I’m Evie, a recent graduate in History of Art. I had the opportunity to carry out a 4-week Internship as an Editorial Assistant at BRICKS Magazine, a queer and independent publication exploring social-political issues within fashion, music, arts and culture.
After graduating, I knew I wanted to gain further experience in media and publishing. However, I struggled to find any advertised internship schemes that suited me, and all the ones I resonated with seemed very cut-throat and competitive.
Deciding to use the SME Internship Scheme to my advantage, I contacted one of my favourite Indie Publications I have followed for some time – BRICKS Magazine. Being a small business with only 2 full-time employees, they were keen for the help so jumped at the opportunity straight away!
I worked in the BRICKS Office, based in Brixton, as an Editorial Assistant on the upcoming print issue ‘BRICKS #14 The Resilience Issue’. Day-to-day, I helped to plan, write, film, edit, and post content to BRICKS social platforms, including TikTok and Instagram. I also got the opportunity to pitch and write my own articles, allowing me to conduct interviews with some of my favourite musicians and TV personalities to be posted on the BRICKS digital platforms.
Every day looked different, partially due to the team being so small, which I enjoyed as it allowed me to discover what aspects of the role I did and didn’t enjoy. Some days I was in the office from 10 am to 6 pm, and other days I was travelling around London delivering samples. I also attended events on behalf of the Magazine or filming social media content for brand partnerships.
A highlight of my work was attending as press to a Horsegiirl gig to write a feature promoting the last stop of her UK tour – I had such a fun evening!
I gained so much from the experience, and I would recommend that everyone takes advantage of the resources that they still have available after graduating! That being said, there were a few challenges. Working in London, I sublet a room to be able to live in the city whilst completing my internship. Being in a completely new environment, not only working with new people but also living with new people, was sometimes taxing. This was especially true given that I was commuting.
To anyone thinking of doing a similar thing, I would recommend making time for your friends and loved ones where you can and ensuring you have the support of people around you! It was this help that made me able to work the best I could and push through when things were overwhelming.
SME Internships
The scheme is now open for applications. There are 2 ways to find an internship through the scheme:
- Apply for advertised roles through mycareer. There is no limit to how many you can apply for, but you can only undertake one SME Internship per academic year.
- Approach SMEs that you would like to work for and ask them to take you on.
You can find out more about the SME Internship Scheme on our website.
Check out our “My SME Internship” blog series to hear more student stories.
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 in to 5 Tyndall Avenue.