Your Future, Start Now: Rachael
Rachael Brown shares her experiences of participating in the Your Future, Start Now Internship Programme.
My story – Rachael Brown
- Course: MA International Relations and Sustainable Development
- Year of study when you completed this internship: Second year
- Employer: Robertson Group, North Muirton site, Perth
Why did you sign up for Your Future, Start Now?
To gain work experience and enhance my skills needed for employment. I hoped to have a better knowledge of the world of work by listening to the experiences of people within different fields of employment.
How did you find the 5-week workshop programme?
I found the 5 week YFSN programme to be extremely helpful and informative. I enjoyed hearing from the guest speakers about their different pathways and the routes they took to get to where they are in their careers. Learning how to present a professional CV and cover letter was extremely useful, especially because at the time I did not have one.
Tell us a little about your internship
My internship took place at the Robertson Group on their North Muirton site in Perth. The construction was of a new primary school that would be one of the first Passivhaus buildings in the UK. A Passivhaus build is one in which minimises heat loss, making more environmentally friendly. Throughout the week I focused on the sustainability side of the construction industry with my mentor, Peter, who was the Passivhaus manager for the site. Each day I would spend time with different Robertsons employees, from the site manager to the sustainability team. I got to see first-hand what their role consists of and developed an insight into the complexity of the construction industry.
What skills did you learn and how did you put them into practice during the internship?
Throughout the week I developed many of my skills such as adaptability and interpersonal skills and gained essential work experience. I built my confidence by stepping out my comfort zone into an environment that I had never experienced before and learnt to collaborate with various people.
What’s next for you in your career journey?
I hope to gain further work experience throughout my next two years of university, as well as delve further into my degree and discover a field of study I am passionate about and want to pursue as a career.
What would you say to someone considering signing up for Your Future, Start Now?
I would highly recommend the YFSN programme to everyone. For me it has been extremely helpful: from the weekly workshops, to my internship, and the continuous support I received from the Careers Centre, the programme has really helped me in my career journey.