Tag: SME Internship Scheme

My SME Internship: Katie – Next Customer Please

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Hello, I’m Katie, studying BSc Sociology. I completed an SME internship with Next Customer Please, a digital marketing agency based in Bristol.  

A photo of Katie dressed smartly and smiling sat at a dining table where she worked remotely during her internship.

Next Customer Please help law firms to get more qualified leads through search marketing campaigns, including using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). During my internship, I delved deep into the social media marketing especially for LinkedIn. Over 10 weeks, I had the opportunity to contribute to digital marketing campaigns and develop marketing skills, especially in the legal field.  

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My SME Internship: Ellie – Disability Inc. 

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Hi, my name is Ellie, and I’m a PhD student in the Life Sciences Building. I carried out a 4-week SME internship in a social enterprise, Disability.Inc., which is part of a charity called WECIL. 

The internship was in the workASSURED team, who aim to remove in-work barriers for Disabled staff by providing recommendations about reasonable adjustments. I initially shadowed meetings with staff, their managers, and their HR contact and I worked with a colleague to write-up the recommendations reports. By the end of the internship, I took on my own case, which definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but also showed me how much I’d learnt during my internship.

Ellie, a wheelchair user wearing an orange jumper, is smiling at the camera. She is sat on a pier next to crashing waves.
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My SME Internship: Gunjan – PANDEK

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Hello, I’m Gunjan, studying an MSc in Marketing. I had the incredible opportunity to intern as a marketing and copywriting specialist at PANDEK in Bristol. 

My transformative internship experience

A photo of Gunjan in London

This SME internship was a perfect fit for my career aspirations, focusing on marketing strategies and content development that aligned seamlessly with my academic background and personal interests. 

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My SME Internship: Helen – Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre

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Hi, my name’s Helen. While studying for my History MA, I undertook an SME Internship at the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust.  

The Trust is a non-profit charity which maintains the bridge, educating the public on its historical significance. During my internship I worked at the museum and visitor’s centre on the Leigh Woods side of the river.   

A photo of Helen, smiling outdoors in the sunshine.
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How to navigate changing career aspirations at university

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Hi, I’m Olivia. I’m a fourth-year Politics and International Relations student, I am also a Communications Intern at the Careers Service.

Olivia smiling

For the first three years of my degree I wanted to be a journalist. I spent hours researching schemes, writing for student papers and completing work experience.

But during my year abroad I had a change of heart and although it was hard to admit, I realised that was no longer what I wanted to do. The world of media and reporting didn’t excite me anymore and I decided that I wanted a career that helped people in a more tangible way.

After much deliberation, I chose to go down the path of a career in human rights, but it felt like I was starting from scratch. 

Changing your career plans towards the end of your studies can be daunting and overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you why it doesn’t have to be such a scary thing and how you can make the most of this new chapter. 

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My SME Internship: Ollie – Rebellious Co

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Hi, I’m Ollie and during my second year studying Politics and International Relations BSc I completed an internship with Rebellious Co in Bristol. 

Rebellious Co. operate informal “Rebel Meetup” events for entrepreneurs working all over the world who were born in Bristol. Their aim is to use entrepreneurship as a vehicle to disrupt the status quo. I met the founder Ash at the Bristol chapter, where I suggested the SME Internship idea. 

Ollie, smiling outside in the sunshine, wearing a white shirt, with a backdrop of lush green trees and blue sky.

My role was to research, develop, and add a syndicate investment model to the existing community system. This work aligned with my interests in start ups and venture capital and helped me hone my skills.

I also supported Rebel Meetups globally. This included finding event sponsors, editing slides, and joining town hall events with global meetup hosts. 

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Mental health and mushrooms: from intern to co-founder

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An interview with Chris Baker, the founder of No Ordinary Moments, on his experience of the SME Internship Scheme and why he made his intern a co-founder of his company.

How did No Ordinary Moments start? 

As a former college athlete in North Carolina, I’ve always been intrigued by sports performance and nutrition.

The idea for No Ordinary Moments first came to me when I was an intern working 15-hour days in Silicon Valley, drinking 5 plus coffees a day. 

I believed my coffee habit enhanced my energy, focus, and productivity. However, I didn’t understand why I often felt anxious, jittery, overwhelmed, and lacked energy.

My caffeine dependency was amplifying my internal struggles, so I embarked on a journey to create my own drink. 

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My SME Internship: Emilia – Action on Poverty

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Hello, my name is Emilia, and in my final year of studying French and Spanish I completed an internship as a fundraising assistant with the charity Action on Poverty.

The charity supports vulnerable communities in East and West Africa. It works to tackle poverty, injustice and inequality. I completed this internship working for around 10 hours a week from January to May.

Emilia sitting on a rock, smiling, with a city in the background.

I found that this worked well and allowed me to balance working and studying. The internship was entirely remote and was a great introduction to working remotely.

I learnt that a lot of charities are now entirely or partly remote, so that they can cut down on office costs. 

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The SME Internship Scheme: what you have to offer an SME.

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If you’re looking for a paid internship, sourcing your own can be a great way to find an opportunity in a sector that you’re really interested in.

The SME Internship Scheme  offers funding to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to help them take you on for a paid internship for at least 140 hours.

You can participate in the scheme by applying to our advertised opportunities on mycareer.

SME Internship branding.

You can also approach organisations yourself to see if they would like to employ you by applying for the scheme.

When you’re approaching SMEs to ask for an internship opportunity, it might feel like you’re asking for something only you benefit from. However, it’s important to remember that an internship can be mutually beneficial, and SMEs in particular can reap big rewards from taking on a University of Bristol Intern! 

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My SME Internship: Aarya – Drinks Kitchen

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This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern with Drinks Kitchen, a pioneering company in the non-alcoholic beverage industry.  

Located in Bristol, Drinks Kitchen is on a mission to redefine social drinking norms by offering high-quality, environmentally mindful non-alcoholic drinks. The internship was part of the SME Internship Scheme, which aims to provide students and recent graduates with quality, paid work experience.   

Drinks Kitchen logo
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