My name is Andrea. During my master’s degree in Psychology of Education, I did an SME Internship with Famli.

My internship 

I worked online, creating challenges for the app and lesson plans for Early Years, KS1, and KS2 teachers about nutrition, physical health, and mental well-being. Lessons covered social, cognitive, and emotional skills, which was something I enjoyed as I am passionate about helping improve children’s well-being. 

The team gave me a lot of freedom to work in my area of knowledge; I felt encouraged to offer new ideas, and they were very open to my suggestions. 

As an international student from Venezuela, this internship was my first work experience in the UK, which differed from my experiences in my home country. It was also my first time working remotely, which came with the advantage that I could comfortably organise my time while balancing my academic and work responsibilities.  

Skills I developed or improved thanks to my internship 

• As my role required me to develop lesson plans, I had to work on my writing skills, which was a nice challenge to help me continue developing my writing abilities in English. 
• It helped me broaden my understanding of England and Wales’ primary education system and their inclusion of well-being as part of the curriculum.  
• I learned a lot about teamwork and team management working with Famli; participating in the meetings and hearing about everyone’s work and progress and how they encouraged each other was really enriching.  
• Lastly, this experience also gave me insight into the tech world, which I knew nothing about.  

Tips for your internship 

1. If you are not a native English speaker, don’t be afraid. People are usually welcoming and supportive and will be interested in your ideas even if you struggle to express them initially.  

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If there is something that you don’t know, it is ok; you are there to learn so ask as many questions as you can. 

3. Be confident in your abilities. Although this might be your first work experience or your first time working in a particular sector, you have valuable skills and knowledge that will allow you to excel at it and bring something new to the team. 

4. Voice your suggestions. You bring something new to the team, so if you notice something that could be improved or that you are interested in doing within the company, say it. They will probably appreciate it. 

I had an excellent experience doing my internship. I hope you find something you are passionate about and have a good experience too!

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Check out our “My SME Internship” blog series to hear more student stories. 

So you’ve found an opportunity you’d like to apply for: 

Securing paid internships can feel challenging, but there is plenty of support to help you to make the most of the SME Internship Scheme. 

Here are some resources to support your application: 

• Learn to write a winning CV in three steps    
• Cover letter advice    
• Support for interviews 
• Read our guide for important information about working in the UK as an international student.   

If you have any questions about the scheme, writing your application, or anything else relating to careers you can speak to us on live chat, or pop into 5 Tyndall Avenue from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4.30 pm during term time. 

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