Sorted for the summer – the St Andrews Summer Internship Scheme
The Careers Centre is delighted to launch the Summer Internship Scheme 2022. Full of varied and unique experiences, these opportunities run over the summer for six weeks in St Andrews.
The Summer Internship Scheme is for second year undergraduates enrolled on a four-year degree and third year undergraduates enrolled on a five-year degree.
The purpose of the Summer Internship Scheme is to give paid work experience and useful insight into an organisational working environment. Each internship experience is based within a professional service unit of the University. You will experience the inner workings of the unit’s team as they explore new ways of working or delve into important projects or programmes.
The internship opportunities are all live on CareerConnect for you to view. Take some time to see which one really excites you.
The application process
A key purpose of the Summer Internship Scheme is to help you prepare for the future by fine-tuning your CV, and getting some application and interview practice. You are required to submit your CV and covering letter for each application. Remember you can apply for up to three different positions, but you can only accept one.
When shortlisting, the units will judge how well your application matches the internship’s person specification and how much interest you express in the position. The applicants who do this best will be shortlisted for interview.
If you would like more help with your application or get invited to interview and want to improve your skills, then head to our website for more guidance or book an appointment with one of our Careers Advisors.
The internship experience
With lots of uncertainty remaining about working practices, most units will support hybrid working, with some in-person and some remote working. Units will respond to the latest guidance, and are hopeful for more in-person experiences this summer. Please read the details on each internship for specific requirements of the role.
You will be given an induction at the start of your internship, which will give you a chance to learn more about the unit and the people you will be working with. We recommend you think about what you want to gain from the internship, and that you tell your manager about this in your first conversations with them.
We also recommend you keep a journal or reflective account of your experience. You will probably be amazed at all you have achieved and learnt throughout the six weeks. Being able to use these experiences and insights to shape your employability journey, or as your apply for other opportunities, will be extremely beneficial.
Hear from one of last summer’s interns
Don’t just take our word for it! Nicole Cizauskas (Bachelor of Science (Hons.) Neuroscience) was the Research Intern within the Proctor’s Officer, working with the Enhancement Theme Team as part of the 2021 Summer Internship Scheme. Here Nicole tells us about her internship and what she took from the experience:
I was short-listed for an interview on Microsoft Teams with several members of the Enhancement Theme Team, whom I later worked with after successful selection. The interview asked about previous experience with the research techniques I would be using in the internship. I rehearsed with friends beforehand and practised answering mock interview questions, which helped prepare me. However, the most helpful tip I found was to be myself – to talk enthusiastically and authentically about my previous work and ideas, and to let my personality be visible through this.
In terms of the skills and knowledge from my degree which have been useful, in the first year of my degree, I completed ethics application forms as part of a group project for a psychology module. During my internship, I had to complete the same ethics application forms for my research. I also learned about different styles of data collection throughout my degree and applied my knowledge of these to my internship. Lastly, but most importantly, the ability to understand scientific literature and review previous research was essential to my work – and it was also a skill I perfected during every lab report and essay throughout my degree!
My internship has been about exploring the impact of online learning on students at St Andrews. I started my work with an in-depth review of previous literature and communications across Schools and units, to discuss what had already been found. Then came the brain-storming phase, where I discussed ideas with my supervisors in the Enhancement Theme Team and my co-intern. The research itself included completing ethics applications and designing questionnaires, focus groups, and other data collection strategies. This research is still ongoing, but eventually I will assist in the statistical analysis and presentation of the data.
One of the main benefits of my internship was confidence. I was initially very worried about being a research intern with no formal research experience. I was nervous that any ideas I suggested for the project would show my lack of experience. But I managed to put myself out there – and was met with enthusiasm and support! I now feel capable of much bigger research projects in the future. I also made connections with my supervisors and co-intern at the Enhancement Theme Team, and will continue to be a part of their projects going forward.
We are grateful to hear from Nicole and her reflections on her experience. It’s fantastic to hear how she spent her time, and the benefits she gained. If you want to follow in Nicole’s footsteps, then check out the Summer Internship Scheme page for more information or head to CareerConnect to see the internships on offer in 2022.