My SME Internship: Jemima – Vounder Analytics

Hi, I’m Jemima, a second-year computer science student. Last summer I completed a month-long SME Internship with Vounder Analytics

Vounder Analytics builds bespoke insurance data systems for other organisations and is moving the actuarial and insurance industry away from dated and unsuitable tools such as Excel.  

My experience 

A head and shoulders photo of Jemima, smiling

Before my internship, I did not think I would have been capable of the tasks I worked on. However, the workplace was a brilliant learning environment.

My tasks were clearly explained and presented to me in manageable chunks, with ample opportunity to ask questions. I also learnt a lot about insurance and actuaries (I didn’t even know what an actuary was before I started!). All in all, I was presented with fulfilling and diverse work, without being overwhelmed.

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My SME Internship: Olivia – Bristol Women’s Voice 

This International Women’s Day we’d like to celebrate how our students can make a difference. A great example is Olivia’s SME Internship with a women’s charity in Bristol, here’s what she had to say about her experience. 

A head and shoulders portrait of Olivia

Hello! I’m Olivia, a 3rd year Politics and International Relations student. Last summer I participated in the SME Internship Scheme with Bristol Women’s Voice, a women’s organisation tackling gender issues and inequalities within Bristol. Throughout my internship I learnt about their role in supporting the city’s most marginalised women who experience intersectional disadvantage in day-to-day life and often need support and tools to help better their circumstances. My experience solidified my desire to enter a career in the women’s sector, whilst enhancing my want to enter policy-making spaces to get more resources and funding directed at this extremely under resourced, and often unprioritised sector. 

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My SME Internship: Jasmine – Neuronostics

Jasmine taking a selfie, smiling. Reads 'First day of work.'

Hi, I’m Jasmine.

I’m a current masters student studying Applied Neuropsychology, and I have just recently completed my marketing internship with Neuronostics Ltd through the SME Internship Scheme.

Neuronostics is a start-up company which aims to utilise mathematical modelling in the EEG diagnosis and prognosis of neurological conditions, such as epilepsy. My main motivation for applying for this internship is I was intrigued by their technology. I’m very interested in the field of neuroscience and it relates to my course.

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My SME Internship: Ozten – Taught by Humans

A photo of Ozten, smiling.

Hi, I’m Ozten, I study Philosophy and Economics, and I started my internship at Taught by Humans in February, where I worked as a ‘Research and Partnerships Intern’.

As this was a remote internship, my first day started in my room, at my desk, on a video call with Laura (founder of Taught by Humans), where I got to know about all my tasks and projects for the upcoming weeks. Laura is a fun and reassuring person, who always made me feel welcomed in the workplace. She valued my opinions and listened to what I wanted to get out of the experience.

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The SME Internship Scheme: tackling hunger and homelessness one internship at a time

This week is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

If you’re passionate about making a difference, why not consider arranging an SME Internship with an organisation that is working to prevent hunger and homelessness? We spoke to a few organisations that University if Bristol students have previously had internships with to find out what they do, and why they like the scheme. 

1625 Independent People

Logo: a square made of dots with "1625 Independant people" written next to it.

1625 Independent People works with young people aged 16 to 25 in the southwest.

They work to prevent youth homelessness through early intervention and have taken on interns through our scheme since 2017 to support this work

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My SME Internship: Nathan – Purplefish

Nathan is a Politics and International Relations graduate who worked as a Social Media intern at Purplefish as part of the SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) Internship Scheme.

A photo of Nathan, smiling.

Hi, I’m Nathan and I was recently given the opportunity to spend a month as a PR and Social Media Intern at Purplefish, an award-winning, Bristol-based PR and communications firm. Admittedly, I held preconceived notions that an internship would be a relatively uninspired experience that would be undertaken solely for the CV boosting prospects. However, in reality, I couldn’t be further from the truth. 

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My SME Internship: Katie – Treepoints

My name is Katie, and I am a 2nd year student studying BA French and Spanish. A photo of Katie smiling.

I completed my SME Internship this June at Treepoints, an online platform start-up which provides support for businesses to take climate action and reduce their carbon emissions.  

The internship took place in London, where I covered a variety of tasks over the month including market research, internal auditing, competitor research, developing selection criteria for new partners and bringing on board a new plastic collection partner.  (more…)

My SME Internship: Tom, Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH)

Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) is a multi-award-winning charity which works to affirm the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and reduce discrimination experienced because of sexual orientation or gender identity.  

EACH work with us through our SME Internship Scheme to host interns to support their charity work, in roles such as Administration & Fundraising Officer, Helpline & Creative Development Assistant, and Research & Administration Officer.   

Since 2013, EACH has hosted 14 SME interns through the SME Internship Scheme.  

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My SME Internship: Regina – WeTrack

A photo of Regina, smiling.I am very grateful to have been offered an internship opportunity through the SME Internship Scheme.

As an international student, I spent three months searching for a graduate job in the UK after I finished my one-year master’s programme. I found the challenges and competition higher than ever in the wake of the global pandemic. Thus, I applied for internship vacancies on the Careers Service website to enhance my employability in the local market. (more…)

My SME Internship: Yanan – Bristol Braille Technology

A photo of YananHi, my name is Yanan. 

It was my great honour to undertake a two-month internship at Bristol Braille Technology (BBT) under the SME Internship Scheme. My position at BBT was Braille and Employment Researcher Intern. My main duty was to conduct research on how braille promotes employment and improves the lives of the visually impaired. My work was mostly done remotely. 

Working for BBT, I learned workplace etiquette and gained lots of new skills, including working to a high standard. As a non-native English speaker, my English has improved tremendously during this internship. My colleagues and supervisors are all native English speakers, and, frankly, it was a little difficult for me to keep up with them when I first started my internship. I quickly got over this problem with a lot of English practice.

Bristol Braille Technology logo.
Bristol Braille Technology logo.

At the same time, the research skills I learned at university came in handy and my time management skills have also been enhanced. This valuable experience has laid a solid foundation for my future career. 

All in all, as a visually impaired person, I have benefited a lot from this internship, it really boosts my CV and I have become more confident. At work, I didn’t feel any discrimination and I wasn’t treated differently from anyone else. I sincerely hope that more of my peers will benefit from this scheme in the future.  (more…)