Health Evaluation Intern Review

I really enjoyed my internship at Cancer Research UK, which I did part time while also studing for a PhD. It provided me with the perfect opportunity to apply my research skills and gain practical experience working for a charity.

I felt very valued by my colleagues and was entrusted with my own project for the duration of the internship. They let me get on with my project on a day to day but were also available to help if I needed it. I was made to feel like I was making an important contribution and that the project would not have been done if I hadn't been there.

My manager was very supportive and we had weekly meetings to discuss my progress. Everyone in the team was very approachable and shared their calendars so it was easy to set up a meeting with someone if I wanted to discuss something.

My workload was generally busy but manageable. Each week I would discuss with my manager what I was working on and she would give me more or less work as required. This meant that I gained experience working on a range of different projects, providing me with a good overview of the charity.

As I was given my own project, I felt like I was given a good amount of responsibility. I was responsible for all aspects of the project and was left to get on with it, although someone was always available to help if I needed it.

The internship was a great way for me to gain research experience in a charity environment. This was particularly valuable for me as a PhD student as it opened my eyes to potential career options for when I finish studying.

I really enjoyed working in a large open plan office as it's a great way to hear about the different topics people around you are working on and learn more about the charity as a whole. It was also a great way of getting to know people personally as I was sat with my team and near other teams I was working with.

The internship scheme was very well organised with a 2 day induction to the charity, regular reviews and CV and interview training. We had regular contact with the volunteering placement executive who would always keep us updated on things that were going on in the charity and opportunities that came up.

A CV and interview training workshop was provided for all interns which was really helpful. It included a one-to-one session with an HR advisor who was able to look at my CV and provide me with feedback.

I really enjoyed my time with Cancer Research UK and it is definitely somewhere I could see myself working in the future. The internship was a great way to make contacts and I plan to keep close links with my team so I can find out about any future opportunities.

All the interns were very sociable and regularly went for lunch together and out for drinks in the evening. My team were also very sociable and there were several drinks and dinners out while I was there.

London is always going to be expensive but our travel and lunch expenses were paid which helped a lot. London also has such good travel links that it is easy to live in a cheaper area and commute in to work.

Angel is a great location to work and has lots of bars and restaurants. It is also a quick commute to other areas of central London.

There were plenty of opportunities to get involved in fundraising events or volunteer at Cancer Research UK events. For example, I had the opportunity to volunteer on the 'Get to Kow Cncer' pop up shop in the local area.