Recommended?

When I started my search for an internship for the summer, the most important requirement for me was that the programme would be based on a real structure and allow me to take on a specific role within a company. All too often in the UK, you hear the horror stories of large companies who take on and exploit the skills of multiple unpaid interns. Indeed, many companies seem to view internships solely as a means of accessing the cheap labour of job-hungry students. As a result of this, businesses will often fail to provide intern-programmes that deliver the knowledge or skills needed for a young person to progress in their future career endeavours.

These kinds of internships are a real problem in the UK, and particularly so amongst arts and humanities students trying to break into the professional industries. Whilst no one wants to work for free, the financial implications of un-paid work are much less concerning than what this indicates about the extent to which a company values its employees. What does an un-paid internship say about how much-or how little- a company appreciates your time?  What does it tell you about their willingness to invest in your growth as an employee? Not an awful lot.

I think that the most important thing to realize when applying for an internship is that good companies will always see their programme as an opportunity to develop the skills of the next generation of staff, and not just as a way to get the filing done. This means that they will have taken the time to construct a role that specifically allows you to experience what lies at the heart of their business. This should include more than just making cups of tea.

So, in answer to the big question; would I recommend the Dwellworks Internship? Yes, absolutely. What I enjoy most about working at Dwellworks is that, not only do I have a tangible role as a file- coordinator in my office, but I also get to participate in lots of additional projects that will help to broaden my professional ability. I'm constantly learning and improving and everyday I see myself growing as an employee. I love the fact that I'm constantly doing something and enjoy the communication aspect of what I get to do on a day-to-day basis. Coming from a tiny island, working on our international project has been a really fun way to get to know some cool facts about other cultures (like the fact that Canada has milk...in bags?!).

Everyday when I head into work, I know that I am going to be appreciated for the things that I do and this makes me strive to work even harder. Overall, I couldn't recommend this internship highly enough!

Sophie Moore
Destination Services Intern
Truro, Cornwall
Dwellworks, UK