the Foundation means there are so many projections and opportunities to work on. Today I was helping the marketing and events team and tomorrow I'll be on an editorial training course - the variety is wonderful!
What three tips would you give to Bright Network members wanting to follow in your footsteps?
- Ask as many questions as you can and don't be afraid to ask for help. I can assure you, your colleagues who have been there for years ask more questions in a day than you will in a whole week.
- Let your manager know what you want to do in the future - they should help you develop the skills you're looking for over the course of your internship.
- Put yourself out there. It's a scary thing at first but try to get involved with as many things as you can. Ask your manager what their week is looking like and then ask if there's anything you can help them with and go from there.
Let us know where you've secured your work experience, internship or graduate role. We want to celebrate your success with a gift from us and exclusive invitations to evening networking drinks throughout the year.
