Graphic Design (Research Brand & Communications) intern Review

My role was the Graphic Design (Research Brand & Communications) Intern working with the Research Comms & Engagement team. During my internship I was faced with lots of challenging tasks that always kept me engaged and focused. Throughout the process I enjoyed watching my self grow in confidence when dealing with clients and internal managers as well has having real responsibility over different projects. What I also enjoyed was having other interns to go through the experience with. CRUK often encouraged lots of collaboration with other interns through fundraising events that we had total control over. It was a great way to network outside of our role.

What I appreciated about working with CRUK is how I was treated like an employee and not an intern. I think It is important to understand and experience what it is truly like in a working environment which is a professional environment. My team were very welcoming and valued my input during meetings. They often have team games including a Bake of event were every month someone is given a letter and that person would need to bake something that starts with that letter. Its a great way to stay connected to our teams and get to know each other. However It can be difficult to approach my colleges whilst we are working due to how busy everyone is with their tasks so we do need to book appointments and meetings often which can sometimes get in the way of asking for assistance.

My manager is very organised and likes to follow a schedule. Which is a great skill that I have gained from her. I would meet with my manager after a few weeks to go through my progress and project status. My manager did provide me with support and Guidance when I needed it but didn't constantly supervise me which I appreciated because in a permanent role I wouldn't be supervised constantly. I think it was important to take control of my own projects and plan my workload wisely.

On my second day of my internship I was given a task list to complete by the end of the following month by my manager and she had asked me to create a timeline or plan on how I can manage the workload. This had definitely helped in managing my work load and sticking to deadlines whilst delivering great pieces of work. There was never a day were I wasn't busy working, which is great as I utilised my time at CRUK well.

My projects included a lot of research into different disciplines including Precision medicine, early detection and diagnosis, population research and multidisciplinary research. I researched into how the photography is portrayed for those areas with in CRUK and outside. I was in charge of creating a photography brief that would be sent to a science photo library to source imagery for the topics listed above. This required constant meetings with marketing managers and senior managers to discuss photography requirements which at first was very daunting but over time I built my confidence when approaching these situations. The last couple of weeks of the internship I had the responsibility for organising a laboratory photo-shoot which also included meeting with marketing managers to discuss photography requirements. I was given a lot of responsibility with my projects, whether that was dealing with clients or coming up with photography ideas. There was a lot to take away from my internship

I was able to build on my project management and leadership skills by organising the photo shoots and leading different meeting with senior managers regarding photography requirements. I also feel I have gained great organisational skills through managing my time effectively and being able to multi task on an everyday basis whilst sticking to a deadline. It was with constant planning and organising that allowed me to deliver my projects on time. Before my internship my photography skills were not my strongest point but now reaching the end of the internship I feel I have a better understanding of what is good photography and what to look out for, it is a skill very admired by the photography industry. I believe these are vital skills that will boost my CV and cover letter.

What I like about the offices in CRUK is that everything is open plan. You are able to interact easily with people within your own team as well as outside. At the beginning of my internship this worried me slightly because I thought it would be a very noisy environment to work in. However that is not the case at all. When people are working its a very professional environment and most of the interaction are work related. However it is a great environment to get to know each other. CRUK also have a hot-desking rota where you would change desks every week. As a intern this was a great way to get to know my colleagues in a very short period of time.

The internship had different processes to prepare us for employment opportunities after the internship. The interns had 3 formal meetings in weeks 2, 6 and 12 that allowed us to recognise what we are doing well and where can improve. When I started I was given a handbook with detailed information on brand identity and brand guideline of CRUK which as a designer helped me a lot during my internship. What I admired about the working environment of CRUK is how organised everyone is with meetings. We are able to see someone's schedule using the outlooks shared calendar, and using the same platform book meetings and appointments. I think that's a great system and makes it a lot easier on the colleagues

What I really appreciated about this internship is that in a working environment I was treated like an employee however away from our desks there are many opportunities provided to us interns to build on our skills and prepare us for employment. We had 3 formal meetings that took place in weeks 2, 6 and 12 with our managers through out our internship to discuss our progress as well as our strengths and weaknesses. It was a great way to reflect on the experience and know what to improve on during employment or the next internship. We also were able to choose mentors to support and guide us through our internship. However there was a lack of mentors who come from a creative background so it was hard for me to take advantage of this opportunity. There are also many opportunities to improve our skills through different work shops. One of them being a dragons den team builder exercise where the interns were split into teams and spent the day creating a business plan on ways to fundraise. We then presented this to a panel of judges. During that workshop I improved on my leadership and organisation skills, working to a tight deadline and my presentation skills. We also had many opportunities to fundraise which we had full control over. This encouraged the interns to get to know each other and work on projects outside of our role.

I think it would be a great opportunity to work for CRUK as I admired how organised the organisation are as well as the way the employees work in a huge office space. Its a warming atmosphere. Working in CRUK allows you to become independent, confident and become a leader. You would need to be organised managing your time well and having responsibility over your work. This is everything that appealed to me when applying to this internship and I feel reaching the end I have gained those vital skills and will help me in future employment

Every Thursday the interns would met for 'thirsty Thursday' where they would go for drinks. they also have days where they go out to eat at a restaurant for those who do not drink. It was a great way to connect and get to know the interns. We also created a Whats Up group with all the interns so we can meet for lunch easily and spread news on what's happening with their department. After the internship ends there will also be a alumni Facebook page to stay in contact with everyone after the internship.

Angel is a great location that is filled with different cultures. It is a very busy area with restaurant and cafes of different cuisines, a shopping centre and a shopping market near by, a primary school and college close by and the other organisations within Angel Building . There was always something to do and new ways to connect with others.

Lately its been getting dark late so I leave the office when its still day time. However the nights I have been here Angel is just as busy if not busier during the night which is always a great reason to go out with colleagues or interns. Its a nice safe environment which I feel is important if work very late.

A lot of the activities were going out with other interns outside of work hours which is a great way to get to know them and keep in contact after the internship and network with them in the future. The fundraising event was a fun way to work on projects outside on work and was a great way to generate money for CRUK. Some of the events included a Bake sale, Valentines day event and the office Olympics